Manchester, UK. 15th October, 2016. Dancing with Kavadis at the 11th annual Dashehra Diwali Mela held in Albert Square. This hugely popular festival falls on the 10th day of the waxing moon during the Hindu month of Ashvin (around September or October). Lord Ram, the hero of the great Hindu epic, Ramayan, killed the 10-headed demon king Ravan, who had abducted Lord Ram’s wife, Sita. It is believed that Lord Ram’s brother Lakshman, along with an army of monkeys, fought a colossal battle that lasted 10 days. Lord Ram killed the evil Ravan on the 10th day. Credit: MediaWorldImages/Alamy Live N
Kavadi Attam ("Burden Dance") is a ceremonial sacrifice and offering practiced by Tamil devotees during the worship of Lord Murugan, the Hindu God of War. Others carry elaborate frameworks on their shoulders called "kavadis", which have long chains hanging down with hooks at the end which are pushed into their backs. (Kavadis can be carried in honour of other deities as well as Murugan.) Many of these pilgrims are pierced with two skewers (or 'vels' - symbolic spears); one through the tongue, and one through the cheeks. According to Carl, the piercing by skewers symbolises several things: that the pilgrim has temporarily renounced the gift of speech so that he or she may concentrate more fully upon the deity that the devotee has passed wholly under the protection of the deity who will not allow him/her to shed blood or suffer pain the transience of the physical body in contrast with the enduring power of truth A man tows a cart attached to his back Pulling a cart attached by hooks. Still others go even further and pull heavy chariots fastened to metal hooks in the skin of their backs. The skin tugs as they go, and they grunt and growl. The devotees who go to these extremes say they don't feel any pain because they are in a spiritual and devotional trance which brings them closer to Lord Murugan. The trance can be induced by chanting, drumming and incense.
Size: 3600px × 2400px
Location: Manchester, UK
Photo credit: © MediaWorldImages / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: adult, adults, assamese, britain, british, burden, celebrations, clothing, colourful, colours, costume, costumed, costumes, dance, dances, dancing, dasherha, deities, devotees, diwali, england, english, fabric, fabrics, face, festival, festivals, figure, figures, folk, frameworks, gb, great, hindu, indian, joy, kavadis, kingdom, male, man, mela, motion, movements, moving, musical, paint, people, performed, person, persons, pilgrim, robes, satin, silk, silks, swirling, tribal, twisted, uk, united, vivid
