A devotee of the Chinese Shrine Ban Tha Rue, with his cheek pierced with swords, looks on during ceremonies Friday, Oct. 3, 2008, at the Vegetarian Festival in Phuket, Thailand. The festival celebrates vegetarianism and calls on devotees through self mortification to purify themselves as they take on the sins of the community. Each of the main shrines in Phuket will hold processions. (AP Photo/David Longstreath)
Fireworks explode over devotees of the Chinese Shrine Ban Tha Rue during ceremonies Friday, Oct. 3, 2008, at the Vegetarian Festival in Phuket, Thailand. The festival celebrates vegetarianism and calls on devotees through self mortification to purify themselves as they take on the sins of the community. Each of the main shrines in Phuket will hold processions. (AP Photo/David Longstreath)
