Possession and Piercing - Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2016

Phuket Vegetarian Festival began early for me today when I visited Jui Tui Shrine to watch the piercing and then the parade.

Arriving early I was able to watch people arrive and the sun rise. It was true beauty.

People seemed to be waiting for something...



and then it began - people began to be possessed and then subsequently pierced. I have read so much about this I am not quite sure about it - all that I know is that they do make extremely large holes in peoples cheek and then put things inside them.

Yes it really is quite gruesome to watch but obscenely interesting. However it is deeply respected by the local community  and I really do not know how a tourist in shorts taking selfies in the temple is a mark of respect?

But some were not pierced and were simply possessed...

There were more women being pierced this year...

But it was largely ignored by the local people - who were more interested in the spirits...

As more and more people began to file into the temple a lot more people began leaving and I do not know where they all were - there was just too many people!

The atmosphere is wonderful and I am amazed that it is actually so calm in the temple and the piercing can take place in such chaotic calm with little accident.

Then there was - someone fainted?

The chanting began and we all left the Shrine on our trip to Sapan Hin. (Post coming)