Vel festival - Black & White series (1)

Posted by Jeremie (Brooklyn, New York, United States) on 15 August 2008 in Lifestyle & Culture.

One of the numerous Hindu festivals held during the month of Vel, matching August of the gregorian calendar. I must admit not understanding everything in Hindu rituals, but it seems that this one was celebrating Kali, under a different local name, goddess of destruction and probably something else... Starting around 8 a.m., a parade of carts, drummers, "rolling" and "suspended" men, pierced by hooks and needles, spread in the streets of Colombo for several hours. This photograph depicts a kid singing and encouraging the "leader" of the parade being suspended to a truck, with hooks in the skin... This is just the beginning of a long series of photographs, everyday with something different, enjoy the show !!

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