Tuesday, September 15, 2020

The Final Prayer - Hungry Ghost Festival 2020

These are the scenes of the final prayer session for the Sunway Mentari Hungry Ghost Festival, before sending the King of Hades (Da Shi Yeh) and his retinue off in a big bonfire. Whenever a large Phor Thor (Hungry Ghost) celebration is conducted ie with the King of Hades, his retinue and the various paper effigies, this prayer is always done at the end of the celebration and depending on the priest and how elaborate the procedure is, can take up to two or three hours before it is completed and the paper effigies and joss paper can then be dispatched in a big bonfire.

Da Shi Yeh altar at Sunway Mentari Hungry Ghost 2020
It is all about food... and it's finger licking good too...

Joss money
Money makes the world go round - Joss money and 'daily necessities' for the hungry ghost.

Taoist priest during hungry ghost month prayer
It is in the hands - The priest performing ritual to feed the hungry ghost...

Hungry ghost prayer
Tossing joss paper money for the spirits ...

Moving King of Hades for the send off
Moving the Da Shi Yeh (King of Hades) effigy and his retinue to be burnt at the end of
the ceremony.

The focus of this final prayers before the the send-off is all about feeding the wandering spirits, ensuring they have food, joss money and whatever they need in their realm, and then asking all of them to take leave, including the King of Hades and his retinue, plus all of the ancestor spirits that has benefited from this celebration.

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