The Unique festival of India-Mayana Kollai #TravelGoal

How many of you feel, our need to pray to god, sacrifice few things for god and for the good of the society ? I always use to ponder on the thoughts on how God will respond when someone sacrifices for him, but my thoughts have gone haywire during my visit to kaveripettinam to cover the festival Mayana kollai a unique festival which happens in various temples of goddess Angallaman across Tamil Nadu.

Starting my day as early as 4am from Bangalore to Kaveripettinam which is approximately 100kms from Bangalore, after taking a stop for breakfast,we reached kaveripettinam by 7.30am which we thought was early which isn't the case,there was already a big crowd inside temple.

When we entered the city, I could see people carry large trishul's, which are of different sizes some where large ,some where small, these were held by devotees of all ages.

Just before the temple , we saw a deity being taken on Procession, and people were throwing rock salt instead of Flowers isn't this strange, i guess this is just the beginning , we had a entire day of surprise.

Then we arrived at the temple ,in spite of being very early (according to me at least) we could see a long queue to enter the temple, somehow we managed to enter the temple ,What I saw next shook me , it was not the sacrifice I expected to see, I could hear screams n echoes of unlimited chanting of prayers inside the temple, devotees were getting pierced with trishuls not just with small ones but with big ones.Some even got lemons pierced.

We really were not able to digest that people are going through such a sacrifice, but i could see its willingly being done not by anyone's behest, so i would assume that something good might have happened hence the devotees are going through this.

Outside we were able to see big rolling stones , chains being kept , which were used by the devotees to pull them, some even pulled an auto !!!!!

Just little further we saw one more small temple, where Kids, adults are getting make up done as Goddess Kali , in this temple as well the same ritual of piercing was happening , the devotees who are getting dressed as Kali is suppose forego their food and pray to goddess and get dressed, once they are all set they pray in the temple and then walk towards the graveyard.

The possession towards graveyard is as interesting as the ritual, Devotees who dressed up as Kali perform the dance on the way to graveyard.

Mayana Kollai festival is a unique festival in every aspect , its not for all it really needs some guts to witness, I myself Cringed many times when i saw few rituals, but as a photographer its a dream to document this.

Have you seen any festival unique like this ? Please do share.