Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2012 underway

PHUKET: The Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2012 began officially at midnight last night as lanterns were hung at the participating Chinese shrines on the island, marking that the Jade Emperor and nine Emperor Gods had descended from the heavens.

Thousands of devotees and spectators gathered at shrines across the island yesterday at sunset for the raising of the huge go teng poles, which the gods used to arrive to walk the streets of Phuket.

Among the guests at Jui Tui Shrine in Phuket Town were Phuket Governor Maitree Intusut and Privy Councillor Chalit Pookpasuk, joining Yen Long, the senior residing abbot at the Emerlad Buddha Temple in Tienjin in China.

Activities at the shrines today and tomorrow are reserved for purification and worship ceremonies, with the internationally renowned street processions to start on Wednesday (Click here for a schedule of the street processions with maps.)

Although not marked on the official Phuket Vegetarian Festival program of events, Phuket City Municipality will stage a special procession of students through the heart of Phuket Town to honor Their Majesties King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit and HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, who celebrated his 60th birthday on July 28 this year.

The procession will start at the Sanam Chai field opposite Phuket Provincial Hall and continue to Saphan Hin.

Starting at 5pm, the parade will begin head south from Sanam Chai field, turn right onto Narisorn Road, then left onto Montri Road, pass The Metropole Hotel at the Clocktower Circle and continue to Saphan Hin. (Click here for a map of the street procession route)

For people wanting to join and watch the many other popular activities being held during the Phuket Vegetarian Festival, including fire walking and bladed-ladder climbing, the full official schedule of activities at each shrine is as follows:

Monday October 15 – The First day of the festival

Kathu Shrine
05.00 / 18.00 Worship of Gods

Jui Tui Shrine
Worship of Gods

Bang Neow Shrine
20.00 Worship of Gods

Samkong Shrine
Worship of Gods

Tha Rue Shrine
12.00 / 19.00 Worship of Gods

Cherng Talay Shrine
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Worship of Gods

Yokkekeng Shrine
Worship of Gods

Sapam Shrine
17.45 Birth-Death Gods at Saphan Hin

Tuesday, October 16

Kathu Shrine
05.00 / 18.00 Worship of Gods

Jui Tui Shrine
Worship of Gods and Spirit Propitiation of Past Participants of the Vegetarian Festival.

Sui Boon Tong Shrine
20.00 Worship and Propitiation of Gods

Samkong Shrine
Worship of Gods

Tha Rue Shrine
17.00 Worship of Gods

Cherng Talay Shrine
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Worship of Gods

Yokkekeng Shrine
20.00 Worship of Gods

Sapam Shrine
20.00 Worship of Gods

Wednesday, October 17

Kathu Shrine
05.00 / 18.00 Worship of Gods
16.00 Warriors Propitiation
16.30 Food Offering to Warriors
19.30 Birth-Death Gods Propitiation

Jui Tui Shrine
19.30 Food Offering to Warriors
20.45 Birth-Death Gods Propitiation

Bang Neow Shrine
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors

Sui Boon Tong Shrine
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
20.00 Worship of Gods

Samkong Shrine
15.09 Food Offering to Warriors
20.00 Propitiation of Seven Stars

Tha Rue Shrine
17.30 Food Offering to Warriors
18.30 Birth-Death Gods Propitiation

Cherng Talay Shrine
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
15.30 Blessing Bang Tao Village
19.00 Worship of Gods

Yokkekeng Shrine
15.30 Food Offering to Warriors
20.00 Birth-Death Gods Propitiation at Koh Sirey Beach

Sapam Shrine
07.00 Street Procession in Phuket town
15.45 Food Offering to Warriors

Thursday, October 18

Kathu Shrine
05.00 / 18.00 Worship of Gods

Jui Tui Shrine
Worship of Gods and Spirit Propitiation of Past Participants of the Vegetarian Festival

Bang Neow Shrine
Spirit Propitiation of Past Participants of the Vegetarian Festival

Sui Boon Tong Shrine
20.00 Worship of Gods

Samkong Shrine
05.30 Worship of Gods
07.19 Street Procession in Phuket Town
12.00 Worship of Gods
18.00 Worship of Gods

Tha Rue Shrine
12.00 / 19.30 Worship of Gods

Cherng Talay Shrine
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
15.30 Blessing Manik and Cherng Thalay Villages
19.00 Worship of Gods

Yokkekeng Shrine
07.30 Worship of Gods
20.00 Worship of Gods

Sapam Shrine
Worship of Gods

Friday, October 19

Kathu Shrine
05.00 / 18.00 Worship of Gods

Jui Tui Shrine
Worship of Gods

Bang Neow Shrine
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
20.00 Propitiation of Seven Stars

Sui Boon Tong Shrine
20.00 Worship of Gods
24.00 Propitiation of Gods

Samkong Shrine
05.30 Worship of Gods
15.09 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Worship of Gods

Tha Rue Shrine
07.30 Street Procession in Phuket Town

Cherng Talay Shrine
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
20.09 Propitiation of Seven Stars
23.00 Worship of Gods

Yokkekeng Shrine
07.30 Worship of Gods
20.00 Worship of Gods

Sapam Shrine
19.00 Street Procession in Sapam Village

Saturday, October 20

Kathu Shrine
05.00 Worship of Gods
16.00 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Worship of Gods

Jui Tui Shrine
15.09 Food Offering to Warriors
20.09 Fire Walking at Saphan Hin

Bang Neow Shrine
07.00 Street Procession in Phuket Town
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors

Sui Boon Tong Shrine
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
19.00 Worship of Gods
21.00 Fire Walking

Samkong Shrine
05.30 Worship of Gods
15.09 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Worship of Gods

Tha Rue Shrine
17.00 Food Offering to Warriors
20.00 Fire Walking at Shrine

Cherng Talay Shrine
05.30 Worship of Gods
07.30 Street Procession in Thalang District
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
19.30 Worship of Gods
21.30 Random Selection to Find Servants to Priests in the Next Vegetarian Festival

Yokkekeng Shrine
07.30 Worship of Gods
15.30 Food Offering to Warriors
20.00 Fire Walking at Shrine

Sapam Shrine
15.30 Food Offering to Warriors
21.00 Fire Walking at Shrine

Sunday, October 21

Kathu Shrine
05.00 Worship of Gods
16.00 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Worship of Gods
19.00 Propitiation of Seven Stars

Jui Tui Shrine
08.00 Street Procession in Phuket Town
21.09 Propitiation of Seven Stars

Bang Neow Shrine
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
20.00 Bladed-Ladder Climbing

Sui Boon Tong Shrine
19.00 Worship of Gods
21.00 Propitiation of Seven Stars

Samkong Shrine
05.30 Worship of Gods
15.09 Food Offering t