GEORGE TOWN: For the next nine days starting today, devotees are expected to observe a strict vegetarian diet for the Nine Emperor Gods Festival – a period of spiritual cleansing and devotion.
The annual celebration, which begins on the first day of the ninth lunar month, will see temples across the state come alive with rituals, prayers and processions as worshippers seek blessings for health, prosperity and harmony.
According to the Gregorian calendar, this year’s celebration runs from today to Oct 29.
Jelutong Tow Boh Keong chairman Datuk Seri Tan Cheng Ai said on the first day, the Emperor Boat would be brought out in a symbolic ceremony to welcome the arrival of the Nine Emperor Gods.
He said the ritual, which marks the start of the festival, is one of the most anticipated moments as devotees gather along the temple compound to watch the boat being placed by the seaside before prayers begin.
“The Emperor Boat represents a vessel of the deities’ spirit. Its launch signifies the gods’ descent from the heavens to bless devotees with peace and prosperity throughout the festival,” he said at the temple yesterday.
Tan said several processions and prayer rituals would continue until the ninth day, culminating in a grand send-off ceremony when the Emperor Boat would be set ablaze and released to the sea to mark the deities’ return to the heavens.
Tan stated that the temple would organise a charity food event over nine days of the festival, anticipating participation from more than 1,000 individuals.
“To prepare the food, we have four cooks on standby to serve vegetarian meals for devotees,” he said, adding that about 10 volunteers would help.
On crowd and traffic management, he said the temple has roped in Rela personnel and police assistance to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
Devotees can expect affordable vegetarian meals at temporary food stalls at Lorong Madras, a popular spot during the festival.
Chairman of the temporary stalls, Lee Eng Kok, said that the prices at the stalls will remain unchanged from last year.
He said about 10 temporary stalls would be set up for the nine-day festival.
“Parking is adequate, but we advise visitors to use public transport or e-hailing services to get here,” he added.
The Nine Emperor Gods Festival, observed by Taoists, is dedicated to the nine sons of Dou Mu Yuan Jun, the Goddess of the North Star, who is believed to control the Book of Life and Death.
Devotees believe the gods arrive through waterways and processions are held from temples to rivers or the sea as a symbolic gesture.
During the festival, devotees adhere to a vegetarian diet to purify both body and mind.
This practice is intended to facilitate spiritual cleansing and foster alignment with the gods through the abstention from meat and other impure substances.
