Saturday, February 25, 2022. Port Blair.
It’s dusk, and I’m heading back to my BnB from a successful street photography session.
I’m only a few hundred meters from my room when I see a temple. There’s commotion inside. I linger for a bit, hesitant, then decide to walk in.
A woman offers turmeric and vermilion to devotees
A priest
Another priest
A woman priest
The head priest
It’s cramped, but not suffocating. Something has overcome the people. Is it God? Is it the environment? Is it energy? What do I call it?
I consider myself a man of science, but I can’t help but be fascinated. It doesn’t seem fake… No, definitely not. Then what is it? I try to find the right word to describe it. It’s tempting (or rather instinctive) to reach out for “possessed.” But “possessed” sounds wrong, like they’re being forced. They’re not being forced. They’re enchanted. Of their own will. They’re surrendering. Yes, it’s “surrender.”
Mesmerized.
Bodies touch but don’t withdraw. Men, women, kids. Everyone touches everyone. People touch me. I touch people. A woman rests her hand on my shoulder, craning her neck to peek over the crowd. I’m surprised, but only for a moment. It all feels oddly natural. As if this is how it was supposed to be.
I’ve made friends with some of the kids.
This little guy’s swag was on a whole another level 🤙
Keerthi is a mischievous little girl. She loves her big brother and wants a picture with him. She runs off into the crowd to find him. They pose, she gets her picture.
Keerthi with her brother
Then she takes my camera and becomes a professional photographer.
There’s another kid I become good friends with. I can’t remember his name. Let’s call him Murugan. He’s a bit older, maybe 10-12. He thinks he’s responsible for the younger kids. I sense a protector-and-overseer energy from him.
That’s Murugan in the center
I stay there well into the night. Shooting, talking, observing, having fun.
Everybody wanted their picture taken!
A ritual where the head priests climbs onto a bridge of swords and makes a proclamation
They’re going to make a sacrifice at 4am and there will be a feast. The head priest has invited me to stay. But my camera’s battery is exhausted. So is mine. I go back to my room to recharge.
I wake up in the morning and head out.
I look for my young friends from last night. Murugan’s there. He tells me Keerthi has been looking for me. The festivities of the night are over and everyone’s lined up for the feast.
We talk for a while and I bid adieu. Suddenly Murugan gives me a hug. I’m taken aback, but just for a second. The feeling quickly morphs into something else - I feel accepted. I feel loved. I feel like I belong. I feel… happy.
