An October dawn spills over the Jor Soo Gong Naka Shrine in Phuket, bathing the gathered crowds in soft light. A barely teenage boy stands still while a father-figure man attaches a flower garland around his wrist. He’s not going to school today but for a barefoot walk down the streets of his hometown. It’s Jia Chai, Tesagan Gin Je, or simply Jay – Phuket’s annual self-mutilation festival.

Self-mutilation is a spectacle. Because there are – spectators. A forest of selfie sticks grows around the garden of piercing rods

The man’s gloved hands fumble with a stubborn piece of string poking delicate petals. The boy’s face was much less resistant than that of a flower. Two metal skewers pierced his cheeks easily, like a marshmallow. No blood in sight.

Over six dozen ma song spirit mediums show up for the first of more than 30 street processions scheduled during the nine-day Phuket Vegetarian Festival. These men, women, and children are believed to embody the Nine Emperor Gods, celestial Star Lords who, according to Taoism, preside over planetary movements, and matters of life and death.

In a trance-like state, the possessed hosts feel no pain. Numbed down, many undergo an extreme piercing ritual that would make holes in their cheeks, tongues, or body, to provide space for needles, spikes, swords, and even quirky objects.

Self-mutilation is a spectacle. Because there are – spectators. Besides the closest relatives and friends supporting their ma song in this intense ritual, tourists fill up the tiny shrine yard. A forest of selfie sticks grows around the garden of piercing rods, fighting for the same space.

One usually has to be a medical student to come so close to open wounds. But here, the anatomy lesson is free. Human meat attracts observers like exposed skin does with mosquitoes. Once a year, the Jor Soo Gong Naka Shrine becomes a natural habitat for exhibition and voyeurism.

Blades of devotion

As the first procession on the festival roster, the Jor Soo Gong Naka Shrine doesn’t just draw amateurs with smartphones – it’s a magnet for professional photographers. The perfect shot could capture global headlines, but it comes at the cost of many clicks and jostling elbows.

This year’s star turns out to be Sirinnicha Thampradit, a 29-year-old woman calmly sitting on a yellow plastic chair, using her hands to support three swords slicing through her right cheek. She started collecting scars also as a teenager, experiencing her first possession when she was 17.

“My god has chosen me and I sacrifice my body to him once a year. I am so proud”, Sirinicha tells an AFP reporter later.

“I didn’t feel any pain during the piercing”, she reveals, surrounded with paper tissues soaked in blood. “Even if it did hurt, I could tolerate it without medication or going to the doctor.”

Just in case, an ambulance is parked at the entrance of Jor Soo Gong Naka Shrine. But the staff mainly reminds visitors like me that wearing a cap prevents heatstroke. One paramedic discretely slips a yellow-and-red plastic cap, graciously provided by the Wai Wai noodle soup brand, into my hands.

Influencers stealing the spotlight

As for Sirinicha, her wounds should heal within a week. She credits her unwavering faith for protecting her and other ma songs of her family. Maybe from pain. But not from pain in the ass, also known as travel influencers. Here, the divine shield seems powerless.

Adam from The Country Collectors crouches to steal a selfie with her, without even the courtesy of saying ‘hello’.

His mouth and eyes go cartoonishly wide, his eyebrows arched in performative disbelief – a demonstration of manufactured shock.

Dissatisfied with the outcome of the shot, he waves to a random bystander.

“Can you take a photo of me?”, he asks.

Of me. Not – of us. Sirinicha is here reduced to a decorative backdrop. Her consent is presumed, much like that of the chair she is sitting on. She can’t speak with her mouth full, though.

After Adam, who would later publish a YouTube video, with a thumbnail title screaming “I WAS SHOCKED”, another instamodel swoops in to borrow his minutes of fame too.

The Origins of Jor Soo Gong Naka Shrine

Jor Soo Gong Naka Shrine is known through a variation of spellings. Google Maps prefers Jor Soo Kong Naka Shrine. Other online sources may sometimes call it Choor Su Gong, Jchoor Su Gong, Jor Soo Gong, or Jo Su Gong.

If that's not enough variety, the temple dedicated to the Taoist deity Chor Soo Kong has more aliases: Naka Tao Bo Geng, or Hun Jong Aaam / Hun Jong Arm Shrine, translated as Cloudy Sky Monastery.



The shrine in the Wichit Sub-district of Mueang, back then just a modest thatched-roof structure, was built in 2499 of the Buddhist Era (1956 in the Gregorian calendar). Its original purpose was to enshrine the sacred objects brought to Phuket by Hokkien Chinese settlers, who arrived to work in the island's thriving tin mines.

Thanks to the donations of the devotees, the shrine went through several expansions. The most recent major renovation was completed in 2566 (2013 in Common Era). Today, it's a bright yellow building with a traditional roof and four pillars hugged by green dragons.

By positioning its yew keng procession as the grand opening act of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival, even if relatively small, Jor Soo Gong Naka Shrine managed to become a central point of Taoist spiritual practices in Phuket, attracting significant interest from not only local crowds.

The divine descent in focus

To hunt the “best” shots of the Jay piercing ritual, one must arrive early at the Jor Soo Gong Naka Shrine. The march through the town officially starts at 7:30 a.m., but devotees gather as early as 6 a.m.

The crowd sits quietly, dressed in all-white or light purple, with imprints of Chinese gods on their shirts. Teenage boys puff on e-cigarettes as they decorate deity sedan chairs they would be carrying – with long red firecracker rolls. Cars are numbered in the back, prepped to carry god icons on their roofs.

Photographers, some with tattoos and body modifications, have the heaviest load – with backpacks, telephoto lenses, and action cameras strapped to various parts of their bodies. With one pair of hands, only multitasking secures both pro photos as well as videos for socials. The most prepared ones wield long rods crowned with 360 cameras, so they can fish for footage over each other.

In this atmosphere of anticipation, a commotion unfolds at the shrine’s altar, adorned with small statues. When a drumbeat breaks the murmur of the crowd, the ritual begins. Between green dragons wrapping around the shrine pillars, a man shows up kneeling, then raising incense sticks toward the sky.

Soon, more men exit the shrine. Now in their bright yellow and black aprons, with whips around their necks and black flags in their hands, they stand out from the all-white crowd.

These are ma songs, regular shrine followers in a changed state of mind. The gods had entered them, and now their heads shake left and right. With cramped jaws, they descend among the mortals.

One of them gesticulates his discontent with a messy pile of shoes left near the golden lion statues. “Clean it up!”, as if he demands. Someone readily obliges.

If you want to learn more about the origins of these celebrations, read the article on Kathu Shrine, the birthplace of the Nine Emperor Gods Festival.

Holy holes

There is a pop-up “waiting room” in Jor Soo Gong Naka Shrine’s yard. As in some religious version of musical chairs, these plastic seats move around according to the available space. And new ma songs, possessed by divine entities, get to sit in them, willingly submitting themselves to mutilation.

For piercings larger than standard needles, a prop circulating around the most is a shiny cone-shaped tool. While a helper steadies the ma song’s head, the piercer inserts fingers into the mouth, to “feel” the spot. With a determined push, the stainless-steel cone drives into the cheek, expanding the hole to the right size. The cone is then removed, and replaced with rods, swords, sickles, hooks, roses, sun umbrellas, or basically any creative find from a local hardware store.

One devotee has a particularly heavy load to carry. His leg jerks rhythmically as the cone pokes holes, under the watchful eyes of phone cameras. After puncturing one cheek, the piercer continues pushing the sharp tip through the mouth, forcing it through the other cheek too. The ma song vocalizes the discomfort, saving his face from resembling the Swiss cheese even more.

The mutilation process appears excruciating, but those involved claim to feel no pain when gods take over. Yet, as we peer through the lens of the camera, the sweat beading on their foreheads is hard to ignore. When a female ma song finally gets her piercings in place, her face glistens in a peculiar shine of smeared lipstick and tears.

Self-mutilation is difficult to watch, but perhaps even harder to look away from. Smartphones and cameras make sure our uncomfortable gazes stay glued to the scene.

To witness the dramatic piercing rituals and street procession from Jor Soo Gong Naka Shrine, see this short YouTube video (viewer discretion is advised)!

When did self-harm first start?

Self-mutilation rituals are far from a modern phenomenon.

In Phuket, these traditions have developed over the centuries. While they are seen as acts of resilience and devotion, they also serve a larger purpose: helping devotees channel their gods to protect the community.

However, self-sacrifice for the community has a complex history that spans many cultures and beliefs and has roots in ancient rituals.

In early tribal societies, self-inflicted wounds were often symbolic rites of passage, marking the transition into adulthood or preparing individuals for spiritual roles.
In some Native American tribes, young men took part in a multi-day Sun Dance, an enduring ritual that involved piercing the skin. Similarly, the Aztecs practiced piercing as a form of self-sacrifice, offering the gift of precious blood to their gods.

Self-mutilation appears in the Bible as well. In the Old Testament, the prophet Elijah encounters prophets of Baal who cut themselves with swords to invoke their god (1 Kings 18:28). But Christianity also connects martyrdom with faith, from medieval art showing Saint Sebastian riddled with arrows to modern reenactments of Easter crucifixion at Maleldo Festival in the Philippines.

