THE SPIRITS came from the sea today for Phuket's Vegetarian Festival and nine extraordinary days of rites. We watched some entranced warriors go into raptures on a remote part of Mai Khao beach this afternoon.

Part picnic, part purification . . . there's nothing quite like it. The locals gathered, dressed in white, and assembled the shrine by putting together some tables on the sand.

It was always going to be a simple affair, with lines of pick-ups parked on the main road.

Then the god shrines were brought down, and positioned. Among them was a large portrait of a female god, with tape over her eyes.

First the senior warriors shook their bodies into trances, and fell into the arms of helpers at the foot of the shrine.

Then a young woman donned a traditional apron, a pink one, had her hair tied with a couple of pink ribbons, and before long, she too was shaking her head rythmically.

Other young women followed.

A European couple paused to take some holiday shots, from a distance. A tourist in swimming trunks wandered past. Children played, watched the action, perhaps learning a lot.

At the big Taoist temples in Phuket City, the preliminaries to the festival, which officially begins tomorrow, are often crowded.

Vegetarian food stalls are on the streets, and for days now, the keenest practitioners have already been wearing only white . . . . and perhaps competing for degrees of purification.

No meat, no alcohol, no sex. For nine days. Culturally, Australians especially would find that extremely difficult.

Holidaymakers, though, are not obligated to join in.

On Mai Khao beach this afternoon, we experienced a new, less formal kind of rapture. The sea was the backdrop. The kids had room to play.

Only one warrior (or perhaps it was his invading spirit) suggested we should move from behind the temporary shrine. We had become overly keen observers. But that was no problem.

The drums were beaten, the god-shrines carried one by one into the sea. Firecrackers were thrown, but just a token few, nothing compared to the cacophony to come.

Tomorrow, the 2009 parades and the photographic pleasures really begin. If there's one thing that's impossible to give up, it's the Phuket Vegetarian Festival.

See the Vegetarian Festival from October 18-26.

October 17

KATHU SHRINE
17.00 Lantern Pole Raising
24.00 Jade Emperor & Nine Emperor Gods Propitiation

JUI TUI SHRINE
17.09 Lantern Pole Raising
23.09 Jade Emperor & Nine Emperor Gods Propitiation

BANG NEOW SHRINE
17.00 Warriors Propitiation & Lantern Pole Raising
22.00 Jade Emperor
23.00 Nine Emperor Gods Propitation at Saphan Hin

SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
16.00 Lantern Pole Raising
24.00 Jade Emperor & Nine Emperor Gods Propitiation

SAMKONG SHRINE
17.45 Lantern Pole Raising
24.00 Jade Emperor & Nine Emperor Gods Propitiation (Yog Ong Song Tae & Kiu Ong Tai Tae)

BAN THA RUE SHRINE
17.00 Lantern Pole Raising
24.00 Jade Emperor & Nine Emperor Gods Propitiation

CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
16.59 Lantern Pole Raising
21.09 Jade Emperor Propitiation
23.00 Nine Emperor Gods Propitiation at Surin Beach

YOKKEKENG SHRINE
17.00 Lantern Pole Raising
22.30 Jade Emperor Propitiation
24.00 Nine Emperor Gods Propitiation

SAPAM SHRINE
17.45 Lantern Pole Raising
24.00 Jade Emperor & Nine Emperor Gods Propitiation

October 18

KATHU SHRINE
05.00 / 18.00 Worship of Gods

JUI TUI SHRINE
Worship of Gods

SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
20.00 Worship of Gods

SAMKONG SHRINE
Worship of Gods

BAN THA RUE SHRINE
12.00 / 19.00 Worship of Gods

CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Worship of Gods

YOKKEKENG SHRINE
Worship of Gods

SAPAM SHRINE
17.45 Birth-Death Gods Propitition at Saphanhin

October 19

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

BAN THA RUE SHRINE
17.00 Worship of Gods

CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Worship of Gods

YOKKEKENG SHRINE
20.00 Worship of Gods

October 20

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

BAN THA RUE SHRINE
17.30 Food Offering to Warriors
18.30 Birth-Death Gods Propitiation

CHERNG THALAY 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

SAPAM SHRINE
20.00 Worship of Gods

October 21

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

BAN THA RUE SHRINE
12.00 / 19.30 Worship of Gods

CHERNG THALAY 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

October 22

KATHU SHRINE
05.00 / 18.00 Worship of Gods
19.00 Oil Bathing & Bladed - Ladder Climbing

