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By K.M. Kinderman
When one thinks "Vegetarian Festival" one would not normally
conjure up images of men with pierced, bloody faces, fire-walking,
bladed ladder climbing and spiritual possession, however during
Phuket's famous Vegetarian Festival these are exactly the kind of
events one sees.
You may be wondering what all that has to do with a vegetarian
festival. Its history on Phuket began in 1825 when a Chinese travelling
opera arrived to perform for the Chinese tin miners. At the time
the island was covered mostly in jungle and rife with disease. When
the entire opera cast fell ill, they kept to a vegetarian diet and
paid homage to their gods. After some time their illness disappeared.
The people of Phuket were enthralled by this and asked how it was
done.
The Chinese performers explained that by staying to a vegetarian
diet their bodies were cleansed and invoking the power of their
gods helped rid themselves of any evil spirits. Consequently the
people of Phuket embraced the faith enthusiastically and the festival
began on the first evening of the ninth lunar month until the ninth
evening. This falls between September and October on western calendars
and this year the festival dates are October 14-22 with the opening
ceremony on the 13th.
The old story tells of a local man who volunteered to go to China
to invite the sacred incense smoke and sacred names to come stay
in Phuket. He also brought back holy writings used in the ceremonies.
When he returned to Phuket he was greeted by a procession of supporters
who escorted him from the harbour to the temple. This birthed the
route of the parade that takes place during the festival in which
statues of gods are carried by entranced devotees from the various
shrines to Bang Neow pier outside Phuket City. These devotees are
called Ma Song (entranced horses) and it is believed that they are
possessed by the gods therefore manifesting super-natural powers.
Dawned in colourful ceremonial aprons, they perform self-tortures
in order to shift evil from individuals onto themselves and to show
off their strength of mind. These feats comprise of piercing their
cheeks with every object imaginable, walking over hot coals, climbing
bladed ladders and bathing in hot oil. If you have a strong stomach
you can observe these events during the daily procession and at
specific temples throughout Phuket. There are tamer ceremonies for
those with delicate nerves and you can enjoy the festivities by
sampling all the lovely vegetarian food around town. Look for the
yellow banners. They do wonders with tofu and "wheat meat"
which taste like meat or fish.
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During the festival, enthusiasts wear only white clothing to symbolize
purity. Feel free to join in by sporting some white-wear of your
own. The festival and ceremonies aim to bring good luck to the community
and individuals. It promotes cultivation of a strong mind, good
hygiene, clarity and inner peace. Those who serve as Ma Song either
volunteer or are randomly chosen.
I spoke with a Ma Song who has been participating in the festival
for 19 years. His face is scarred by his faith and several ceremonial
aprons hang in his room, one bearing a rather large blood stain.
When asked if it hurts when he pierces his cheeks with long metal
spikes, he ponders his answer for a moment, "Not really."
He conveys that when he is inserting the spikes, he is in and out
of consciousness, possessed by one of the many spirits who take
over the Ma Song bodies during this occasion. His recollection of
the parade is also dotted with hazy memories. I'm curious about
the ceremonial aprons and especially the one pink gown hanging beside
them. He explains that the aprons are given to him by supporters
and are reused according to what the spirits want. The pink gown
is for the instance when a female spirit takes over.
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Most of the festival's events take place in Phuket City at the
various Chinese temples, although the main temples in Kathu and
Chern Talay also participate. The two main temples in Phuket City
are Jui Tui on the corner of Ranong and Patipat Roads near the market
and Bang Neow temple on the southern end of Phuket Road near the
sea.
Before the festival can begin the gods must first be called to
Earth. This is done through the Go Teng pole ceremony. On the afternoon
of the 13th the great Go Teng pole is raised and the gods are invited
to descend the pole. At midnight nine lanterns are hung on the pole
to signify the beginning of the festival. You can watch the Go Teng
pole ceremony at Bang Neow and Jui Tui temples at 5:00pm on the
13th.
The procession through Phuket City begins on the 16th early every
morning at 7:00am. The exact route of the parade varies depending
on the will of the spirits. If you would like to witness the Ma
Song piercing themselves you can go to one of the Chinese temples
beforehand at 6:00am. Otherwise find yourself a shady spot near
the temples of Bang Neow (19th ) or Jui Tui (20th ) and watch the
Ma Song show off their strength as they march through the streets,
faces pierced with spikes, ceiling fans, machine guns, canoe paddles,
long-tail boat propellers, bamboo and the like. Occasionally a group
of Ma Song will push back the crowd and start beating themselves
with swords, axes and spiked plants, others carry axes and saw away
at their tongues, some pretty ladies float through the streets in
trances and statues of gods are carried by others while fire works,
drums and clanging symbols scare off evil spirits. It is like nothing
I have ever seen.
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Bladed ladder climbing and hot oil bathing events are on the 18th
at the Kathu temple at 5:00am and again at 6:00pm. On the 20th it's
held at Bang Neow temple at 7:00pm in Phuket City and at the Chern
Talay temple at 8:00pm.
Fire walking begins on the 19th at 7:30am at the Chern Talay temple
and at 8:00am at the Jui Tui temple in Phuket City. If you missed
it then you can catch some more fire walking on the 21st at 7:00pm
at Bang Neow temple, at 8:00am at the Chern Talay temple and again
on the 22nd at 3:00pm at the Kathu temple.
The last day of the festival is the most impressive with the loudest
drums, the most fireworks and a grand procession to the sea. By
the water's edge the spirits are released, leaving the Ma Song to
return to mortal humans and go about their daily lives. This ceremony
takes place at 10.00 in the evening at Surin Beach and at Bang Neow
pier outside Phuket City.
An exhibition of photos and information is open to the public from
September 13th- October 23rd at Nawamindra Memorial Square in Phuket
City. This lies on Phuket road opposite Asia Bank just north of
the clock tower round-about.
During the festival enthusiasts adhere to ten rules for no less
than three days:
- Wear white clothing
- No eating of animal flesh or killing of animals
- No drinking of alcohol
- No sex
- Truthful conduct of body and mind
- Clean bodies
- Clean kitchen utensils and to use them separately from those
who do not join the festival
- People in mourning should not attend the festival
- Pregnant women should not watch any ritual
- Women who are menstruating should not attend any ritual
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