Trang:Nearly 4 million firecrackers were ignited at the Chao Pho Muen Ram Shrine in Trang province during the "Cleansing of the Chinese Palanquin" ceremony, a part of the traditional Vegetarian Festival.
According to Thai News Agency, the event took place with a large gathering of vegetarians dressed in white, who assembled at the shrine on Ratsada Road to witness the "Khaew" ceremony, involving the washing of the Chinese palanquin. This ceremony is a prelude to a procession involving 14 "Kew" and 2 "Tua Lian," which are traditional Thai offerings.
The shrine instructed participants who will carry the "Kew" in the procession to bring them for a cleansing ceremony, presided over by a sacred deity. The ceremony involved tying firecrackers to bamboo poles inside the "Kew," with carriers dancing to the sound. Two cranes were used to manage the nearly 4 million firecrackers during the two-hour ceremony, which ended with a fireworks display.
During the ceremony, a ritual was performed to purify weapons with fire, involving over 500 mediums who demonstrated supernatural feats, some even cutting themselves with sharp weapons. The procession, featuring a wooden statue of the deity "Kim Sin" securely tied to the palanquin, was set to travel through Trang city market to bless devotees, departing the shrine at 329 PM.
Unfortunately, during the fireworks display, a firework exploded in the crowd, injuring a man in the right leg. He received first aid from emergency personnel before being taken to Trang Hospital for further treatment.