Roaring like lions, squawking like birds and slithering motions that could only mimic snakes. All can be witnessed at the Wat Bang Phra tattoo festival.

Thousand of devotees travel far and wide to partake in this yearly gathering held on the temple grounds. It is here where infamous monks are known to give greater than holy-water inkings that provide spiritual and protective powers to the bearer.

Inked members of the crowd fall into trance during the gathering and become possessed by the animals tattooed on their bodies. The animal spirit takes over, the devotee screams and acts as the animal and tramples through the crowd making a beeline for the central stage, in the process rugby tackling any being in the way.

Standing on the central stage is a religious statue. It calms the possessed and after a wai to the stage, normal life resumes.