The Phuket Vegetarian Festival – a Meat Free Diet to Make You Holy
by R J Evans on 14/03/10 at 11:31 am
If you are at all squeamish then perhaps it would be safer for you to proceed no further. Be warned – the Phuket Vegetarian Festival is not for the faint hearted. Every year the island in Southern Thailand attracts thousands to witness the unusual – not to mention painful – religious rites performed there.
Held during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar, the Phuket Vegetarian Festival brings together those who wish to have good fortune in the forthcoming year. Although held in Phuket it is the local Chinese population which adheres to this religious observation and those who take part in the festival adhere to a strict ten day vegetarian diet (some even go vegan for the duration) in order to cleanse themselves spiritually and to prepare their bodies for a visitor. At the many Chinese temples in Phuket the celebrants will put on many displays – many of which involve the piercing of the cheeks and the insertion of foreign objects therein. The displays will not stop at matter of vegetable origin by any means.
While strange and bizarre to many eyes, the observances held throughout the festival are not for the benefit of the tourists – the ceremonies began long before the island of Phuket became a favoured holiday destination. Rather it is an invitation to the gods to come and inhabit the bodies of those who celebrate the festival – known as Tesagan Gin Je locally. Although it is celebrated throughout Thailand there is a greater focus in Phuket where almost forty percent of the population are of Chinese origin. The vegetarian diet which is adopted for the period, known as gin je, and although many shop vendors sell ‘je’ food it should really be prepared in a temple in order to be properly made sacred.
It is often thought that the origins of the festival are many centuries old but although it has certainly been going on a long while it is by no means of ancient origin. In 1825 a travelling opera company arrived on the island in order to perform for the Chinese immigrants who worked in the local tin mines. While they were there the opera performers all became sick. To honor two of the emperor gods (and to bring about a recover) they kept to a vegetarian diet, in the belief that it was unspecified meat which had made them sick. The sickness vanished and the opera company became a source of great interest to the local population.
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uberVU - social comments
Feb 28th, 2010
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This post was mentioned on Twitter by taliesyn30: The pics might freak you out if you are squeamish! They are unbelievable! http://bit.ly/ccohin via @addthis…
R.U. Kidding
Mar 1st, 2010
i am a carnivore due to circumstance (mostly because it tastes damn good). and i must say this festival certainly makes sense, a meat free diet would cause one to perform self mutilation.
Michael
Mar 9th, 2010
Vão tomar no CU !!!
Jamie Monk
Mar 9th, 2010
I’ve been living in Phuket for 10 years and love this festival – great for photos – some of mine from 2009:
http://jamie-monk.blogspot.com/2009/10/vegetarian-festival-procession-photos.html
Phuket is in Thailand, why is this article in the /india/ section?!
Cheers!
Jamie
Phuket
Muhammad Sohaib Roomi
Mar 15th, 2010
Danger !
Lord Banks
Mar 15th, 2010
I am vegeterian mostly through circumstance. I will not be sticking sharp objects through my cheeks however! LB
Sharif Ishnin
Mar 15th, 2010
I use to see this events in my country in the 80s but the rituals have become obsolete today. Very detail history! Not for the faint hearted.
Glynis Smy
Mar 15th, 2010
Mmm, so glad I had just eaten! Interesting topic.
Anj M
Mar 15th, 2010
Nice share.
Lauren Axelrod
Mar 15th, 2010
Awww. Yikes!
ujwal28
Mar 15th, 2010
Good share
kaviarasankk
Mar 15th, 2010
tis the hot topic which i never seen…………. hard to c tis……….
MartineP
Mar 15th, 2010
I am also a veggie due to circumstances, but I am not a masochist. Still a great article, but I do not dare to watch the pics.
moneynwealth
Mar 15th, 2010
I really do enjoy your article, daring and experimental!
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sambhafusia
Mar 15th, 2010
nice share…
twincapes
Mar 15th, 2010
Wow, I don’t quite get it, but pretty interesting. Great article.
seoprofessional
Mar 15th, 2010
good post
Cutealice
Mar 15th, 2010
Realy intresting post
Matt John
Mar 15th, 2010
scary
jed142608
Mar 15th, 2010
Oh my…. I do agree with eating vegetables but not the things they are doing with themselves. I can’t bare looking at the pictures but what can we do if its part of their culture. I just hope those things are sterilize.
rwlovett
Mar 15th, 2010
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Jakefenzke8
Mar 15th, 2010
god thts really nasty. im so glad i don’t do that imagine how many times a day you have to clean that hole
Butterfly Dreaming
Mar 15th, 2010
Good work, this is a very informative article!
ronthoughts
Mar 15th, 2010
A unique festival, interesting topic and great output!
DuckieRawr
Mar 15th, 2010
wow thats so scary LOL
how do they clean themselves?
svishtov
Mar 15th, 2010
Mmmmm, very good article. Thank you R.J. Evans.
sara2010
Mar 15th, 2010
Very intresting post
Literatour
Mar 15th, 2010
Very strong images!
Ruby Hawk
Mar 15th, 2010
Oh My Goodness, how terrible. It makes you wonder how people come up with these torturous things to inflict on themselves. I’m vegetarian but I see no need to commit this horror.
nobert soloria bermosa
Mar 15th, 2010
ouch…that’s a weird fesival
Daisy Peasblossom
Mar 15th, 2010
Ew? I think I’ll not attend!
Juhls
Mar 15th, 2010
Very interesting. Amazing images!!
Rana Sinha
Mar 15th, 2010
Some people really are into bizarre pursuits.
Rockwall
Mar 15th, 2010
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RS Wing
Mar 15th, 2010
A bizarre way to show homeage and cleansliness to their Gods. The diet looks great but the self mutilation is strange and painful, it would seem. As there is a big cultural difference between the East and West, this presentation displays the diversity between our regions. Intense pictorial and very well written article. Thanks RJ!
Alicia
Apr 9th, 2010
Does anyone know what the dates are for the 2010 festival? I have heard mixed things. Some say it is in September this year because the 9th lunar month falls then. Any idea?
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