Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2006

Apparently some years ago a group of Chinese workers on Phuket island were hit by a very nasty sickness and performed their own ritual to ward off the evil spirits. The ritual was succesful, they returned to good health, and similar rituals became adopted by many other practising Buddhists on the island.

Over time these rituals became an annual festival of spiritual cleansing for devotees, known by many now as the Phuket vegetarian festival, during which period animal flesh is not consumed by many devotees.

Masses turn out over successive days for the rituals across the island, a large proportion being in the form of processions weaving through the streets for hours in Phuket town, ending at the Buddhist temple Saphan Hin.



Devotees engaging in ritual self mortification













Firecrackers warding off evil spirits



Ignition!