Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2011
So far, most of the images I’ve posted have been in regards to the street processions, but that’s not all that happens during the festival. I’ve chosen to largely highlight that aspect of this ceremony as it is most in line with body modification rituals such as suspensions. This post is still going to be mostly images from the processions, but I’m also including some notes and pics from one of the evening rituals: hot oils baths.
As I mentioned before, the temples do firewalking ceremonies at night, and in addition to that, the night prior, the mah-song partake in hot oil baths. A large wok of oil is heated and the entranced mah-song tend to it, dipping their hands into it to test it’s temperature. When it reaches the proper temperature (ie bubbling), they take swaths of clothe, dip them in the oil and proceed to flagellate themselves, leaving red marks and oil all over their torsos. Again, due to rain and their rapid movements, I was unable to obtain pictures of the actual flagellation, but I do have a picture of the oil and one of Bang Neow’s eldest mah-song between flagellations.
Now, here are some random pictures of Jui-Tui mah-song and their various “burdens”.
Those hooks in his ears seem familiar….
Note that I use the term “burdens” as my own word, which I’ve appropriated from thaipusam as I don’t really know what else to call the items they wear/carry. Unfortunately, there’s not a whole lot of western documentation (or eastern for that matter) which describes this ceremony as it’s very unique to Phuket province. Even elsewhere in Thailand, the piercing portion of the ceremony isn’t present, nor is it present in Malaysia or mainland China where the festival originates as The Nine Emperors Festival.