Certain branches of Shia Islam practice self-flagellation (tatbir) during Ashura, a collective mourning over the martyrdom of Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.

In Malaysia, Hindus participate in the Thaipusam Festival at places like Batu Caves or Penang Island, where believers pierce themselves as an act of devotion to Lord Murugan, the god of war.

Beyond acts of religious zeal, self-mutilation has also found a place in contemporary performance. Many artists, from Marina Abramović to sideshow performers such as Zamora the Torture King and Norwegian Pain Solution, used self-harm to provoke intense reactions of discomfort and explore the boundaries of pain.

Trick or treat

For ma songs, cheek piercing is not mandatory. At Jor Soo Gong Naka Shrine, some of the possessed devotees have needles with tassels or figurine heads perforating their arms’ skin. One has a spiked morning star mace holing his tongue.

Then there’s a man with the axe, blood dripping from his mouth. Occasionally, he slides the razor-sharp edge across his tongue.

There are definitely elements of shock performance. One ma song removes a grape from the tip of his cheek-piercing skewer and hands it to a kiddo who bursts into tears. Everyone else laughs.

Even when they are offered just candies, children are not sure how to react in this bizarre version of “trick or treat”. Seeing a self-mutilation festival up close definitely shocks many of them.

Technically mind-absent, some ma songs are still very aware of the nature of the attention they are getting. They stop to take photographs with fans. When they just see a lone lens, they may slow down their walking pace, suddenly roll their eyes back, or completely freeze in a hero pose with a lifted leg, and a connected thumb and middle finger.

Ma songs’ escort enjoys the cameras’ attention too. Proud of their procession representative, the members of the entourage also strike a pose, if they are not already reporting live via their own phones.

Even the traffic police, who temporarily divert cars from the procession’s path, make their own documentation. One officer multitasks with two recording devices – a 360 camera and a smartphone.

From blessings to burns

At makeshift altars, set up by local families and businesses, the ma songs may pause, taking fruit from the offerings, giving it a ritualistic twirl around an incense stick, and then presenting it to someone (that’s how I scored a dragonfruit for breakfast myself!). But besides giving the goods, they also take away the bad. That could be in the form of a fruit too, or some pyrotechnics.

Being a ma song is not easy. Sugar-high children wait for their candy. Kneeling adults crave their blessings. Young adults want to throw firecrackers under their feet, testing the miraculous painproofness in Doubting-Thomas style.

As they walk barefoot through the tropical heat, ma song’s naked soles rub the burning asphalt, as well as bravely face those mini explosions.

Only occasionally, the supportive followers sprinkle their feet with water. Sometimes, an airflow bounces off of the waved flag, barely brushing over ma song’s skin.

Their companions may wipe away sweat from their faces, or blood from their open wounds. Red-stained paper towels are casually discarded right there, on the floor. The cleanup squads wait at the sidelines, ready to return the firecracker-polluted streets of Phuket to their original state, as soon as the parade is over.

Just like roads, during the nine days of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival, people undergo a temporary transformation too. Devoted meat-eaters might try a vegetarian diet. But as soon as the festival shuts down, they’ll probably return to their old eating habits. Ma songs will also be just regular Phuket citizens again, with only scars to mark their close encounter with the Nine Emperor Gods.

Self-Mutilation Festival at Jor Soo Gong Naka Shrine – Conclusion

During the Phuket Vegetarian Festival, Jor Soo Gong Naka Shrine hosts one of the most intense and mesmerizing displays of faith in the world. Encountering ma songs, seemingly immune to pain, may be overwhelming for first-time visitors. But it’s about more than shock value.

With hundreds of tourists snapping photos and filming from inches away, these rituals become entangled with a sense of voyeurism

While the thought of piercing skin and enduring physical pain may make many shudder, for devotees, these self-mortification acts are about purification. During the event, devotees become vessels for divine energy, in a process they consider sacred.

For ma song, self-mutilation may be a deeply personal trial. Yet, with hundreds of tourists crowded around, snapping photos and filming from inches away, these rituals become entangled with a sense of voyeurism. The line between private devotion and public spectacle blurs.

Visitors often stand transfixed, both drawn in and repelled by the extreme sights. In one way, they are seeking a visceral connection to an experience that feels raw and unfiltered, yet they’re also consuming it as a performance – moving from one dramatic ritual to the next.

The theatrical display is magnetic, almost impossible for onlookers to ignore, no matter how far removed they are from its cultural or religious significance.

With crowds pressing closer, eager to capture each moment on camera, the outsiders become, in some sense, participants, creating a cultural artifact of the event. With respect toward Phuket’s acts of faith, this sometimes intrusive documentation might feed global curiosity, as well as preserve the tradition.

Where to stay near Jor Soo Gong Naka Shrine?

If you are planning to visit the Phuket Vegetarian Festival and attend the procession from Jor Soo Gong Naka Shrine, I highly recommend making your base in the Old Town. It is much more vibrant and interesting than the shrine’s immediate neighborhood.

The Elements Boutique House

A great accommodation choice right in the heart of the Old Town, on Soi Soon Utis Street, is The Elements Boutique House, a property inspired by Phuket’s Chino-European shophouse architecture. From wooden double doors and arched windows to chim jae-style inner court (typical part of long and narrow houses, where an area opens from floor to ceiling to let air and light in), it’s an impressively functional and pleasant 2023 renovation of a former garage house.

Out of four rooms, I stayed in Aqua (others naturally named Earth, Air, and Fire). All rooms have different styles, ranging from Japanese minimalism to modern decor. My quite large sanctuary (40 square meters!) came in classic style with wooden furniture and blue walls.

Besides a comfortable king-size bed, there was also a bay window seat looking out at a quiet, dead-end alley (with all the pyrotechnics the Phuket Vegetarian Festival is known for, you will appreciate the fact that this area is mainly used by neighbors). Another skylight roof brings more light to a freestanding bathtub, while the toilet and shower room come separately.

With quite cool four showerheads and a glass wall that echoes the sounds of Japanese onsen, picking between soaking in a tub and using a standing shower with plant-based formula toiletries, is a hard choice.

Check out The Elements Boutique House in this short YouTube video!

 

Double basin and double working desks make the Aqua room a fantastic choice for couples. But I had no complaints about enjoying the place all by myself. Plus, I got an extra si tao sor, a welcome cookie connecting the guesthouse with Chinese-Thai heritage!

Depending on the dates, rooms at The Elements Boutique House start at around 2,300 baht (around 60 euros) per night. Check out the current rates for your chosen dates on Booking or Agoda!

Aekkeko Hostel

If you are looking into budget options in Phuket Town, I can recommend Aekkeko Hostel on Krabi Road.

Hidden behind a bookstore, the hostel starts with a lounge area that has a few cool resting places, such as a hanging chair, or a net stretched on the first floor.

The mixed dormitory fits eight people, with curtained-off beds, and always-on AC, unlike the common areas where you will have to handle fans.

Still, with free access to water and a shared kitchen, this reasonably priced hostel is a great choice for backpackers visiting the Phuket Vegetarian Festival.

If you’re prepared to walk like me, Jor Soo Gong Naka Shrine is 50 minutes away. Otherwise, there is always Grab!

A bed in the Aekkeko Hostel dormitory costs 340 baht (9 euros), while private rooms start at 980 baht (27 euros) per night. Find the exact prices for your dates on Booking, Agoda, or Hostelworld. 

More accommodation options

If you insist on staying in the vicinity of Jor Soo Gong Naka Shrine, which would be more gentle for your morning wake-up, there are several options within a 500-meter radius. Check out the 4-star hotels with outdoor swimming pools, such as Recenta Phuket Suanluang and Little Nyonja Hotel, or pick a decent 3-star Leelawadee Naka!

Where to eat nearby?

After following the Jor Soo Gong Naka Shrine procession, you’ll likely need to fuel up. Luckily, there are plenty of delicious meals near the proposed accommodations that are worth trying.

During the Jae Festival, plant-based meals are readily available on nearly every corner. Learn everything you should know about vegetarian food in Phuket! 

Kopitiam by Wilai

If you want to try Phuket-style Baba-Nyonya (Peranakan Chinese) food, an authentic place to do so is an old-school restaurant on popular Talang Road – Kopitiam by Wilai.

They offer a variety of local dishes, but one standout is their Panang curry, a thick red Thai curry with a mixture of red chili paste, fresh Thai herbs, and dry spices in coconut cream. Popular versions of this dish include chicken or beef, but during the Phuket Vegetarian Festival, that won’t be on the menu. The vegetarian Panang curry is still quite flavorful.

Pair it with a refreshing drink as, even in the mild version for Westerner palates, the dish still packs a punch in terms of spices.

A portion of Panang curry with rice at Kopitiam by Wilai cost me 150 baht (4 euros), and a Coke adds another 35 baht (1 euro) to the bill. 

