|
 The
Vegetarian Festival lasts for 9 days and 9 nights from the
1st to the 9th Chinese lunar month. This festival normally
falls on the eleventh or around October. The Chinese call
it "The ninth month vegetarian festival".
In Thailand, the vegetarian festival centers are in Trang
Province, in Krabi Province and in Phang-nga Province. But
the most famous center is in Phuket Province. Due to the old
and believable legend is that while there was an epidemic
at Kratu District in Phuket, a group of Chinese opera entertainers
performed their vegetarian festival and built some Taoist
temples to get rid of bad lucks and to heal the ailments.
The native people there then all believed those activities.
They have maintained and performed this festival until now.
In the beginning of this festival, some the local people representatives
went to Kung Sai Community in China to invite the joss-stick
smoke and ash called among the natives Hiawaient to perform
their vegetarian festival. On the way back from China to Phuket,
the joss-stick had to be lit all time.
On the first night of this festival, there is an important
activity, The Tall lamp or Ko Teng Raising Ceremony at each
Taoist temple. The nine wicks-in-oil in a glass cover are
arranged in three rows on Ko Teng. This tall lamp represents
Kiu Ong Tah., The holy Chinese God. Once the tall lamp is
lighted and raised, it signified the arrival of Kiu Ong Tah
and Siva, the God of Heaven. The tall lamp is lowered by a
pulley to add oil to the wicks and raised to the top of the
post everyday in order to prevent the lighted from going out.
Another activity on the next day is to light big joss-stick.
Some ritual propitiation, such as, sandal wood, slabs, the
gold and silver paper and amulets are burnt to worship the
shrine spirits, such as, the previous dead Kings or the dead
people who had their good deeds for the nation. After the
first three days, the vegetarians realize that they have purified
themselves. There will be and invitation the other two gods
through the spirit mediums. The first god is 'Lamtao' who
is the god register for the birth record and 'Pugtao' the
god register for the death record.
The Peung Kun or the God soldiers are invited to Protect
vegetarian people from the evils and monsters. The highlight
of this activity is watching the spirit mediums performances.
Some of the god soldiers 'characters like Hieng Jia, or Buosong
who could kill tigers with their bare hands are very exciting.
The devotees are given Hu (a piece of paper with Chinese alphabets
believed to be a holy amulet).
Most tourists expect to attend and see the events on the
eighth and the ninth day. There will be a very exciting street
procession. This is the highlight of the vegetarian festival
in Phuket...On the eighth day, there will be an exciting procession
from the Taoist Temples through town. The main reason of this
procession is the fire-worshipping ceremony (Hiawaient) from
Kung Sai Community.
A Sedan chair covered with yellow curtains is used to invite
Kiu Ong Tah from Sapan Hin. Kiu ong tah's sedan chair is well
regarded for important gods and goddesses possessing the spirit
mediums.
The spirit mediums, most are men will perform the superstitious
activities, such as they cut themselves with swords, axes,
and spiked ball andd pierce themselves with needles and large
iron skewers. Some of them even cut their tongues and walk
around the town without being hurt or weary. This street procession
is headed by a group of devotees, usually school children
carrying flags and banners with the gods 'or goddesses' names
in Chinese characters. In the processions, there are devotees
playing drums, gongs and cymbals.
The people whose houses are along the roads where the procession
is due to pass set up an altar in front of their houses Lighted
candles and joss-sticks, flowers and offering of fruit and
tea are placed on the alter table. When the procession is
passing their house, they let off the fire crackers and then
invited the gods and goddesses in the form of possessed mediums
into their houses. The spirit mediums usually take some the
offerings and give them blessing in return.
On the ninth day or the last day of this festival, there
will be 'Koy Hoy' or the fire-walking ceremony, which is very
thrill for the first time visitors who have no such experiences.
The possessed mediums walk barefoot on the burning charcoal
without being hurt. The devotees who follow a strict vegetarian
diet, abstain from sex and sinful deeds and have faith in
Kiu Ong Tah can also walk on fire without hurting themselves.
The Koy Han Or the bridge-crossing ceremony. This ceremony
is one of the most important ceremonies. It is in fact a self-purifying
ceremony. The participants have to hold a human effigy cut
from paper with their names on, and onion-like vegetable,
a coin of 25 stangs. On the two sides of the bridge, possessed
mediums wave their personal flags to chase away the impurity
that may be in the devotees' bodies, sprinkle them with lustral
water to clean them and give them blessing. The devotees are
also stamped on their back to signify that they have passed
the ceremony and are thus purified from sins.
At night, there is a Blade-ladder-Climbing Ceremony. High
ladder about 12 meters high with 32 sharp knife steps. During
the ceremony, barefoot spirit mediums carefully step up on
the very sharp blades till they reach top without cutting
themselves. On last night of the ceremony, there is the farewell
ceremony which is performed near the sea or at Sapan Hin.
A long procession of spirit mediums and devotees parade through
town. The sound of drums, gongs, cymbals and fire-crackers
are indispensably heard. Some buildings around Phuket hang
firecrackers for 9 floors. When the procession passes, Phuket
is then full of smoke and continuous noise of firecracker.
When the farewell ceremony ends, on the next day, there will
be the tall-lamp lowering ceremony. That comes the end of
Phuket's annual vegetarian festival.
|
