The smells of disinfectant and incense mingle in the Thai streets of Phuket, with the launch of the festival of vegetarians, which is famous for the procession of followers of a religious and philosophical sect piercing their cheeks and lips with knives, needles and other types of sharp objects.
The festival - which is held on the tourist island in southern Thailand - dates back to the 19th century, after a Chinese troupe who was performing in the region in 1825 was poisoned as a result of eating meat.
According to the prevailing narrative, after this incident, the band adopted a vegetarian diet to purify its members who pierced their cheeks with rods of various kinds in a ritual specific to the Taoist sect.
The festival is the largest show of vegetarianism in the world, and local participants known as "masong" show their respect for both "gods" and animals for nine days by abstaining from eating meat and passing swords, knives or other objects across different parts of their bodies.
It is rumored among Thais that the participants are possessed by spiritual forces that make them able to endure pain, as if they are in a state of trance.
Part of this year's Phuket Festival (Reuters)
"People who make vows should have their bodies pierced to express their gratitude to the gods and get rid of bad luck," says Chitsanuvong Tangkungkwe, an 18-year-old spectator.
"I was able to clear my mind and focus on my work," said Tibakorn Kerdakla, 62, as he waited for the procession to start.
People from Phuket's Chinese community celebrate their ancestors with the nine-day meat-free Nine Emperor Gods festival.
As the sun rises on the tourist island, the sound of drums and bells and the smell of incense signal the start of the festivities.
The smell of incense fills the streets during the festival (Reuters)
The nurses closely watched the tools chosen by the participants themselves, which could be skewers, long swords, and even models of boats.
Firecrackers are fired when the procession, which includes hundreds of participants, passes to the beat of traditional music broadcast through loudspeakers in the streets of the city.
"The festival stopped a few years ago, so this year's festival was very popular," says Rabiban Naknakhon (one of the participants).
A large number of participants appear in a state of complete unconsciousness before they injure themselves in a step that is supposed to relieve their pain.
The festival is expected to attract thousands of visitors to the region, creating an opportunity for the Thai tourism sector, which has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic since 2020.