A Pong Mae Sunee

Just at the entrance to Soi Soon Utis, the street leading to The Elements Boutique House, A Pong Mae Sunee is a food stall that often has a long queue of customers. They make khanom a pong – simple, but quite special coconut crepes in six miniature woks simultaneously heated over charcoal.

Observing the couple at work is pleasurable, but their lightly sweetened crispy pancakes with a soft center are an even more delicious reward. It didn’t come as a surprise that this food stall’s snacks earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition.

See the A Pong Mae Sunee couple making these famous pancakes in this YouTube short! 

One rolled crepe at A Pong Mae Sunee costs 5 baht, but a pack of six is 25 baht (barely 70 cents). I haven't seen anyone taking only one. 

What are your thoughts on the self-mutilation festival at Jor Soo Gong Naka Shrine in Phuket?
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“Wear something dark”, everyone was telling me days before the Maleldo Festival. The dark attracted the sunshine, but at least the blood drops were less visible.

Now I was kneeling in my room at Casa Chico, hunched over my bag. I wasn’t praying, just trying to rub away the dried bloodstains. The AC was on maximum, and I felt that the strength had left my body, covered by a shiny film of sweat. After a long day under the tropical sun and 34 degrees Celsius, which made quite a few people faint, the cold water from the fridge was cooling me down, slowly.

Good Friday in San Fernando, Pampanga province, is a bloody culmination of the Holy Week Philippines – the Cutud crucifixion festival.

Penitents carrying heavy crosses through villages, whipping themselves with bamboo sticks, or going through an actual crucifixion in Pampanga, were all experiencing the passion of Christ in his last days.

Maleldo, meaning ‘Holy Week’ in the Kapampangan language, is an extreme celebration of Filipino Easter, especially in the villages of Santa Lucia, San Juan, and the most famous – San Pedro Cutud.

Different cultures celebrate the Lord in different ways. Meet this Vietnamese Jesus!

Maleldo Festival – the origin of penitensya in Pampanga

Just one week before the bloodiest Christian holiday I’ve ever witnessed, a freelance journalist/writer from Manila explained what I could expect from the controversial event of the Maleldo Festival, 80 kilometers north of the capital.

“You get to see a lot of people hurting themselves”, Troy Bernardo told me. “For a religion such as Christianity, that should promote peace, the violence that penitents do to themselves is a sort of jarring image.”

The Church today discourages these radical religious practices in the Philippines because self-harm is contrary to its teaching on the body. But the Spanish friars were the ones who brought the idea of the penitensya (repentance for one’s sins) in the late 16^th century. The missionaries introduced scourging oneself with religious zeal – disciplina – in the canon Diego de Leon.

“Back then, the Catholic Church was mostly for the wealthy, and passage through heaven’s gates depended on how much one paid the friars for indulgence”, Bernardo wrote in his media coverage of the Maleldo Festival in Pampanga. “Unable to afford the financial demands of the Church, the poor spun their own way of paying for the indulgence: physical sacrifice.”

After witnessing the Maleldo festival once, Bernardo never returned to San Pedro Cutud. And he believed he never would, he said: “The expression of violence within this religion can be difficult to watch.”

Taoism followers in Phuket also go to extremes when performing their faith. When possessed by Nine Emperor Gods, devotees at Jor Soo Gong Naka Shrine sacrifice themselves at a self-mutilation festival!

Ruben Enaje nailed to the cross again

For several decades, Christians in this predominantly Catholic country had no difficulty watching Ruben Enaje‘s crucifixion. Exactly for 33 years, one for each year of Christ’s life, this Filipino painter went through crucifixion on Good Friday.

Every year, crowds were getting bigger and bigger. But Ruben was not getting any younger. Jesus Superstar of San Pedro Cutud’s crucifixion festival was 58 on his most recent nailing.

The actors playing Christ in the crucifixion reenactment in other districts were also not Jesus in his best years. Wilfredo Salvador, who played the Son of God in San Juan, was 62, while Melchor Mentoya in Sta. Lucia got crucified as a 64-year-old.

Was there a shortage of Jesuses who wouldn’t need to dye their gray hair? Would Ruben Enaje continue getting four-inch nails hammered into his palms and feet until, well, his death?

“I plan to stop next year”, he told me, while casually smoking a cigarette after his 33^rd Pampanga crucifixion. It almost seemed as if it became a routine, but the pain was certainly there, and stopping it was a part of the plan. Then again, Ruben Enaje has been announcing his retirement from the role of Jesus since 2013!

“There is still no one who would want to be the next one. Nobody wants to replace me!”, Ruben told me.

If you are looking for amazing Easter travel destinations, consider these Lalibela churches in Ethiopia!

Maleldo Festival job listings: searching for the next Jesus

Several people were crucified after the main play finished. Couldn’t they consider some of them for the reenactment of Jesus’ crucifixion?

“He should be a resident here! They are from other barangays (districts)”, Ruben explained.

The hypersensitive residential policy was not as strict in the past. For instance, the ban on foreign participation came only in 2015, to “prevent the Lenten rites from becoming a circus”. They decided this after some foreigners backed out at the last moment. Also, some were misrepresenting themselves or their goals, such as the Japanese who wanted to join the 1996 crucifixions for a scene in a porn movie.

From the local pool, the supply of potential Jesuses was getting shorter every year. However, San Fernando streets were full of men flagellating themselves and bleeding. Was there no successor among them?

“It seems those people are afraid to get nailed. They just do the flagellation, but they do not want to go through the crucifixion!”, Ruben Enaje told me. “I scream because I’m in severe pain. That is not acting!”

Cutud crucifixion festival history

The first crucifixion in the Philippines took place in 1962. Arsenio Añoza (in some accounts, he was called Artemio) was a faith healer in the town of Apalit. On Good Friday, he volunteered to get crucified at the climax of Via Crucis (Way of the Cross), the senakulo (passion play) written by Ricardo Navarro in 1955, in local Kapampangan language, and staged in San Pedro, Pampanga, ever since (later by Navarro’s son Rolando and his grandson Allan).

Añoza explained his decision to go through an actual crucifixion as a “means to get closer to Christ in his passion”. He performed the crucifixion at Pampanga festival annually, until 1976.

Bleeding in trance

The crucifixion in Pampanga has always been reenacted on Good Friday, the same day when Jesus was nailed to the cross.

I arrived in San Fernando four days before the crucifixion day. Penitence (or penitensya) was very visible on Maundy Thursday, as well as the earlier days of the Holy Week.

Hundreds and hundreds of bare-chested men, often with hooded faces to hide their identity, marched barefoot through the village roads, flogging their backs with burillo, bamboo sticks attached to the rope.

This would increase the blood drip from the cuts they previously did with panabad, a paddle tipped with broken glass, or with simple razor blades.

Supposedly, the bleeding would make them fall into a trance and experience a sense of elation later, called ginhawa.

Christians are not the only ones who undergo the rituals of self-harm in order to reach a greater level of devotion. Check out how Hindus engage in Thaipusam piercing at Batu Caves, or join the festival celebration on Penang Island!

Panata – making a deal with God

Self-flagellation was a ritual of atonement for their sins or a fulfillment of a vow for someone else.

“Maybe they have a family member who is sick or a sibling who is disabled suddenly”, Troy, the journalist, told me. “Sometimes, they also do it to cleanse their own sins. Some of them may have been in prison. They may have hurt other people. To get rid of all of that, they go through this process.”

In Tagalog, they called this promise made to God a – panata. It was a solemn agreement between the believer and the Almighty in which they exchanged suffering for wish fulfillment, a religious vow trade.

They called these people magdarame (in English: flagellants). With religious tattoos, rosary strings around their hands, veiled faces, and heads decorated with branches and vines resembling Christ’s crown of thorns, they carried heavy wooden crosses (mamusan krus), crawled on the burning asphalt for miles (pamagsalibatbat), or flagellated their bleeding backs (pamamalaspas). The process would imprint red stamps on their back, resembling bloody lungs or even hearts.

For the sake of art, a British artist crucified the US President. Do you think Donald Trump is a saint or a sinner?

Blood on children’s faces

In the days leading to Good Friday, one could see a lot of magdarame lashing themselves in their individual procession through the villages. They only stopped at puni. There were many improvised community-erected chapels like that.

These places came with palm-leaves decorated altars and loud sound systems so that everyone could hear the pabasa. The rhythmical chanting of the passion of Christ (Pasyon, a Philippine epic poem from 1704) went on and on, day and night, throughout the Filipino Holy Week. Chanters in this trad-style karaoke were all volunteers, and 24 hours a day, there was always someone behind the microphone.

When arriving at puni, magdarame would kneel in prayer. Then they would lie face down on the dirty ground in a pose of crucified Christ.

Others in their company, often young boys, would use the wooden sticks to hit their thighs and calves.

Some jumped into the role of little Roman soldiers with bloodthirsty eyes, which was painful to watch.

Some offered a glass of water after the beating penance, in genuine compassion for suffering.

On Good Friday, the number of flagellants grew high. They were marching in two lines, and the blood was splattering everywhere. The organizers’ decision to print the official Maleldo Festival T-shirts in red was self-explanatory!

