15 Oct, 2021
Devotees of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival this morning paraded through the heart of Phuket Town for the last time for this year, as the Sui Bun Tong Shrine, also called the Lor Rong Shrine, held its street procession.
As with all the other street processions before it this year, the devotees and Ma Song from the Lor Rong Shrine, located on on Pattana Rd Soi 4 in Phuket Town, observed ‘new normal’ COVID prevention protocols. The Ma Song and their assistants travelled by motorcade, the assistants and all over attendees worse face masks and observed social distancing, to some extent.
Observers turned out along the streets to watch the procession pass by, with many setting up small tables of offerings to honour the gods of the festival.
The last main ritual of the festival will be held at Saphan Hin tonight, starting at 10pm. Devotees from every shrine taking part in the festival will gather to perform blessing ceremonies to call the Jade Emperor and the Nine Emperor Gods to return to the heavens.
The final night of festivities traditionally sees bonfires of blessings written on blessed parchments set alight and dispatched to the heavens to the loud sounds of firecrackers being set off late into the night.
The bonfire ritual tonight will conclude at midnight.
The festival will conclude more quietly tomorrow (Oct 15), with participating shrines conducting ceremonies to lower the Go Teng poles, starting at 4pm.
