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Festival of pain
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Updated on Oct 04, 2011 09:08 pm IST
A devotee of the Chinese Bang Neow Shrine parades with two small guitars piercing his cheeks during a street procession to mark the annual Vegetarian Festival in the southern Thai town of Phuket. During the festival, which begins on the first evening of the ninth lunar month and lasts nine days, religious devotees slash themselves with swords, pierce their cheeks with sharp objects and commit other painful acts to purify themselves, taking on the sins of the community.
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Updated on Oct 04, 2011 09:08 pm IST
A devotee of the Chinese Jui Tui Shrine parades with a sword piercing his cheek during a street procession marking the annual Vegetarian Festival in the southern Thai town of Phuket. During the festival, which begins on the first evening of the ninth lunar month and lasts nine days, religious devotees slash themselves with swords, pierce their cheeks with sharp objects and commit other painful acts to purify themselves, taking on the sins of the community.
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A devotee of the Chinese Bang Neow Shrine parades with a gun piercing his cheek during a street procession to mark the annual Vegetarian Festival in the southern Thai town of Phuket.
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A devotee of the Chinese Bang Neow Shrine sits with a shock absorber piercing his cheek ahead of a street procession to mark the annual Vegetarian Festival in the southern Thai town of Phuket.
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Shows devotees of Phuket's Chinese shrines walking on charcoals during a ceremony marking the annual Vegetarian Festival in the southern Thai town of Phuket.
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A man pierces the arm of a devotee of the Chinese Jui Tui Shrine with needles ahead of a street procession marking the annual Vegetarian Festival in the southern Thai town of Phuket.
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A devotee of the Chinese Bang Neow Shrine parades with a fan piercing his cheek during a street procession to mark the annual Vegetarian Festival in the southern Thai town of Phuket.
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Updated on Oct 04, 2011 09:08 pm IST