NiH
Pyromaniacs on the loose
Taken during the yearly "Ashura"-Celebrations in Hossaini Dalan, Old Dhaka.
I practically live in this otherwise dull and quite section of the city. But once every year, the scenes take a drastically different direction. The whole neighbourhood runs rampant with Shi'a devotees making their annual pilgrimage to one of the holiest shrines for the Shi'a faith in Bangladesh, Hossaini Dalan and the adjacent Imam Bara.
The actual day of Ashura (10th Muharram in the Arabic Calender) is preceded by several days of night parades, elaborate "Tajia Processions", gruesome and very very sanguine feats of "Mätam" (public self-mutilation) and off-course lots and lots of "fire breathers". All these to remember, in sordid, solemn vow, the sacrifices made during the Battle of Karbala. Too bad that is where the dysfunction in our religion started taking a twisted turn. The truth may remain shrouded for years to come, with both sides supporting their own claims to a messianic hereditary.
This was taken late at night (almost 3~3:30 am) as the drum rolls started getting stronger and stronger in my vicinity and I just couldn't ignore the call of the cold, stomping crowd outside. So I set my refrigeration book aside, jumped out from underneath my blanket, put on the worst shoes possible and went out with my camera...this time "accidentally ill-equipped" as I had left my favorite primes back at home.
My guide through the convolution was Md. Sharfuddin Iqbal, the guy in checked head-scarf you see in the middle. He took me to the place where the aspiring youth, too cowering to mutilate themselves, yet intrepid enough to gulp down flammable kerosene and shoot fire out of their mouth had culminated.
The trick being shown here is what is called by the local fire-artisans " দুই শিখা " ( Two Flames), a rare and often dangerous trick that few dare to recreate (or so they said)....even during something as grand as the Ashura proceedings. Two guys kneel down, in close proximity and throw flames at almost 45 degree angles to each other so that they meet in mid air and make a giant ball of fire. This is said to symbolize the bifuricated schimiter (the traditional Arabian sword) of Hazrat Ali (R) known vehemently as Dhū l-Fiqār or by it's more popular acronym "Zulfiqar".
I had kerosin and flame-excerpts sprayed all over my body and gears :( I still smell like a skunk with high calorific value.
Pyromaniacs on the loose
Taken during the yearly "Ashura"-Celebrations in Hossaini Dalan, Old Dhaka.
I practically live in this otherwise dull and quite section of the city. But once every year, the scenes take a drastically different direction. The whole neighbourhood runs rampant with Shi'a devotees making their annual pilgrimage to one of the holiest shrines for the Shi'a faith in Bangladesh, Hossaini Dalan and the adjacent Imam Bara.
The actual day of Ashura (10th Muharram in the Arabic Calender) is preceded by several days of night parades, elaborate "Tajia Processions", gruesome and very very sanguine feats of "Mätam" (public self-mutilation) and off-course lots and lots of "fire breathers". All these to remember, in sordid, solemn vow, the sacrifices made during the Battle of Karbala. Too bad that is where the dysfunction in our religion started taking a twisted turn. The truth may remain shrouded for years to come, with both sides supporting their own claims to a messianic hereditary.
This was taken late at night (almost 3~3:30 am) as the drum rolls started getting stronger and stronger in my vicinity and I just couldn't ignore the call of the cold, stomping crowd outside. So I set my refrigeration book aside, jumped out from underneath my blanket, put on the worst shoes possible and went out with my camera...this time "accidentally ill-equipped" as I had left my favorite primes back at home.
My guide through the convolution was Md. Sharfuddin Iqbal, the guy in checked head-scarf you see in the middle. He took me to the place where the aspiring youth, too cowering to mutilate themselves, yet intrepid enough to gulp down flammable kerosene and shoot fire out of their mouth had culminated.
The trick being shown here is what is called by the local fire-artisans " দুই শিখা " ( Two Flames), a rare and often dangerous trick that few dare to recreate (or so they said)....even during something as grand as the Ashura proceedings. Two guys kneel down, in close proximity and throw flames at almost 45 degree angles to each other so that they meet in mid air and make a giant ball of fire. This is said to symbolize the bifuricated schimiter (the traditional Arabian sword) of Hazrat Ali (R) known vehemently as Dhū l-Fiqār or by it's more popular acronym "Zulfiqar".
I had kerosin and flame-excerpts sprayed all over my body and gears :( I still smell like a skunk with high calorific value.