Young and old, babies and grannies, they all showed up to watch this yearly ritual from the first row. Women used umbrellas to protect themselves from the red shower. The kids who were following the procession were covered in spots of blood, head to toe.

Some flagellants even started their whipping ritual when they were only 15 years old. In Paombong, Bulacan, in 2018, a 15-year-old boy even got crucified!

For more hardly explainable WTF moments, check out my selection of the most jaw-dropping travel stories!

Maleldo Festival dehumanizes the act of suffering

I wasn’t sure what to think about this blood frenzy on the streets of San Fernando.

On one side, it could have been an annual ventilation opportunity, where violence became justified by the Easter reenactment, so it would never repeat again.

On the other hand, I felt this was completely dehumanizing the act of suffering.

Some toddlers, girls, and women did watch it in obvious shock. Even dogs couldn’t help but express their fear by desperately barking at the bleeding caravan.

But the majority behaved neutrally in front of the whipped ones as if nothing unusual was happening. Some even had these sparkling eyes, obviously enjoying the violence while spanking the flagellants with their flip-flops.

Many had their phone cameras and selfie sticks out, ready to report the passion of Christ live if needed. On Friday, TV crews were stationed on the elevated platform just next to the crucifixion site, drones were flying above the thousands of visitors, while the section for the best viewing of the event was reserved for the “very important persons” (or VIP).

Is Easter in the Philippines all about exhibitionism and voyeurism?

The first day I visited the Calvary, when they just erected the crosses and started preparing the site for Good Friday, locals asked me if I wanted to take a selfie at the cross. While I did say ‘no’ to this strange offer, teenagers were climbing the crosses and posing for their Instagram feeds.

There was certain exhibitionism among the participants, too. Many times when I would photograph the exhausted flagellant on the floor, a kid with a stick would enter the frame and pose with a smile and approving hand gesture as if violence was suddenly a cool thing to memorize.

On the other side, some local flagellants would pull my sleeve even before the events, asking me if I wanted to photograph their wounds from yesteryears.

There was undoubtedly a level of showing off connected to this manly act of self-flagellation.

As a person who was not a practical believer, I felt strange to witness all of this. While local authorities were blaming foreigners for transforming their traditional event into “a circus”, it was a surprise to learn that I had higher respect or greater boundaries about what was appropriate or not.

Maleldo Festival dates

Holy Week (Mahal na Araw in Filipino, or Semana Santa in Spanish) is the final week of Lent. The dates are defined by the date of Easter Sunday, which falls on different date every year.

Here are the dates of the Holy Week - Maleldo Festival (Palm Sunday-Holy Saturday) in the following years:

2026 - March 29th - April 4th
2027 - March 21st - March 27th
2028 - April 9th - April 15th

The smell of blood made them faint

During the gory parade through the streets of San Juan, an older woman produced a loud groan and fell in front of the flagellating spectacle. A crowd quickly surrounded her like vultures, interested to see what happened. The floggers continued their march.

At the medical assistance tent, just next to the San Juan crucifixion site, I witnessed another unconscious woman being brought on a chair.

“She fainted because she smelled blood”, doctor Weng Salas explained to me later. “Also, she didn’t eat any breakfast, and she is even pregnant, in her first trimester.”

Obviously, not everyone was capable of witnessing harming people as just a benign Pampanga Holy Week tradition. The blood-spurting spectacle could curdle many people’s blood! But then, how do we know if those who chose to get crucified were ready for it?

Cutud crucifixion festival: Who can handle the real nails at Maleldo?

“Before the crucifixion, we check their vital signs”, the doctor explained. “We need to check the person’s health, to see if they are fit for the crucifixion, and we need to have their consent if they are willing to do it.”

It was slightly bizarre to see an emergency medical team ready to assist someone who wants to harm himself.

While this could pose so many ethical dilemmas, the same as euthanasia or assisted suicide, it seemed that the first aid teams here were aware they couldn’t stop these dangerous rituals, so at least they could give support to the crucified ones.

In the long history of crucifixion in the Philippines (and they started in 1962!), everyone “resurrected” so far.

The person who was nailing the devotees was already used to hitting the right spot, between the bones, for minimized damage. So everyone eventually recovered.

“After the crucifixion, we immediately check the wounds and dress them. These are dirty wounds, so we need to keep them open. We give antiseptic, povidone-iodine, and we give antitetanus for the prevention of tetanus. Of course, we need to give antibiotic medications too, and advise them on how to clean the wound. No surgery should be done. Usually, it takes a week to heal”, doctor Salas explained.

Define crucify

In case you were doubting Thomas: yes, they were using real nails at Filipino crucifixion rituals.

One of the staff members showed them to me just minutes before this taboo event. They placed them in a glass jar with alcohol for disinfection. Two for palms and two for feet.

Later, they would hammer them through the limbs of the local Kristo, holding him fixed on the wooden cross with the “INRI” sign attached.

The Philippines Good Friday crucifixion was a culmination of senakulo, the reenactment of the passion of Jesus Christ. Public places were stages for the Stations of the Cross, a drama in which amateur actors played villagers, priests, Roman centurions, and of course Jesus Christ.

When the 62-year-old Wilfredo Salvador, with gray hair and beard, walked to his Golgotha for the crucifixion, he met Mary on the way, as the Biblical story goes. It was unusual to see Christ’s mother at least twice as young as Christ himself, but the shortage of local Jesuses did not allow for a more realistic play.

When the crucifixion nails penetrated Wilfredo’s old hands, the play was suddenly very real. He did not act out his moans and painful grimace. His blood was not fake.

Why couldn’t Jesus be a – woman?

After they crucified Ruben Enaje in San Pedro Cutud, the stage welcomed other volunteers who came to be nailed to the cross. One of them was Mary Jane Sazon, a 44-year-old mother from Sta. Lucia, a different barangay.

“She is not from San Pedro Cutud, so she cannot play Jesus, I assume?”, I asked the blasphemous question.

“Noooo! And she is female, so… We prefer a male!”, a media staff person explained, looking confused about my question.

So: they do not allow her to play Jesus. But why is the idea of a woman’s crucifixion in Pampanga possible in the first place? Why do they let her defile the Golgotha with her female blood?

It was hard for me to understand the complex rules of what was appropriate or what was not appropriate in San Pedro Cutud Lenten rites.

In all three versions of the senakulo play, Jesus always seemed to be twice as old as his mother. While gray Jesus (and according to what we know, they crucified Jesus when he was 33) was bearable for the organizers, the notion of residency or gender of the actor was not questionable; it was almost dogmatic.

Miracles of the Pampanga crucifixion

Mary Jane had no intention to replace Ruben Enaje anyway. She was not doing it for the show. Her panata in the past was her own severe headaches, her sister’s sickness, and so on.

This was her 16^th crucifixion! If she was coming back to the painful ordeal, did it mean that real crucifixion had the curing power?

“My son had heart problems, he was often sick”, she confessed. “But after the crucifixion, the problem was gone! My son got better! He is 15 now, and he doesn’t have any problems. Now, my mother is sick, so I do it for her. Every time I get crucified, I experience a miracle!”

“How painful is crucifixion for you?”, I asked.

“It’s ok. Ok! I’m just a little bit hungry now”, she answered.

When you hear it like that, it doesn’t sound like a bad transaction at all. Securing your relatives’ health in exchange for nailing yourself and some temporary hunger? How does that deal sound to you?

God works in mysterious ways

Angelito Mengilio returned to the Good Friday cross for the 12^th time now. He was doing it for his mother, who had passed away.

Did it hurt, a natural question popped up again.

“This is a miracle!”, a woman standing next to him pulled the M-word as well. “He will heal in a matter of days!”

Ruben Enaje, with so many crucifixions behind his back, should have a history of miracles. And yet, every year, he found a new reason to sustain the pain.

In the early years, he was doing it to thank God for surviving the fall from the construction building. This year, he wished for good health for his family. And work. Did it help?

“Right now, on Monday, I start working. I got a job!”, Ruben explained the efficiency of his crucifixion rites, in the most straightforward way. He didn’t doubt that the intervention was divine.

Crucifixion sites in Pampanga 

It may be hard to find some of the crucifixion sites in Pampanga. You will thank me for the GPS locations of the main crucifixion sites in San Fernando, Pampanga, the Philippines:

San Pedro Cutud – 15°0'43.7'' N, 120°41'50.1'' E

Santa Lucia – 15°01'11.4'' N, 120°41'0.4'' E

San Juan – 15°01'20.3'' N, 120°40'37.1'' E

Crucifixion today, income tomorrow

San Fernando city mayor Edwin Santiago often referred to Maleldo Festival as a celebration that highlights Fernandino culture and heritage, but also gives “the chance to reflect on Christ’s saving action in our lives”.

The Cutud crucifixion festival definitely made Pampanga a tourist spot. While the Philippines’ tourism was mostly relying on a fascinating number and diversity of islands and beaches (for instance, check Coron Island!), there were more and more visitors who aligned their Philippines holidays with the San Fernando crucifixion.

