From contamination to catharsis: Thai monks help heal addicts through religious rituals

A patient works out at the rehabilitation and detox area at Wat Thamkrabok monastery in Saraburi province, Thailand. (Jorge Silva / Reuters)

Updated on: May 11, 2017 9:05 AM IST

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A patient works out at the rehabilitation and detox area at Wat Thamkrabok monastery in Saraburi province, Thailand. (Jorge Silva / Reuters)

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Wat Thamkrabok, 140 km (87 miles) north of Bangkok, has treated more than 110,000 people since it started its programme in 1959. (Jorge Silva / Reuters)

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Turkish-German patient Cengiz (C) attends his ordination ceremony at the monastery. (Jorge Silva / Reuters)

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A patient enters a steam bath at the rehabilitation area. (Jorge Silva / Reuters)

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Treatment begins with a ‘Sajja’ ceremony in which patients take a sacred vow never to use drugs again. (Jorge Silva / Reuters)

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Patients work at the kitchen of the rehabilitation area of Wat Thamkrabok monastery in Saraburi province. (Jorge Silva / Reuters)

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Patients react after drinking medicine made with plants and roots. Patients then drink, for at least five days in a row, a strong herbal medicine that induces vomiting. The process is followed by a daily herbal steam bath to aid the detoxification process. (Jorge Silva / Reuters)

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Nat (2nd L) combs a friend's hair during their stay at Wat Thamkrabok monastery in Saraburi province. (Jorge Silva / Reuters)

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Nat, a patient, sits at the rehabilitation and detox area . Patients pass the time by meditating, playing table tennis and weightlifting, and manual work such as painting and making Buddha statues. (Jorge Silva / Reuters)

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Patients playing table tennis at the rehabilitation and detox area . (Jorge Silva / Reuters)

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Jeremy, a Buddhist monk from Australia, inspects a Buddha statue at a workshop. Jeremy underwent treatment at the monastery three years ago for heroin addiction. (Jorge Silva / Reuters)

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A Buddhist monk and a patient sweep the yard. (Jorge Silva / Reuters)

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A Buddhist monk prays after throwing food to fish and turtles at a lake inside Wat Thamkrabok monastery. Some experts have questioned the effectiveness of Wat Thamkrabok’s methods. (Jorge Silva / Reuters)