Vegetarian Festival

[Sawatdee]

A man puts packing hooks through his cheek in Phuket province, 690 kilometers (428 miles) southwest of Bangkok, Thailand, to celebrate the annual Vegetarian Festival Saturday, Oct. 12, 2002. Every year around early October devout Buddhists in the overseas Chinese community celebrate the nine-day festival, during which some perform acts of self-mortification including body-piercing, although such acts are not part of mainstream Buddhist faith. (AP Photo/Kiti Tungkul)



A man runs a spit with pineapples through his cheek on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2002 in a parade in Phuket 690 kilometer (428 miles) southwest of Bangkok, Thailand, to celebrate the annual Vegetarian Festival. Every year around early October, devout Buddhists in the overseas Chinese community celebrate the nine-day Vegetarian Festival, during which some perform acts of self-mortification including body-piercing, although such acts are not part of mainstream Buddhist faith. (AP Photo/Kiti Tungkul)

[Sawatdee]

A devotee to the Jui Tui Chinese Temple, his cheek pierced with a sword, walks with others during a procession Thursday, Oct. 2, 2003, at the Vegetarian Festival in Phuket, Thailand. The annual festival, which calls for strict vegetarianism, also features bizarre body piercing with unusual items. (AP Photo/David Longstreath)



Bad kakbobs : A Thai-Chinese devotee who pierced rods through his cheeks parades during a rally marking the annual Vegetarian festival in Phuket, southern Thailand. (AFP/Saeed Khan)

[Sawatdee]

A participant of the Chinese Vegetarian Festival walks in a procession through the wet streets of the Thai-resort island of Phuket, with an umbrella pierced through his tongue, October 2, 2003. Devout Chinese abstain from eating meat products during the nine-day festival, which involves cultural performances and culminates with acts of self-mortification. REUTERS/Adrees Latif



REUTERS/Adrees Latif



A participant of the annual Vegetarian Festival dances his way through burning coals in celebration of Taoist Lent in the Thai-resort island of Phuket on October 1, 2003. Devout Chinese abstain from eating meat products during the nine-day festival, which involves cultural performances and culminates with acts of self-mortification. REUTERS/Adrees Latif



REUTERS/Adrees Latif

[eThapo]

WOW!! Those are interesting pictures. I don't see much blood though, that takes some good skills. Kool pictures though.

[Nelly]

OH MY GOSH!!!!!!! HOW INTENSE CAN YOU GET? Theses pictures are so wild its unbeliveable! I have never ever seen anything like this, thanks for sharing it with us, I'm going to tell my friend Si, he is a vegetarian, about these pics, they are so mad. I have not met a vegetarian Thai person yet, until now I havent heard of such an event in Thailand, this is beyond anything I have seen in the world of vegeterinisom.

[Sawatdee]

His tonge pierced with a dagger, a devotee of the Chinese Shrine Kathu walks with others during a procession Friday, Oct. 3, 2003 at the Vegetarian Festival in Phuket, Thailand. The annual festival, which calls for strict vegetarianism, also features bizarre body piercing with unusual items. The festival is held annually during the ninth lunar month. (AP Photo/David Longstreath)



Devotees to the Chinese Shrine Kathu protect themselves from fireworks as they carry a model of the shrine through the streets of Phuket, Thailand, Friday, Oct. 3, 2003 during the annual Vegetarian Festival. The louder the fireworks the more good luck is passed on according to those attending the festival. (AP Photo/David Longstreath)

[Anna]

YIKES!!!! That is.. ewww whoaa.. ahhh I can't bare to look at the pictures.. dangg I wanna try! LOL hahahaha.. don't hate! On second though, I don't!!!!!!!!& #33;!!

[Kathryn]

Ok, I think I'm missing something here. WHY are these people putting swords and umbrellas and the like through their cheeks and tounges? I am confused!

[Arun]

Hello evrybody! I've been a member but I have not been participating in the forums. Today I view all this images of devotees in Thailand. By the way I am from Singapore. And we have about 9 official religions available here. 0n the 24th October is Deepavali (Festival of lights. its a Hindu faith) Prior to this event, devotees also do some kind of fasting and they walk a procession with some sticking lots of metal spikes- some amounting to half their body weight or more! Sorry I don't have any pictures to share. I think Hinduism started from India. But the devotees here stick to their traditional implements...not like in Thailand...motorbike rims, umbrellas etc. For non Asians I guess this images are quite strong. Being Asian myself, I too can't bring myself to view some of the more extreme ones! But its others faith. we must respect that. I just hope nobody take it as entertainment coz here we have VCDs selling this images as EXOTIC ASIA. I wonder if that could be misleading to anybody thinking we being a savage group. Anyway thanx to the photographer for sharing Asia to the world.