GEORGE TOWN: 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.
At the Tow Moo Keong Temple in Lebuh Noordin, hundreds of devotees dressed in white assembled for the annual occasion. The procession, which began at around 9pm, was led by 14 devotees who had pierced themselves with skewers as a form of spiritual protection and to seek divine blessings.
The group made their way through the city before sending off the "Emperor Boat" at sea near Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah.
Over at the Tow Boe Keong Kew Ong Tai Tay Temple on Gat Lebuh Macallum, devotees started arriving as early as 6pm. The night culminated with a send-off procession at Ong Jetty, Weld Quay, at 10pm.
The festival area was lined with food stalls offering vegetarian meals, as devotees adhered to a strict vegetarian diet throughout the nine-day festival, which began on Oct 3, coinciding with the first day of the ninth lunar month.
Meanwhile, on the mainland, a grand celebration took place at Tow Boo Keong Temple in Jalan Raja Uda, Butterworth. Thousands of devotees, both local and from afar, joined the procession to Pantai Bersih. The temple, known for its elaborate rituals, conducted a ceremony in which the Emperor Boat was towed out to sea and set ablaze.
Traffic congestion was reported at key locations where the celebrations were held, made worse by the Friday evening rush. To ease the situation, temples coordinated and took turns to send off their boats at sea, marking the end of the festival.
The Nine Emperor Gods Festival, observed by Taoists, is dedicated to the nine sons of Tou Mu, the Goddess of the North Star, who is believed to govern the Books of Life and Death. Devotees believe the gods arrive via the waterway and the processions from temples to rivers or the seashore symbolise their return.