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

BAN THA RUE SHRINE
07.30 Street Procession in Phuket Town

CHERNG THALAY 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

October 23

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

BAN THA RUE SHRINE
17.00 Food Offering to Warriors
20.00 Fire Walking at Shrine

CHERNG THALAY 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

October 24

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

SAMKONG SHRINE
05.30 Worship of Gods
15.09 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Worship of Gods
20.00 Bladed - Ladder Climbing

SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
19.00 Worship of Gods
21.00 Propitiation of Seven Stars

BAN THA RUE SHRINE
20.00 Propitiation of Seven Stars
20.45 Oil Bathing, Tying Children's Wrist

CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
19.59 Bladed-Ladder Climbing
23.00 Worship of Gods

YOKKEKENG SHRINE
20.00 Propitiation of Seven Stars

SAPAM SHRINE
20.00 Propitiation of Seven Stars
20.00 Nail Bridge Crossing
Oil Bathing

October 25

KATHU SHRINE
05.00 Worship of Gods
07.00 Street Procession in Phuket Town
12.00 Worship of Gods
16.00 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Worship of Gods

JUI TUI SHRINE
20.09 Bridge Crossing for Purification

BANG NEOW SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
20.00 Fire Walking at Shrine
22.00 Random Selection to Find Servants to Priests in the Next Vegetarian Festival

SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
20.00 Food Offering to Warriors
24.00 Propitiation of Gods

SAMKONG SHRINE
05.30 Worship of Gods
15.09 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Worship of Gods
20.00 Fire Walking at Shrine

BAN THA RUE SHRINE
18.30 Street Procession in Thalang District

CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
20.09 Fire Walking at Shrine
21.30 Worship of Gods

YOKKEKENG SHRINE
07.00 Street Procession in Phuket Town (join in Kathu Shrine's Procession)

SAPAM SHRINE
Worship of Gods

October 26

KATHU SHRINE
05.00 Worship of Gods
09.30 Random Selection to Find Servants to Priests in the Next Vegetarian Festival
15.00 Fire Walking at Shrine
16.00 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Worship of Gods
19.30 Bridge Crossing for Purification
24.00 Siva & Nine Emperor Gods and Birth-Death Gods Farewell

JUI TUI SHRINE
15.09 Food Offering to Warriors
23.09 Siva Farewell
23.45 Nine Emperor Gods Farewell at Saphanhin

BANG NEOW SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Bridge Crossing for Purification
22.00 Siva & Nine Emperor Gods Farewell

SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
07.00 Street Procession in Phuket Town
20.00 Worship of Gods
21.00 Bridge Crossing for Purification
24.00 Siva & Nine Emperor Gods Farewell

SAMKONG SHRINE
05.30 Worship of Gods
15.09 Food Offering to Warriors
19.00 Bridge Crossing for Purification
23.09 Siva Farewell
24.00 Nine Emperor Gods Farewell at Saphanhin

BAN THA RUE SHRINE
17.30 Food Offering to Warriors
20.00 Bridge Crossing for Purification and Siva & Nine Emperor Gods Farewell at Nai Yang Beach

CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
05.30 Worship of Gods
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
18.30 Bridge Crossing for Purification
21.30 Siva Farewell
22.09 Nine Emperor Gods Farewell at Surin Beach

YOKKEKENG SHRINE
07.30 Worship of Gods
15.30 Food Offering to Warriors
20.00 Bridge Crossing for Purification
22.30 Siva Farewell
24.00 Nine Emperor Gods Farewell at Koh Sirey Beach

SAPAM SHRINE
19.45 Bridge Crossing for Purification
22.45 Siva & Nine Emperor Gods Farewell

October 27

KATHU SHRINE
17.00 Lantern Pole Lowering
17.30 Warriors Farewell

JUI TUI SHRINE
17.09 Lantern Pole Lowering

BANG NEOW SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors and Lantern Pole Lowering

SAMKONG SHRINE
17.09 Lantern Pole Lowering

BAN THA RUE SHRINE
16.45 Lantern Pole Lowering

CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
16.30 Food Offering to Warriors
17.00 Lantern Pole Lowering

YOKKEKENG SHRINE
16.00 Food Offering to Warriors
16.00 Lantern Pole Lowering

SAPAM SHRINE
15.45 Food Offering to Warriors
15.45 Lantern Pole Lowering