10.00 AM: Holy snakes are worshipped with Turmeric powder.
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Kalpathy Chariot festival - on 15 November 2004. |
| Kalpathy
is a Brahmin's village 1½ hours
drive from Trichur, known as the southern Kashi (Southern Banaras). The
Brahmans are living together in Agraharams. Devotees from different Agraharams pulls chariots in the
Holy streets of Kalpathy.
10.00 AM: Holy snakes are worshipped with Turmeric powder. |
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The chariots are decorated and ready. People visiting the markets opened for the festival selling everything from steel pots to sugar cane juice. |
| Paying respect to the chariot. |  |
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Stories form Ramayana are carved on the chariot. |
| On Hanuman's shoulder. |  |
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Garuda - Carrier of Vishnu. |
| A helping
trunk when the chariots being pulled. |
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On the street. |
| It was very difficult to control the chariot. It has four wheels. But, no mechanism to turn or stop. And very hard to move. On turnings, they use a wooden block in front of the wheels at one side. So, it slide over the block to the other side. It was very risky to do that while the chariot is moving. |  |
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An elephant is pushing it from behind when he is in a good mood. He does not seem to enjoy that very much. He is intentionally distracted with cane sugar in every two minutes. |
| A turn again. Inch by inch the chariot slide on wooden blocks. |  |
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I could also participate. |
| Trying his best. |  |
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A final push. |
| And we are there. |  |
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He gets the bananas on the chariot. |
| All the chariots meets. And we went home to come again next year. |  |
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