(Phuket) In a temple on the Thai island of Phuket, Sirinnicha Thampradit swallows three swords, which pierce his right cheek then come out through his mouth, as a sign of sacrifice to the gods, with a completely impassive face.
During this Taoist rite, a devotee cleans the traces of blood on the blades which injured the 29-year-old young woman, while another recites incantations.
Welcome to the Phuket Vegetarian Festival, also known as the “Nine Emperor Gods” festival, known for its extreme and bloody piercings, which are given the power to purify the soul.
According to legend, it all started in 1825 with a Chinese opera troupe miraculously cured of an illness by adopting a strict vegetarian diet.
Orchestrated by the local Chinese community, the celebrations attract many curious people each year to this island, already among the most visited in the kingdom, for its heavenly beaches.
They generated more than nine billion baht (about $369 million) last year, the local tourism promotion authority calculated.
For nine days, followers deprive themselves of meat, alcohol and sexual intercourse. But for others, the atonement sought takes a more spectacular turn.
Sirinnicha, who started ceremonial piercings at the age of 17, says she didn’t feel anything: “It’s because I believe 100% in God, and he has protected me for more than 10 years.” she explains. “God chose me and I sacrifice my body every year for him. […] I’m so proud.”
PHOTO MANAN VATSYAYANA, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Sirinnicha Thampradit
Wounds heal naturally within seven days, she continues.
The young woman paraded through the streets of Phuket’s old town alongside young men whose faces were punctured by swords, metal spikes and other kinds of blunt objects.
“Piercings are an order from God, and these objects represent his supernatural power,” describes Kaweepiphat Thomya, coordinator at the Taoist temple which organizes the rite. “The body needs to be pierced to suffer and get rid of bad influences,” he continues.
These mutilations are a gesture of sacrifice and loyalty to the deities, he insists.
But they represent a danger to the health of followers. The temple mobilized a medical team of around twenty people to avoid infections.
“We campaigned against the use of unconventional objects, especially for security reasons,” explains Karuna Paikaew, those responsible for the ceremony.