Thousands of devotees gathered at various temples across Penang to witness the grand send-off of the Nine Emperor Gods on the final night of the festival.
Read more at https://tinyurl.com/43mseeyy
WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news
SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar
LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline
Read more at https://tinyurl.com/43mseeyy
WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news
SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar
LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Driven by deep devotion and gratitude, some devotees had long skewers pierced through
00:11their cheeks during the 9 Emperor Gods Festival.
00:14This act of sacrifice, performed in a trance-like state, was a personal offering in exchange
00:19for the protection and well-being of their families.
00:24Kenny Song, chairman of the Fuyin Guan Association, who coordinated Toh Mukyong Temple's procession
00:29in Lebu Norden in Georgetown, said four devotees underwent the skewer-piercing ritual this
00:34year to ward off malevolent spirits and seek divine blessings.
00:39As part of the ceremony, a Gate of Peace, a symbolic archway, was erected for devotees
00:43to pass through, representing spiritual cleansing and safety under the protection of the 9 Emperor
00:48Gods.
00:50Hundreds of devotees dressed in white gathered at the temple to participate in the procession,
00:55which culminated in sending off the Emperor Boat to sea, marking the end of the nine-day
00:59festival that began on October 3rd.
01:05The two-hour procession, featuring decorated floats, wound through the city before releasing
01:09the boat at sea near Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah.
01:13Similar send-offs were also held by other temples, including Toh Bo Keong Temple in
01:19Jalan Hong Kong and Kwan Im Si Temple in Burma Road, where devotees also launched their respective
01:25Emperor Boats back to sea.
01:27The 9 Emperor Gods Festival, celebrated by Taoists, is dedicated to the nine sons of
01:33Toh Mu, the goddess of the North Star, believed to control the books of life and death.
01:40Devotees believe the gods arrive through waterways, so processions typically move from temples
01:44to rivers or the seashore as a symbolic gesture.
01:49During the festival, devotees observe a strict vegetarian diet to purify their body and mind.
01:56Seeking spiritual cleansing and alignment with the gods by abstaining from meat and
02:00impure substances.