Tim in Thailand : Phuket Vegetarian Festival

Phuket Vegetarian Festival - piercing and parade 2015

The Phuket Vegetarian Festival was special for me because I joined the parade this time (after the possessions and the piercing). I have written so much about this in previous posts that today I am going to put some links at the bottom. Jamie had a good idea and updated the post... but I didn't.

The morning started with being at the wrong temple (I was at Samkong and not Jeng Ong) - but Samkong did look nice in the early morning.

Then I was offered a lift by a Thai gentleman as I walked between the two temples - thank you.

It was busy with people when I arrived at 7am. The colour fun part had started - the threading of the pins - I always think that this must take time... it does.

Then the possessed began to come out of the temple to the beat of the drums.

The piercing always begins under this cloth - which is the same as the one that the hear Mah Song carries.

Then there seemed to be the possessed flooding out from the shrine all coming out to be pierced.

I noticed that each chair where the piercing took place was also resting on blessed paper from the temple - similar to the offering tables along the roads of the parade.

The drumming became louder and it was clear who the head Mae Song was for the day - and as he was tipped into a frenzy more people seemed to appear. More people joined in and then they seemed to stream out.