Thousands of people gathered at Chinese shrines around Phuket yesterday to participate in pole-raising ceremonies before for the Vegetarian Festival, which began today. Tall bamboo poles were raised at the auspicious time of 5.09 pm. Nine is the most auspicious number throughout
The Vegetarian Festival is a Chinese/Hindu celebration initiated 150 years ago when large numbers of people on the island of Phuket were dying from an unknown disease. This festival is unique to Phuket and not celebrated throughout Thailand. Fasting, resolutions of good behavior and self-sacrifices of various sorts were thought to have brought about the end of the epidemic, which, in all likelihood, had simply run its course. But the rituals and the holiday still survive, although some think it has evolved into a mere tourist attraction and gory carnival. Thais seem to enjoy big crowds and cacophonous noise. The Festival involves elaborate ceremonies at Chinese shrines, ear-shattering fireworks, parades and the infamous once-a-year (or once-only) fakirs that are into self-mutilation - like lacing bicycle handlebars through their cheeks and other fun tortures. Many believe that the mediums, who poke huge holes through their bodies achieve a spiritual, trance-like state and become vessels for the spirits that have come down the bamboo poles. (Now wait a minute. Let me think about that. Wouldn’t I have a glazed look in my eyes resembling a trance if I had just jabbed a spike through both my cheeks?) It’s thought that the mah-song are protected from pain and harm by the spirits temporarily inhabiting them, but ambulances are very busy carting young, "entranced" men to hospitals throughout the festival. It’s totally bizarre. It is a gruesome, voyeur's delight - a reality show that beats them all and it draws many tourists as well as honestly believing Thais. The specially prepared vegetarian festival food offered by the hundreds of stands along the parade routes is delicious (but a bit difficult to chew if you have a crowbar skewered through your cheeks).
There was a big kafuffle over one of the fakirs last year, because he paraded through town with a knife jabbed through his tongue and someone noticed that it was not his tongue at all. He purchased a pig’s tongue at a fresh market that morning, stuffed it into his mouth and stuck a knife through it. A crowd of people followed him back to his shack after the parade and proceeded to beat him severely. Policemen and monks stood by and did nothing to stop the thrashing, saying later, for the newspapers, that he got his just deserts for being a phony fakir. After he got out of the hospital, he was de-robed, or whatever it is they do to disgraced fakirs. Rumor has it that he is going to march in this year’s parade anyway, with knitting needles poked through his penis. (I think local owners of water buffaloes should check their beast’s undercarriages for missing parts.)
