Raja The Piercer Sam Bhatia And The Barefeet Blogger Sion Koliwada Marriamman Feast, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.
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On my left is Raja the piercer the swiftest most experience piercer and hook expert in rituals of Mother Marriamman.
He is well known , hardly talks to people does his work and is a professional to the core..
Sam Bhatia with the ever smiling face is a Punjabi event manager caterer but a devour Marriamman follower , he participaes in the rituals that are held on a different day, he wears the chattri umbrella like contraption with over 108 rods in his body and carries limes on hs back and arms held by needles .. 100 limes sewn to his flesh.
I have not attended his feast as yet..we met last year at Sion Koliwada and became good friends he keeps me informed about the feast at his end , last evening it was Sam who informed me of the celebrations and I was lucky enough to shoot it.
I shot this barefeet and this morning am in real bad shape..this is a long series it includes the piercings hook insertion , hijras taking part in this function , their dance, later the women carrying hot clay pots on the head and an extreme possession on the streets the devi came on a young girl , the chattris , and guys hanging on pulleys from a crane with hooks attached to both their bodies I shot this last year too.
This year I shot this event till the removal of the rods hooks and more possession within the Marriamman Temple of Sion Koliwada..known as Kota Marriamman of Salem.
The Hindu Tamils are very friendly people lovable and down to earth, they have great faith in Mother Marriamman and she is their hope and strength of their spirituality.
I am a Muslim but they treat me like one of their own and it is this unique quality of Mumbai's spiritual and religious and social pattern that I shoot and poetical on the soul of Humanity.
