A whole city celebrates
The coconut breaking! Chinese especially. All join in breaking cocnuts in glee everyone chips in to help coconut water splashes the scent of coconut water fills the air the water splashing on us feels like theretham
The cleaners are bobbing to the music, rolling unbroken ones to us to have a go, we break some too
Its a release a fiesta a celebration a coming together of community
Then the clean up almost immediately. Such efficiency with no fuss no impatience. Cleaners sweep the coconuts to one side the trucks come with lifting machines that lift and dump
A sweeping machine comes to sweep up the remains. Road is clean in minutes!
Ratham stops every 10 meters for this joyous celebration. Once it passes the thaneer panthals all wrap up shop ans are done. No extensive road blocks nothing
At another stop lion dancers await, dancing before hindu deities,
A few meters away, karagaatam with live drums
At one spot devotees can buy tiny birds to release after prayer watch them flap their way to freedom
Bulls pull the silver chariot, 16 pairs swapping out every 500 meters.
Thaneer panthals with folks giving out water buttermilk paanakkam and soyabean! Thaneer Panthals sponsored by individuals, small families and also big companies and organisations like the police (!) and so manu Tech Companies like ASL and Micron... really something else!
A game where the charioters have to catch a flying angel swung towards them
Music divine music all along, old and new, slow and fast
There's a crowd but doesnt feel crowded what a miracle. Coz there are ample stops. Anyone can pass their offerings at any point. A long journey over two to three days and nights so lots of time and opportunities to meet and greet god! And the super clean up means no closed roads for long. Traffic police also respectful, helping to keep things irderly without controlling
Never knew it can be like this.
Arohara!
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