Counting down- Hallelujah !. by greensleeves81
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No AI - This artwork was created entirely by hand or with traditional digital tools.
Description
Dear friends I'm back with this post. Thank you all for your comments and interest on my previous post.In the next post I hope this snake boat will be on water.
It was a very great event to watch.zoom in for a better view.
1. The launching ceremony stared with the arrival of team members clapping hands and singing traditional devotional songs.
2. As a custom every one takes a dip in the water.
3.Praying, singing and clapping hands . It was followed by shouting Hallelujah at the top of their voice.With more than 100 of them shouting Hallelujah, I too joined them. I can never forget those moments. It is believed St. Thomas, the desciple of Jesus came here around AD 52. The 'St. Thomas Church' which owns this boat is 1500 year old.
4.Bow of the Snake Boat.
5, 6. Final instructions are given by the Team leader. It was a very nervous moment. They are instructed to raise the boat three times to remove the three supports. In a minute or two this 130 ft Snake Boat wraped by the hands of a hundred men will be on water. I was traped inside the boat house, there was only a narrow passage for me to go out without disturbing them.
7. AT rear portion of this shot you see the rhythem box ( on top of it a candle is lit). One or two person will be hitting this box with a wooden tool, giving rhythem to the rowers.

Comments (15)
Very Moving. In more ways than one. Excellent depiction and description.
interesting and informative!
Good work. Thanks to let see other regions of the world.
Moving ceremony.Great work!!!
My gosh! This is amazing! I never knew! How could I never know about such a thing? It is so powerful and traditional and I was not aware of it until now. Your photos and narrative tell so much and make me wish I could have seen this. Are women there to watch? I see so many men but what about the women? Just incredible work you've done here.
Very nice work
It's really cool. 5+.
Wonderful images and narratives.
Oh! Dear PJ, I must disappoint you. According to tradition women are not allowed to touch a Snake boat. Here faith and culture are in tangled. Though we are strong in our faith ( Catholic) culture and traditions have a strong root with the Hinduism.You can see it on the picture 7, top most, flowers and rice on a banana leaf. Here these Boats are known by the Village it is owned. In this case 'Chambakulam'.The race is between the villages.( In this particular area each village is divided as 'Kara'. Kara= land, because they are seperated by water. So this Boat belongs to Chambakulam Kara.). Acccording to Hindu faith this boat is their deity and they worship it. That's why women are not allowed to touch it.I shall write more in the next post. But I don't thing they can't watch it. May be they were having work inthe kitchen.Even if there is one or two who is intrested they wont dare to stand in a crowd dominated by men.
Excellent collage, very great work!
SUPERLATIVE REPORTAGE OF A VERY ANCIENT TRADITION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fantastic collage and informative.
Amazingly interesting!! And especially so as women are still in this subordinate position, so thank you so much for these super photos and fascinating info! It is great that the two cultures are so intertwined. In some countries the Church has tried so hard to suppress all that is not to their narrow likings, so sad.
Very interesting... love to see such details included.
Excellent collage of very interesting photos. I like the depth on the first image.