Normal
0
or Vegetarian Festival Phuket Island
Phuket Island, one of the biggest tourist attractions in Thailand, called by some a paradise on earth, is not only famous for its beautiful beaches and blue sea, but it is also a place where he is one of the most spectacular festivals of the world - the Vegetarian Festival.
Name sounds pretty innocent, but what you see during the festival, is designed for people with strong nerves. Freeze-chilling sight of a boy whose cheek pierced with a samurai sword, or showing off a group of men punching jaw languages \u200b\u200bax blades. When something like further 'Places "festival, such as walking on hot coals, or treading on blades of swords, they look very innocent.
It was my first visit to Phuket, although I live in Thailand for six years. I already had ever bought a ticket on this beautiful island, but then the tsunami struck in the south of Thailand. I left home when a friend phoned me turned on the news. man I was not superstitious, but the longer I'm in Asia, the less I believe in the utter randomness of events. With some apprehension I went to Phuket so. For sure I thought about the tsunami, but probably more afraid of what I experience, taking an active part in the festival. I've heard a lot about him, my friends Thais Kik and Kao, who accompanied me while staying in Phuket, told stories so amazing, I do not fully believe them.
Vegetarian Festival, or J
,
begins every year on the first evening the ninth month of the lunar calendar (late September to early October) and lasts for the next nine days. Participants of the festival believe that compliance with its rules and participation in the rites not only purifies body and soul, which in turn brings health, but also brings success in business to individual participants and the entire community. Many Thais explains the wealth of the inhabitants of the island's participation in this festival. Is this observation true, I leave the assessment of the reader. I can only add that the first day of the festival, I received an interesting job ... festival origins date back to the mid-nineteenth century when the Chinese workers working in tin mines, a traveling group of opera came from China.
Kiew Ong Tai
Teh
plague subsided. The miraculous healing and how it was achieved, quickly spread throughout the area and new worship was enthusiastically received by the local community. To fully participate in the festival and its rituals should strictly observe the following rules: cleanliness and hygiene, cleanliness of utensils and dishes, and do not use them with those who did not participate in the festival, a white dress, temperance in behavior and mind control, a strict vegetarian diet (fast need not less
ceremonies begin on the first day of the week in 6 Chinese temples scattered in different parts of the island of Phuket and the main temple
Jui Tui
At the beginning of the temples are set, wooden poles, at least a ten meter high called the Go Teng
that symbolizes the invitation of the gods on earth. At midnight, hangs a lantern on stilts nine for nine deities and begin invocation. The first night we waited for the coming of the gods
crowded at the entrance to the temple
Jui Tui . After three hours of waiting standing next to me quipped Kik: "Late" - and suddenly turned pale .... I looked at her with disbelief. Deity chooses a person, in which ascends. Kik follow the principles of the festival, I know for years and I know it is a religious person, but why would god choose just her? Sam gave up for awhile this evening atmosphere in the temple. The smoke of incense, statues of Chinese dragons, the altars of the victims, cheers and delirium in a trance of the faithful, terrified eyes of the people around me, music, crowd and the tension ... to expect something to happen unusual, something that causes people to pierce themselves with knives cheeks, chastise ourselves, walking on hot coals. I looked her straight in the eye .... Uff, it's only hiccup. waited on. Next to us stood a group of white tourists, looking like "Pirates of the Caribbean" - tattooed body, headscarves and earrings. Their ear were so stretched that ranged arms - like statues of Easter Island. For a moment were the greater attraction than the same rites. Suddenly he rushed out of the temple boy shouting: "Out of the way !!!'," Do go !!!!" Everyone sprang to their feet. Sequentially from the temple ran out young men. I saw them earlier in the depths of the temple when introduced in trans, characteristically shaking their heads. My friend quickly pulled me aside in the direction of the already prepared "path" from the coals. Men lined up in the queue and one by one began to walk on hot coals. Some dumb people, while others applauded especially those who slowly melting on the "fiery way." As I learned from my friends, these young men are haunted by a deity called the faithful Song Ma . Rite walking on hot coals, and self-harm is a manifestation of supernatural abilities, which have been endowed at the time of descent of their deities, and - most importantly - they have to download the evil spirits of other people. There are two groups Ma Song: first are those who, through their actions are condemned to eternal damnation, and they want to buy from him. The second group are those who have been specially chosen by the gods because of his righteousness. Pierce the cheeks and lips with knives and spikes, walk on hot coals, cut their skin, the language and ax blades, to chastise, they fall down the steps from the blades of swords, believing that the gods protect their mediators. I actually rituals are accompanied by a relatively small amount of blood. Definitely this is not a sight for the faint of heart.
the next day we took part in the subsequent ordinances in the other five temples and in the processions with statues of deities and their mediators
Ma Song, who occasionally stopped to give a demonstration of their abilities. Along the route the procession of the inhabitants of Phuket set the altars, before which
at a time congruent Ma Song,
last day at night we went to the endless procession of the festival, during which the deities were discharged at the port, which way - as legend has it - have reached invited to Phuket from Kansai in China. Bang, smoke, lights firecrackers and views emerging from the smoke of half-naked, wytatułowanych characters with their faces covered, carrying on the shoulders of wooden figures were an incredible experience. Firecrackers are an integral part of every day - the louder the better, because Phuket residents believe that noise scares bad ghosts.
come to the festival, people from all over the world. In some temples, teachers explain the importance of rituals in three languages, Thai, Chinese and English. I'm still impressed by what I experienced and saw on the island, far exceeded my expectations. Several times I was afraid of standing really close to the faithful who are waving their axes in a trance and ran to the temples, to go after the hot coals. If we give up in the atmosphere of Phuket, forget for a moment that we're tourists get rid of prejudices and superstitions stay on the vegetarian festival may be one of the most exciting adventures in life. Vegetarian Festival But why? And what about the vegetarian food?
Peter Druzgała 
0
