Phuket Vegetarian Street Procession - Sapam Shrine

Getting early to Sapam Shrine is something which is always worth doing - but it is a little odd because there are so few people.

I watched one person perform a ceremony with the flames from the small shrine with the candles and then take the flames to the main Shrine.

There was a beautifully crafted dragon pole which I had never noticed previously.



Chairs arranged for something.

Sedan chairs ready with a figurine

There was one person undergoing a possession - watching this happen and then watching the piercing take place did set the morning all in context.

One person I watched waiting in anticipation - even managing to watch the undergoing of the possession.

As the sun rose the number of people increased and the piercing began.
 the Shrine holders dropped to their knees and were blessed by this person.

After this more possessed people left the Shrines, more people arrived and were pierced.

AND the drums got louder in the Shrine - the tension was unexplainable...

A piercing with two swords made of ? but blessed first with the smoke in front of the shrine...

Then what seemed to be the head of the Shrine left the Shrine (possessed), giving threads to the observers 

and all began to stream out of the shrine....

Some stopped to bless people

Then the firecrackers started - blessings were given and then the procession began - the chanting, the noise, the fireworks!

As we began to walk along the road I notice that the people in the parade stopped and loaded their sedans into trucks!

Then it began to rain - and it did rain - soaked I made my way home.

I will post more about the possessions when I have looked through all of the photographs!

See you later.