Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Nine Emperor Gods Festival (Kow Ong Yah), Jln Raja Uda, Butterworth

This Taoist Kow Ong Yah Festival reminds me of my late grandma, who will observe 9 days of strict vegetarian diet. A day before the festival, my mom would help my grandma to wash and prepare all the special kitchen utensils that are used only for vegetarian food. Some of our neighbors will join in to eat the vegetarian dishes that my grandma prepared. As a kid, I will also observed 9 days of vegetarian diet, together with my grandma. Oh, how I missed those good old days! I was back in Butterworth recently during the Nine Emperor Gods Festival and managed to snap some interesting photos.
1) Kow Ong Yah Procession at night. 2) Chek Kong (Beggar Deity) yam seng with the boss of a restaurant. Chek Kong always carry a bottle of Chinese Wine and a fan.
Devotees with iron rods pierced throught the cheek. Another medium with a bicycle pierced through his cheek!
Medium in trance with Ne Cha (Child Deity) spirits carrying a bottle of milk
A devotee in trance, pulling a statue of a horse using iron hooks that are pierced on to his back.
Spirits seated on the sedan chair that are carried by the devotees. It swings by itself and one can feel the weight. The Jln Raja Uda Tow Boo Kong Temple at night and in the morning.
Mediums in trance performing blessing on devotees. Ne Cha (Child Deity) with a pacifier in his mouth.
1) Note the wound on this medium's cheek from carrying the iron rods the night before. 2) Young boys playing the drum. These boys are real good at it.
The iron rods that are used to pierce the cheeks. A seat for the medium made from swords.
Nice and tasty offerings.......................................The Sedan Chair for the spirits.
These are all the vegetarian goodies available during this festivals. Yummy! 1) Ko wa, made from rice flour................2) So Hong Ko(Bee Loon), made from glutinous rice flour. Home mades Ko Wa, sweet and salty type. Haven't seen these in ages!
Video showing the Mediums performing blessing on devotees.

10 comments:

Chobits said...

Thanks for sharing, i hsve never seen this kind of festival before. So are you still doing 9 days vegetarian diet during nine emperor Gods festival?? Hehe~

Calvin Soo KJ said...

this festival oso created a massive jam nearby my house. before i was converted to christianity, i always liked the vegetarian food sold there. but the trance gave me the creeps.

alamak.....didnt tell you this lar bro. ive awarded you with the "butterfly award-coolest blog" posted on the 7th this month. cheers......

Anonymous said...

Yerr... Pete always beat me to writing about event. LOL... I tot I wanna do an article about Nine Emperor Gods Festival... but he really beat me to it again. LOL... Cleffy getting old liao, very slow on event coverage. LOL...

My MIL is a vegetarian whole year through since dunno when. I dunno this festival got any effect on her anot. LOL.

Pete said...

Chobits : Now a bit hard because have to travel around, just one day only.

Calvin : Bro, thks for the award. Cleff also gave to me. I have put up a link to both of you from my Kunyit Chicken Recipe post.

Cleff : Ha ha, u must be still thinking of my papaya and bird post lar. LOL

I think your MIL is more of a Buddhist fulltime vegetarian.

mistipurple said...

wow.
wow..
*speechless*

Anonymous said...

LOL.... your entry on that post arr... even get response from my husband....he said papaya... is like Pamela Anderson's silicon breast. =.=

foongpc said...

I never really go see people celebrate this festival but am aware of it, because of the rainy days. Interesting!

Anonymous said...

last time i was a full time vegetarian for about 1 year plus, but when study in kl, no choice hard to find vegetarian food, then accidentally ate meat, after that i continue become a omnivore already...

anyway, i last time also got become vegetarian for 9 days. planed to extend to 15 days at the following year, but due to study that time, and dunno it started already, so now i no longer a vegetarian when this festival come....

Josephine said...

I did not get a chance to go this year....

Advertiser said...

Your blog is always very interesting covering different topics about food, religions, cultures... cool man!

Oh Nine Emperor Gods (jiu wang ye!). Guess wat? I only started to notice this festival when I was in Penang last week! Then I also saw flags with "Jiu wan ye" written on them in Singapore.

Ur pics here are mind boggling!