Religious festivals could indeed become a reason to visit the Philippines. But how did Pampanga’s transformation into a tourist spot change the lives of the penitents? Are their awards always just miraculous ones?

“Crucifixion is voluntary. There is no compensation”, Ruben revealed. “In some places, they will pay the crucified. But here in San Pedro, it’s voluntary. I think that if I got paid, my wishes would not come true!”

In a T-shirt with the image of Che Guevara, the controversial figure that Ruben called his hero, this painter and construction worker preferred doing business with God than with the community that rubbed hands in the shadow of the cross he bore.

Hotels and buses were full. Souvenir whip sales were flourishing (50 pesos or 80 cents only!). At every corner, they were offering drinks and meals (even, oh blasphemy in the times of fasting, the roasted pig!). It did feel as if a circus had come to town!

Maleldo Festival between beliefs and superstitions

Filipino Easter crucifixion was embedded in folk beliefs that could be even called Holy Week superstitions.

Some Catholics in the Philippines went so far that, in fear of bad luck, they avoided taking a bath or doing laundry after 3 pm on Good Friday (the time of Christ’s death).

Children were discouraged from playing outside because, with the dead God, evil spirits could get them.

In the Metropolitan Cathedral of San Fernando, I’ve seen people rubbing the image of Christ on the cross, and then repeating the same rubbing on their own corresponding body parts.

After the devastating eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991, many flagellants made vows to petition for the floods not to return.

The faith here was both literal and mysterious, grounded in reality, but hoping for miracles. And no Church condemnation would be able to stop the display of devotion, no matter how extreme or fanatical it got.

One Christian in Indonesia expressed his devotion by building - a Chicken Church!

The senseless act of sacrifice

In the barangay of Santa Lucia, at the artificial Golgotha erected just next to the basketball field, I witnessed probably the best-staged drama of the famous three.

One could criticize the pompous music or the fact that they decorated the stage with posters displaying images of Jesus’ crucifixion (which just needed to happen!).

The actors were still amateurs, but there was something powerful in this particular San Fernando passion play.

For a start, Melchor Mentoya as Jesus didn’t look 64, and the Mother of God did not look 18.

But far from just being believable, this Good Friday crucifixion was touching. The violence of the Roman soldiers was convincing. Hitting the woman who tried to help Jesus sounded too loud to be fake.

I have to admit that at the moment of crucifixion in Sta. Lucia, some tears did fill my eyes. It was the first moment when I felt that the essence of Christ’s story was revived.

The whole experience was utterly senseless. You see this person suffering in memory of Christ’s death. It didn’t make sense. Why did it need to happen? It was communicating the same senselessness as Christ’s own death on the cross. What did he die for?

What would Jesus do at the Cutud crucifixion festival?

Two millennia ago, Pontius Pilate asked the crowd if they wanted to release the notorious criminal Barabbas or Jesus Christ, and the mob chose to see the blood of the Messiah.

If they had had mobile phones in that era, I believe YouTube would be full of amateur videos recording the innocent death of Jesus, and competing for likes.

Have we evolved in mercy, or did evil win?

In 1984, a local priest tried to ban flagellation and crucifixion in San Pedro, Pampanga. He did not succeed.

If we accept the story of Jesus giving his life for us, why did we end up on the side of the historical losers?

What if, I ask you, Pontius Pilate in the reenactment of Christ’s passion decided one year that he wouldn’t allow the crucifixion of that man? Would it be a historical tragedy or a true celebration of Christian love?

Practical info for attending the Maleldo Festival in Pampanga

How to get to San Fernando, Pampanga

If you want to witness penitensya in the Philippines, the best solution is to go to where it all started!

The most convenient way to reach San Fernando in Pampanga from Manila is by taking a Victory Liner bus. One needs to ride to Olongapo via San Fernando. It is possible to leave from Pasay, Caloocan Cubao, and Sampaloc Terminal.

The schedules depend on the terminal, but usually, they start at 4 am, with every hour interval until 8 pm. You can buy your ticket on the spot; come at least one hour before the desired time of departure!

I went to San Fernando from Cubao Terminal, and the ticket cost me 111 pesos (2 Euros).

To get to Manila by flight, find the latest prices here!

Where to stay during Maleldo Festival

The hotels in San Fernando, Pampanga, could be counted on the fingers of one hand. Most of the visitors who traveled to witness the Maleldo Festival in Pampanga, usually stayed in the city of Angeles, 12 kilometers to the North. However, this involved commuting by jeepneys and tricycles in order to reach the villages where crucifixions were taking place.

I stayed in Casa Chico, an Airbnb property in Greenville, which was just 1,6 km from the Metropolitan Cathedral of San Fernando, or a 20-minute walk. It was also a stone’s throw away from the SM City Pampanga, where buses from Manila stopped. The tricycle ride to the sites of crucifixion was short, and they would typically charge me 100-120 pesos (less than 2 Euros).

Casa Chico had quite a few, simply furnished rooms with a shared bathroom and kitchen. As the owners operated a catering business that supplied local shops with food, it was also possible to eat a local-flavored meal for just 150 pesos (2,5 Euros only!). They call Pampanga the culinary capital of the Philippines for a reason, so definitely try traditional dishes!

The price of the stay at Casa Chico was 16 dollars per day. It might be basic accommodation, but staying there could be the most practical choice for anyone wanting to experience the crucifixion in Pampanga, at the controversial Maleldo Festival.

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If you are not easily disturbed, check the whole gallery of the Holy Week images from Pampanga’s Cutud crucifixion festival!

 

The Americans went crazy for the Super Wolf Blood Moon. The particular position of Earth between the Sun and the Moon made our satellite appear bloody red these days. The total lunar eclipse was not visible in Asia, but that didn’t stop millions from celebrating one of the most extreme Hindu festivals, always falling on the full moon of the Tamil month of Thai. Well, technically, the Thaipusam Festival (or Thai Poosam) doesn’t have to be that radical! Its self-mutilating body practices are actually banned in India, as they believe that the body is the temple of the soul and therefore shouldn’t be harmed. However, visitors to Batu Caves and Penang in Malaysia continually celebrate this annual Hindu festival by engaging in dramatic body piercing rituals that usually produce no blood. This year, I followed a family of Hindu pilgrims to Batu Caves, to witness Muruga trance from the very proximity.

At Jor Soo Gong Naka Shrine in Phuket, devotees undergo extreme facial piercing. Check out Thailand's self-mutilation festival!

16 hours of barefoot march

This was not my first visit to this extraordinary Batu Caves festival! Thaipusam images from 2017 were still fresh in my mind, so I came somewhat prepared to Malaysia.

Sri Mahamariamman Temple in Kuala Lumpur was a starting point where the pilgrims gathered to follow Lord Murugan’s silver chariot to Batu Caves.

To enter the temple where they prepare the chariot decoration, one needed to take the shoes off. Remembering how quickly these streets filled with people, and how long it took me to find my shoes back in 2017, this time I was smarter. I packed my sneakers in the bag and brought them with me, inside the temple.

Concentrated in prayer and Paal Kudam preparation (filling the pilgrimage jugs with milk), everyone was slowly entering into the Thaipusam festival spirit. Bright-colored dresses, flowers in the hair, sacred powder on the forehead, and a selfie for the road!

Some were eating free food and drinking water distributed by the volunteers. One needed to save energy! It would take 16 hours for the slow chariot procession to reach Batu Caves. Many walked this route barefoot, in a true spirit of prayer and penance.

Hinduistic celebration in the country of Muslims

Two-thirds of the Malaysian population are Muslim. According to the last census, there were 1,8 million Hindus in the country (6,3 %). Estimations that 1,6 million people would visit Thaipusam 2019 at Batu Caves is very indicative. Thaipusam is not just another Malaysian public holiday. If we speak about the Hinduism in Malaysia, this is a must-visit event!

Body piercing rituals at the riverbank

On the banks of the Sungai Batu river at the base of the Batu Caves hill, people started to gather early on Thaipusam morning. Ritual cleaning of the body, prayer at the improvised altars, and loud groups of drummers moving around. They accompanied the pilgrims in reaching over the edge.

Men, women, and even children got their tongues and cheeks skewered. All the while, their family members encouraged them by yelling in unison: “Vel, vel! Vel, vel!”

Vel was a spear that Lord Murugan, the god of war, used to defeat the evil demon. In Muruga trance, these believers became warriors too, the invincible ones.

Many physically transformed. Their eyes rolled back, their tongue protruded, and their body twisted. The milky foam was leaking out of their mouth. Sprinkled by lime juice and flower petals, they fell into a state that seemed dramatic. Some were yelling like possessed, some were pounding their head with their hands, and some were jumping and dancing around, just occasionally being pulled back by their more present companions.

With spread legs, high chin, and a casual cigar or two in the corner of their mouth, some men flaunted like a peacock. That bird was Lord Murugan’s vehicle, and pilgrims would typically use its feathers to decorate the Kavadi. These portable altars are another way of showing devotion, as it is not an easy task to bring them up the 272 stairs to Batu Caves.

For more background on Thaipusam Festival, read the article Thaipusam’s Extreme Devotion: Piercing Yourself for Religion. 

