Removing the Rods From The Cheeks at Nehru Nagar Juhu 2011, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.
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Once the devotees with rods in their mouths , hooks in the back pulling vans cars reach the main road of Juhu , they all move towards the Marriammen Temple at Juhu Nagar for the final ritual of removal of the rods the hooks and the limes hung on needles pierced in the flesh.
This area is very congested as it is an acess exit road from and too the Nehru Nagar slums sitting on prime rich land of Mumbai touching the old Juhu airport..I have never ventured inside I will one day.
Bhima and Ganesh help in removing the rods by swallowing milk which they spit in the mouth of the rod holding devotee at the other end another guy pulls out the rod.. this is a mind blowing and painful ritual I had shot a lot and so took leave at about 10.30 pm but the ritual of the removal of the rods hooks limes I believe continued past midnight..
Last year this ritual was not held as the temple was being renovated , this is my third year of shooting and documenting this event barefeet..
And thanks to Bhima I get a chance to shoot it exclusively as I think I am the only still photographer here..
