When multiple needles and swords pierce through the mouth, God enters the body. So believes devotees at the Phuket Vegetarian Festival in Thailand.
Devotees, attending the festival on Monday, believe extreme self-mutilation is the way to get rid of evil from their bodies and bring good fortune to the society. Encouraged by the sound of fireworks and drums, devotees walked on hot coals barefoot, forced skewers through their cheeks.
Although as you can see from the pictures some of them did not stop at skewers!
Phuket Vegetarian Festival is an annual event also named the Nine Emperor Gods Festival. It is held every ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar. Devotees pray for the Nine Emperor Gods who would bestow good fortune to the community.
During the 10-day long festival, devotees should keep a vegan diet to purify their spirits. The tradition was originally initiated in Southeast Asian countries, especially Phuket where over 35% of residents are Thai Chinese.
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