We went down to Pondicherry today, a seaside town about 70 miles south of my hotel. Pondicherry was a French outpost and many buildings have a French influence. The town is a popular vacation spot, maybe because it has low tax rates on beer and wine. We walked around and saw the main temple in town, many statues and the lighthouse. Seemingly a mellow trip.
On the way back to town we saw a group of people coming on to the road in some sort of festival/offering to a god. We pulled over and luckily I had my camera in hand. As the first people walked by everything seemed normal, then we noticed that a person was being taken care of (the center of attention) by others. We then noticed that he had what appeared to be two large fish hooks attached to the skin in his back. The hooks had a common rope (Y shaped) that led back to a truck.
This guy was literally pulling the truck with the skin on his back. 
There were three of four young men all doing this, each with their own vehicle. Balaji and my driver had never seen anything like this before (although they had heard of it). It was very strange and clearly the most unique thing I've seen here and maybe ever. More pictures of today at http://www.flickr.com/photos/76469514@N00/sets/72157594277408087/
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1 comment:
Wow! This ceremony reminds me of the group in SW that replicates the cruxifiction (sp?). Did anyone know which religious sect these people belong to? Did you see the zoo at Pondicherry (setting for the beginning of "The Life of Pi"). I'm so glad you're able to get around and see things. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Love the pix.
Mom
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