Needle piercing through butter

There was a certain easiness when skewers pierced the cheeks of Govindarajoo family members. The long and sometimes thick spikes were penetrating their skin like butter. Supported by their family’s cheering voices, Prakash (24), his sister Vickneswary (27), their father Govindarajoo (53), and some friends of the family, surrendered to the penetrating pins. A teardrop leaving the corner of the eye showed the extremity of endurance their bodies went through, but their memory would not describe the pain. In the ecstasy of Muruga trance, there was no room for pain.

A teardrop showed the extremity of endurance of their bodies, but their memory would not describe the pain

Prakash additionally got the chains of his 40-kilos heavy Kavadi pierced and hooked for the skin of his back and chest. Some other pilgrims would pin flowers, bells, apples, oranges or limes on their dorsal surface. Some would attach ropes on the hooks and walk down the road while the holder of these reins would pull them back as if controlling the wild horse.

In the Philippines, believers engage in the extreme practice of crucifixion at Maleldo Festival. 

Thaipusam experience as a medical miracle

In one of the more extreme actions, a group of men held sabers in the air. A devotee stepped on them with his bare feet. I happened to be just in the middle of the action. While I tried to focus my camera on his soles from beneath, the blood was dripping everywhere. He would now walk all the way up to the cave temples, with his wounds exposed. Indeed, why these people don’t get infected?

Before he made the holes in nephew’s cheeks, the 60-year-old piercer Selvam disinfected the rod with lime juice and wiped the excess with newspaper. Prakash got to chew some lime as an anesthetic as well. After they pulled out the rod at Batu Caves, they stopped the drop of blood by rubbing some ash on it and covered it with a scarf.

I don’t know how the medicine would explain this risky exposure to infections, but it seemed that Thaipusam spirit overtook them. It was winning it all!

For video impressions from Thaipusam 2019, check this edit by Impressions Goh!

Thaipusam Festival accidents

For an event with so many sharp and dangerous objects in the streets, one would think that attending Thaipusam Festival has its risks. The friendly policemen stationed close to Batu Caves main entrance offered me a tangerine and told me they do not have much work concerning public safety. “Except for some alcohol intoxication, there are usually no major incidents”, they said. That very same night, an incident did happen. But, let’s see the chronology of Thaipusam accidents at Batu Caves:

In 2009, a limestone rock broke off from the roof of the Batu Caves and fell on the leg of a 16-year-old.

In 2016 procession to Batu Caves, a BMW ran over pilgrims on KL-Seremban Highway. The driver killed three and injured three more.

In 2019, 34 people were injured, and three cars were damaged in a firecracker accident. Instead of exploding in the air, they exploded on the road.

 

Thaipusam – a festival of family

Participating in this pilgrimage, especially if one is bearing a heavy Kavadi on his back, is a test of endurance. These bodies have gone through so much in the previous month/s, that the completion of the walk is rather fascinating.

“We were fasting for 48 days. Eating only once a day, only vegetarian food”, Prakash’s father explained the Thaipusam fasting procedure. He was participating in these rituals for 35 years now and claimed that rigorous preparations were a big part of the festival. “We do not celebrate Diwali, but Thaipusam we cannot skip!”

For their family, it is a moment of reunion. Thaipusam Festival connects family members, young and old, close and distant, in the practice of collective achievement.

Kavadi bearers cannot do it alone. They need support! They need the little cousin’s voice yelling the reassuring “Vel, vel!” into their ear, they need the mother’s hand to bring water to their lips, they need a helping push when climbing the steep stairs becomes unbearable, they need someone to carry a chair so they can rest at the middle of the path, they need someone to massage the tension out of their legs and back. This is not just Lord Murugan’s holiday! Thaipusam is a celebration of family, of togetherness.

Caves have been fascinating to people in Europe too. Learn how Slovenians believed they have dragons living in their mountains, until one day actual baby dragons were spewn out of Postojna Cave!

Hindu piercing festival as a tourism boost

Walking to Batu Caves meant getting lost in the crowds of people taking photographs, barbers shaving pilgrims’ heads, cooks luring the fasters’ noses with appetizing smells, and merchants selling anything from jewelry to fair ride tickets.

In comparison with the 2017 festival edition, I felt the presence of the Westerners multiplied. Armed with their phones and cameras, they were queuing to take pictures almost like paparazzi on some Hollywood red carpet.

Thaipusam tourism was clearly resting on the attraction created by extreme bodies. Some onlookers were genuinely shocked, some seemed somewhat fascinated. Thaipusam Festival might be hard to watch. But sometimes, it is even harder to turn your head away. A cure for someone, a curiosity for others.

Happy Thaipusam!

An extreme-piercing religious event in Thailand is also connected to vegetarianism. Learn everything you should know about the Phuket Vegetarian Festival food!

Thaipusam dates in recent and upcoming years

• 2020 – February 8th
• 2021 – January 28th (event at Batu Caves canceled due to the lockdown)
• 2022 – January 18th
• 2023 – February 4th
• 2024 – January 25th
• 2025 – February 11th
• 2026 – February 1st

What do you think about this kind of event? Have you attended anything similar? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!

Check out what the Thaipusam Festival 2019 looked like in images!

For someone who had never heard of Folsom Europe in Berlin, it would have looked like a bizarre sight to witness on a typical late summer afternoon.

In the Schöneberg neighborhood, it started to drizzle, but this gentleman’s joy would not be disturbed. With a police-style cap, spitfire jacket, and horseshoe mustache, he was sitting on a bench, enjoying his beer.

The two quite obedient puppies were licking his leather boots. Puppies were human size, as they were – well, humans. Dressed in latex bodysuits, on their knees, one wailing his tail happily, and the other exposing the buttplug poking through the crack of his tight pants, they approached the task with their tongues out, ready to serve, one boot each.

Folsom Europe leans on Berlin’s chilled attitude towards sex and sexual orientation, yet generally doesn’t cross the line. Well, not in the street at least!

In broad daylight, nobody seemed to bother about what was going on. Sure, one reason could be that we were in Berlin, after all, a German metropolis where city parks visitors on Sunday afternoon could come across nudists having a picnic just next to traditional families. However, what made this bootlicking scene a not-so-unusual sight was also its particular context.

At Folsom Europe Street Fair all fetishes are welcome! The main happening at the crossroad of Fuggerstrasse and Welserstrasse, together with many different-scale parties in Berlin clubs, boat cruises, and even classical concerts in the church (!), make it one of the largest gay fetish events on the old continent.

Every September, twenty thousand fetish fans gather at Folsom Berlin, the festival of kink and human freedoms!

If you want to explore Berlin's gay, lesbian, and queer scene beyond Folsom Europe, consider joining the small-group walking tour through the town's history and present! If you are more of an active type, you can discover how gay culture shaped Berlin on this excellent bike tour!

BDSM in your neighborhood

Conceived in 2004, on the model of its older brother, San Francisco‘s infamous Folsom Street Fair (established in 1984), Folsom Europe might be a slightly more conservative sibling.

Both are large gatherings of BDSM and gay leather subculture communities, but Folsom Europe Street Fair is located in the middle of the neighborhood where traditional families still reside. So famous Berlin tolerance goes both ways, with public exposure of the free Folsom spirit being intuitively moderate!

While San Francisco’s Folsom Street might be a celebration of lewdness dressed in a noble cause, sometimes becoming the human zoo where voyeurs sharp elbow through the crowd in order to photograph the viceful behavior, Folsom Europe does lean on Berlin’s chilled attitude towards sex and sexual orientation, yet generally doesn’t cross the line.

Well, not in the street at least. Berlin’s unbeatable nightlife gets its decent share of indecency in the Folsom Europe week!

Want to know how Folsom Street Fair grew into the largest outdoor kink and fetish event in the world? Watch the "Folsom Forever" movie directed by Mike Skiff!

Long live the kink!

Let us knock on the doors of KitKatClub first! This world-renowned nightclub is famous for its sexually uninhibited parties attracting people of various sexual orientations.

It is the home address of Folsom’s official opening party – the Revolver. With four dance floors served by local and international DJs, kinky balconies, and an even kinkier cellar area, it quickly raises the meter of sleaziness into the red.

Even if the party was officially a “no dress code“ party, only a few straight-looking females understood it like that and shamelessly walked around observing the next-to-naked majority.

The cloakroom was in full swing by 11:30 p.m. when I arrived. The hangers needed to withstand the heavy load while guys undressed from their streetwear and jumped into leather gear, harnesses, jockstraps, and similar minimal accessories.

The cloakroom girls were friendly and accommodating. Smiling, I guess. Some of them were stark naked. That’s why I – guess.

Decided to plan your trip to Berlin? Find the cheapest flights here, and the most affordable accommodation here!

Hardcore dance of boners and butts at Folsom Berlin

Being served by naked waitresses at the bar and passing by the butt-naked crowds on the dance floor quickly makes you lose inhibitions if you have any.

A twink was tied to the chair, a funnel was inserted in his mouth, and two men started urinating in it

At 1 a.m., Berlin-based collective Veruecktlichkeit performed their kinky neon porn art. The twink-looking performer was tied to the chair, got a funnel inserted in his mouth, and the two others urinated simultaneously in it.

