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These shocking pictures show the extreme religious rituals which take place at the Vegetarian Festival in Thailand. The festival, in the southern Thai town of Phuket, lasts for the first nine days of the ninth lunar month for the worship Chinese gods. Religious devotees slash themselves with swords, pierce their cheeks with sharp objects, walk on coals and climb ladders made of blades to purify themselves, taking on the sins of the community. It is believed that these acts will bring them good fortune, and that the Chinese gods will protect them from harm. Though the origins of the festival are unclear, it is commonly thought that the festival was bought to Phuket by a wandering Chinese opera group who fell ill with malaria while performing on the island.