Sunday, May 8, 2011

The Chattri Or Human Juggernaut

About 156 rods enter his body from all ends stomach sides back and this is a tough one my dear friend from Sion Dharavi Sam Bhatia a Punjabi is an hardcore devotee of Mother Marriammen and partakes in this ritual..

The movements are slow and people carry a stool so he can sit , this is one of the other important rituals besides the rods pierced in the cheeks , rods are piereced through the chest from side to side.. hooks at the back, hooks in the stomach hooks on the thighs for one man to hang under another man on a pulley.

Than the limes hanging from needles women devotees prick their tongues with a trishul.

Shanmugham my Tamil friend from Worli hangs a huge bunch of tadgolas or a coconut bunch from hooks attached to the back.

Pulling cars vans raths rickshas with hooks on the backs is a very common feat among the devotees of Mother Marroamen.

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