The boy’s hair then got shaven, followed by scourging him with a whip dipped in neon colors, radiating under the UV lights. The fluorescent liquid was then infused into his rectum.

The stage performance almost seemed polite in the context of the KitKatClub environment; the erected penises will exit the constraining jockstraps of many visitors, at the balconies and in the catacombs filled with horniness.

Supported by techno, tech-house, and progressive sounds shaking the building in Bruckenstrasse, many mouths, penises and butts will engage in their own rhythm, the hardcore dance of sexual freedom, with no restraints.

Couples, threesomes, foursomes, groups… There is almost no room for mathematics among these clusters of sweaty bodies indulging in sexual pleasure.

Folsom Europe Street Fair – fundraising against stereotypes

Remarkably enough, with so many physically exhausting parties offered in this capital of tolerance during five official days of Folsom Europe, a significant number of partygoers showed up at the Folsom Europe Street Fair on Saturday at noon.

Many in their full fetish attire, the visitors’ profiles ranged from puppies to ponies, from police officers to prisoners, from bikers to garbage men. Whatever floats your kinky boat, Street Fair is a welcoming place.

At the gates to the fair area, the colorful nuns from the Order of Perpetual Indulgence collected donations for charity.

The context might be less religious than at Kanamara Matsuri in Japan, but there is no less devotion!

This sisterhood started in San Francisco in 1979 as a high-camp protest group against gender stereotypes, and nowadays it raises money for mainly LGBT-related causes. Folsom Europe is their only European fundraising outpost.

Once behind the gates, various open-air shops, bars, and food stalls aligned. The main stage attracted visitors with the program of talks, music, circus, comedy, and even Bavarian folk dance in shiny lederhosen. Smaller stages displayed whipping, shibari, and similar BDSM techniques of control.

Expressing one's sexual identity freely in some parts of the world is not as easy as in Berlin. These gay Khmer and Chiang Mai ladyboy culture examples show that our societies still need to evolve to accept the different ones.

After dark, Folsom Berlin puppies become pigs

Some visitors walked their slaves on a leash. A skinhead was using his partner as a stool to sit on. One biker stood on the chest of his partner laying on the floor.

Puppies were being trained. Some fetched flying dildos, and some tried to hold the balls on their snouts.

A beefy, heavily tattooed bearded dom in leather chaps, with an enormously bulged crotch area, held his slave attached by the chain. The slave was wearing a leather straitjacket. An ashtray was attached to his mouth, and this was where his master would be shaking his cigar off. A very memorable gay cigar fetish scene!

In the evening, the fetish circus moved again under the roof, to unleash the built-up energy.

The central Saturday party is PiG; it is men-only, and usually attracts up to 2.500 partygoers with its recipe of dancing, cruising, and, well, copulating.

Placed in Alte Münze, a former state coin factory, PiG was offering international house/electro and Berlin-style electro on its two floors which provided just enough space to show off one’s dance skills.

When in Berlin, you have to visit Berghain, the institution of Berlin techno and gay clubbing! Here's a detailed report from the temple of debauchery, and instructions on how to get in!

The basement of penetration

The place got truly crowded mainly in the dungeon labyrinth, which was, as the night advanced, quickly becoming the sleaziest address in town. Condom packages were long gone when the wilderness overtook the basement. Dark chambers with dozens of shiny naked bodies, groaning sounds, perky bottoms arching for their penetrators, Schwanz line-ups longer than the DJ list waiting to be served…

After he couldn’t handle his deepthroat punishment anymore, the slave was pressed against the wall and his horny master took him from behind

A dominant guy with huge devil’s horns attached to his head was raging in anger when he lost sight of his slave boy on the dance floor. He found him one meter too far and decided to punish him on the spot.

The slave dropped to his knees, the dom unzipped his pants, and facefucked him right there, no excuses allowed.

Nobody minded this delicate pas de deux, this passionate tango between one man’s boner and another man’s tonsils.

After he couldn’t handle his deepthroat punishment anymore, the slave was pressed against the wall and his horny/horned master took him from behind. No lube, no spit, just punishment.

Sexual freedom at Folsom Berlin strengthens society

Folsom Europe started in Berlin while the mayor was an openly gay politician – Klaus Wowereit.

The Freikörperkultur spirit that was preserved from the times before the fall of the Wall (surprisingly nudism culture sneaking in from the East), always laid the fertile grounds for tolerance in the German capital.

As long as nobody is violated, one should keep one’s nose behind the four walls, and not poke it into what neighbors are doing.

This beneficial exercise on democratic values and human freedom might look like Sodom and Gomorrah construction sites to shallow observers. But it is actually a political statement worth fighting for.

Latex puppies walking down the streets, a classical concert performed by musicians in fetish outfits at Zwölf-Apostel-Kirche, or gays having consensual group sex experience in the former state mint that hosts fashion shows and bank conferences in other days, all of this does NOT endanger the society or its values.

On the contrary, it strengthens the community, rebuilds tolerance, and stabilizes everyone’s freedoms as long as they don’t limit the freedom of another individual.

His Majesty, the Willy. Imagine men and women, and even people in between genders, of all races and ages, which includes kids and grannies too, but also some dogs, surrendering to the group pleasure of worshipping the penis! The ritual involves engaging your mouth in an enjoyable session of sucking, in a very liberal surrounding – the color and size of your sweet lollipop do not matter! It is not the most perverted orgy party you have ever attended, but the religious event called Kanamara Matsuri, organized by the local Shinto shrine in Kawasaki, Japan!

The demon in the possessed vagina was biting off the manhood of woman’s partners

Vagina dentata attacks

It all started with a legend. There was this young woman who rejected to sleep with a demon, so he inhabited her vagina (don’t ask how he got there in the first place!). Jealous as he was, he used his sharp teeth to bite off the penises of two men that tried to sleep with her. Cursed with a castrating toothed vagina (vagina dentata), the desperate woman went to visit a blacksmith (who else?), to ask for help. The expert decided that what she needed was an iron dildo that would trick her inner demon and break his teeth when he tried to bite! The blacksmith made the object and the woman’s vagina was liberated again! The iron phallus got enshrined in the Kanayama Shrine, where pilgrims still come to touch it, not only during the festival.

The Festival of the Iron Phallus started in 1977, but the shrine was a popular sanctuary for local prostitutes even in the 17^th century, during the Edo period; this was the non-judgemental place where the sex workers went to pray for protection against sexually transmitted diseases. Today, the shrine dedicated to the kind and helpful blacksmith, attracts those in need of divine protection, for fertility, easy child delivery, marriage harmony, and business prosperity.

If you love jaw-dropping stories, check out my biggest WTF travel moments!

Kanamara Matsuri – pricks welcomed

Many get attracted by penises too; nobody can dispute that. Various phallic sculptures scattered in the courtyard might be an unusual religious decor in Westerners’ eyes. Japanese prove they are not reserved people after all! Wooden plaques called ema, used by Shinto worshippers for writing their prayers, here are decorated with explicit scenes of oral sex, and some cocks as well. It is the year of the rooster after all! Worshippers leave them hanging in the shrine so that the kami deities can receive them.

While I take photographs of the prayer plaques, one woman jumps on the penis-equipped anvil and poses for her social profiles. The selfie culture changes the way we behave even at supposedly sacred places; pretending to lick the giant phallus, she bursts into laughter. Lollipops shaped like penises, more or less anatomically accurate, produce a similar giggling reaction in attendees. The joy of people-watching starts when they forget what they are munching on and just surrender to the sweetness of the little prick.

Heteros and homos, men and women, kids and their grandparents, they all indulge in this suckling game. All prejudices are put aside. Almost. Those machos who cannot swallow the fact of swallowing the joystick, even if it comes in green color and tastes sweet, can buy themselves a vagina lollipop, without jeopardizing their masculinity image.

The priestesses will perform the ritual of transferring the spirits into the penis-shaped mikoshis and then let them go to the town

Penis Parade

Kanamara Matsuri happens every spring. The first Sunday in April is the day when the giant altars with erect idols leave Kanayama. Shinto followers take their portable shrines (called mikoshi) for a parade. They believe that the mikoshi drives the deity from the primary to the temporary shrine, and on this particular festival, mikoshi happens to come in the phallic form. After the fire-lighting ceremony, the priestesses perform the ritual of transferring the spirits into the mikoshi.

There are actually three mikoshis in the parade! The first one to hit the streets is the one made of steel, representing the one that the woman used to get rid of the demon. This penis is carried around in the little wooden ship. The next float brings the giant pink penis mikoshi (called Elizabeth, after the drag queen club that donated it). It is carried around by transgender and cross-dressing festivalgoers. The last todger carried around is the one carved out of a tree.

The groups of worshippers dressed in short kimonos revealing their bare legs, take the mobile shrines around the neighborhood, chanting, singing, shouting, and waving them wildly from side to side, so the deity doesn’t get bored. It’s the yearly fair ride for these penises! Everybody has fun at this street party! One can almost understand why Aristotle claimed that comedy as a form evolved from such phallic processions. Known since ancient Greece times, penis parades demonstrate a high dose of humor indeed!

Exorcism for vagina and prejudices

The festival nowadays has become a big market for penis-themed food and memorabilia. There are candies and candles, sausages and bananas, T-shirts and jewelry, masks and sculptures. One can even buy a daikon radish carved into the appropriate shape! Behind the amusing facade, the event raises awareness about sexually transmitted diseases. Awareness AND money for HIV research too! What started as a story of the possessed vagina is becoming a celebration of solidarity, mutual respect, breaking taboos and ridiculous social restrictions to educate each other, with a smile on the face.

For more impressions from Kanamara Matsuri 2017 check the video below! For other videos mapping the extraordinary people, places and passions, visit and follow Pipeaway’s Youtube channel!

Kanamara Matsuri dates in upcoming years

Kanamara Matsuri in Kawasaki is observed every year, on the first Sunday in April.

• 2024 – April 7th
• 2025 – April 6th

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It is an old belief that the full moon makes people go crazy (therefore, the word ‘lunatics’ contains ‘luna,’ the Latin word for the moon)! Even if no transformational effect of the full moon on humans was ever scientifically proven, one still might argue that what some members of the Hindu community go through on the full moon of the Tamil month of Thai (falling in January or February) is not a middle-of-the-road activity.

At Malaysian temples near Kuala Lumpur and George Town, over a million devotees will gather to honor Lord Murugan, the God of War. Many will shave their heads bald, some will get into the procession carrying pots of milk on their head, some will crush coconuts to submit to the Divine, some will walk with a heavy burden on their shoulders and even pierce the skin of their torso, cheeks or tongue. The expression of faith at the Thaipusam Festival can be quite dramatic!

For more information on this extraordinary Batu Caves festival, check our report from 2019 Thapusam piercing rituals.

Inflicting pain for God

“Some Kuala Lumpur friends find my practice crazy. They think it is ridiculous and some say this is not the true way to express love to God because you don’t need to hurt yourself. Well, that is their opinion”, says Prakash J Govindarajoo, one of the participants in the procession. His cheeks and tongue pierced with spikes, while he carries a 32-kilo heavy Kavadi, decorated with peacock feathers and statues of Lord Murugan, are a striking sight. Prakash himself is barely 49 kilograms heavy!

He is not the only one carrying the Kavadi as a ceremonial sacrifice. These portable altars, usually made of wood and ornamented with objects such as peacock feathers, marigold blooms, palm shoots, and coconuts, can sometimes weigh as much as 100 kilos, and be up to two meters tall! But if the first Kavadi-bearer Idumban could have brought two hills on his shoulders, what are 100 kilos in comparison?

At Thaipusam, one and a half million devotees climb 272 steps staircase to reach the Hindu shrines in the caves

Mythological roots of Thaipusam

When the Pusam star reaches its highest point in the month of Thai, Tamil Hindus around the world, in places such as India, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Fiji, and Mauritius, congregate to commemorate the occasion when the Goddess Parvati presented a spear (Vel) to her son Lord Murugan. He would later use this gift to defeat the evil demon Soorapadman. According to the myth, Lord Murugan split the beast in two, but he escaped and transformed into a mango tree. Murugan cleft the tree as well and the demon turned into a peacock and a rooster and attacked again. But Murugan tamed them with a single glance. He made the peacock his vehicle (Vahana) and the rooster his emblem. Another animal is often seen at Lord Murugan’s feet – a cobra, a symbol of courage, wisdom, and immortality.

Measuring 42,7 meters in height, Lord Murugan’s statue at the entrance to Batu Caves is the second tallest statue of a Hindu deity in the world. Topped with 300 liters of gold paint, it attracts visitors, both pilgrims and tourists, throughout the year, naturally generating the greatest interest during Thaipusam. Devotees will climb 272 steps staircase to reach the complex of limestone caves, home to several Hinduistic shrines. The Cathedral Cave is the biggest one, with a 100 meters high ceiling.

Many will join the procession bringing offerings, such as a brass jug of milk carried on their head (Paal Kudam). They might be asking Lord Murugan, Shiva’s son, for help, or just fulfilling the vow. Climbing the steep staircase, even the small children can be seen, with milk trickling down their faces.

Christians have their own bloody ritual in the Philippines - the Holy Week crucifixion in Pampanga!

Pierced 11-year old

Prakash, the 22-year-old education planner and a student of English Studies in Kuala Lumpur, also joined the pilgrimage as a 6-year-old kid, carrying nothing but a pot of milk. His tongue was pierced for the first time when he was eleven. Wasn’t he afraid?

“I think I was afraid. I am even today, but when you know you have prayed properly, and when you are extremely in love during that point of time, you tend to lose consciousness. I don’t know how to explain this, but you don’t feel pain”, he explains. “My Dad carries Kavadi for 33 years now, and I was used to seeing that. I insisted on carrying it myself. There was no force.”

As if the mere weight of Kavadi is not enough, some include long skewers that pierce the skin of the bearer’s torso. What looks like an excruciating pain in the tourists’ eyes, disperses completely in the state of devotional trance. Supposedly, Kavadi bearers do not feel pain, their wounds do not bleed, and leave no permanent scars. Then again, only those who go through rigorous spiritual preparation can carry the Kavadi. This includes fasting on a vegetarian diet, refraining from alcohol, sexual abstinence, sleeping on the floor, bathing in cold water, and regular prayer in the period preceding the Thaipusam, up to 48 days.

Strict plant-based diet is important at another festival of extreme piercing - Phuket Vegetarian Festival. Learn all you should know about the vegetarian food in Phuket!

The power of the spear

I joined this event myself at Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Kuala Lumpur, where thousands of devotees gathered, to accompany the silver chariot of Lord Murugan in a march that needs 16 hours to reach Batu Caves. Huge crowds, inability to exit the swarm, hard time finding one’s shoes in front of the temple… Volunteers were distributing the water to the thirsty ones. Pilgrims joining the stream, many with Paal Kudams on their heads, chant the “Vel, Vel” mantra, the same one they will use to help the one bearing the Kavadi. Murugan’s spear has extraordinary power in defeating obstacles and personal doubts. For gratitude, he will accept the bearer’s burdens and suffering.

On the day of the festival at Batu Caves, the masses grow much bigger. The context is the religious one, but substantially it is a grand fair. The music blare, scents of all kinds of food, tattoos to make, altars to buy, but also Hello Kitty balloons. Carpets of human hair cover the streets, barbers have a lot to do. Many pilgrims will engage in the ritual of getting their head shaved, as an act of sacrifice, humility, and purification. Men and women, babies and old folks… Their shorn heads symbolize their devotion to Thaipusam. At the bank of the river nearby, many will pray, leave the offerings to God and take the ritual bath before heading to the temple. They are seeking the blessing for the procession. Some will get pierced with Vel instruments.

One Malaysian island hosts a very special celebration for Lord Murugan. Check out Thaipusam in Penang!

Hooks in the sacred man’s back

At one of the improvised “streets” between the stalls, a man is pulling chains attached to the hooks piercing his back, in a scene that reminds of a horse pulling a carriage. At some moments he will stop. The pilgrims will appreciate his level of holiness and accept his blessing. He will mark their foreheads with three different substances: the sacred ash called Vibhuti (comes from the sacred fire burnt in temples or at religious ceremonies, and is said to transmit energy and remind wearers of the transience of life), sandalwood powder known as Santhanam (believed to activate the third eye), and a smear of brilliant vermillion paste known as Kunkumam (a symbol of the Goddess Parvati).

I don’t know how to explain this, but you don’t feel painPrakash J Govindarajoo

At the foot of the mountain, five Kavadi bearers enter the Kavadi Attam (Kavadi dance). Under the umbrella of Kavadi, where the metal supporting ribs/spikes are penetrating their bodies, they twirl like dervishes. Lord Murugan will reward their physical burden and make their prayers come true.

Falling into and out of the Thaipusam trance

Prakash, the little fellow with the big load, is joining the same procession, from the river to the temple. Soon he will be climbing 272 stairs, in a journey that can take about one hour. He has a hard time speaking about the trance he falls into: “It is a rather difficult question. I am not sure how to answer. One should experience it.”

The experience leaves the onlookers dazzled. After entering the Cathedral Cave, the Kavadis will be taken off the bearer’s shoulders. Some can faint when exiting the trance. In front of the never-absent cameras of the sensation-hungry Westerners.

Thaipusam 2017 will leave a lot of garbage behind. Many offerings are piling up into the hills of trash and fruit. The macaque monkeys, who are usually operating in significant numbers at the Batu Caves staircase, hide away during Thaipusam. In the following days, however, they will engage in a scavenging feast.

Prakash will get back to work. Some local colleagues will think he is crazy, and some US friends will find his practice amazing. He will be back to a “normal” life. Sleeping in the bed and not praying too much. On his Instagram profile, he will write: “It is always sad to say goodbye, but we can’t wait for 31^st January 2018. Until then, goodbye to the holy side of me.”