Phenomenally Pūjari

The grand gesture of the Ghats. The choreographed repetitive action with glittering oil lambs and other mesmerizes the spectators. Men in special attire; a budget mix of tradition and modern; in several group , middle aged and very young, assemble in early morning and then evening, in witness of sun’s arrival and departure, elegantly with so much of grace, meticulously with love and bhakti surrendering to worship river Ganga.

It is evident the varying scale of investment in each band. The marathon of rituals concentrate on this region is a tiring outcome of nation state. Religious and state propaganda plays a vital role underneath this never-ending puddling of bhakti for moksha. The demography of the place is truly uncanny. In this visit I truly deluded by the performativity of the pūjari and the global commune gathering to witness it; the wider shades of Ghats and narrow pavements, other embodiments of it unexplored and lasting in me as a call to go back. Inequality, injustice, suffering brighten in the lights of fire. Its hard to leave those experiences you seen even if you attain a state of pure bliss.

Travelers of all creed, the higher it goes the more exotic fragrance you smell. Yes, your one side it is stinking drainage and the other unexpectedly not yours, but their perfumes, cloths, jewels all depict what define as your authenticity. The other supposed to be the under ten successors of the Ghats; the children’s who dressed up like Hindu gods, specifically look like Shiva and Parvati. Unfortunately, their authenticity highly questionable. Its breath taking how the wealth of spirits are exchanged. Impatient chaotic crowds who haven’t been well seated; movements of worships, its arithmetic logistics. The shades in between Ghats, the sounds of vacuum, for a moment I thought not to comeback. It’s taste like a practical Utopia, the mist in the early morning, burning sunshine – burning dead bodies, care takers of spirits of an entire culture, everyone present every time, but still the entire geography echoes fraudulent. The sociability of the never-ending flow of ceremonies and the human effort behind in it remains as a mystic wonder, its traces you, it Call you back.

One seeking mind body prosperity both in earth and heaven and the other for few rupees for the day...

The domesticated flames, the intoxication it gives whiles it dances in the subtle breeze; almighty of desire, mesmerizer, curiosities enchanter, the supremacy of fire, its generosity to surrender prime energies. But all now by the symmetry of divinity, flames mutilated from its inherent purpose, the newly charted diasporic scriptures cloned the flames into noxious miasma. It is the blissful start and devastating cause of end. From the very beginning till today what could be the disinfector turned to fatal, more and more; the extremities of righteousness, its fumes cornering in one end, it is burning thousands of ordinaries of living beings, the man’s religious, capital greed caved the revolutionary flames to sacred and deadly. Revolutionary flames dull in the moisture of commodification, of our care, solidarity, art, and other intelligence. The flames still dancing, knowingly or unknowingly putting lively manifestations in jeopardy.

Spot the #fire, when all the exuberance of exotics fades. Spot the murmuration’s with in, when loudness pushes you in to the ghettos. Take the walk as your own, To the faith of your living. Settle your disputed roots along the way. Heal all those dead-end nights, waited for a new day to begin. Endless loop, wondering on the shrewdness of city - embodiments. Let the fire affix. Let the fire then hoist on the heights of water. Whirl with it. Let it be the lead to the eternity. Being and nothingness.

Phenomenally pūjari is a documentation of choreographic sets of ritual. The objects, space, movement and sound of the individual pūjari; their harmonious ensemble raising on the other side of general criticism, religion in the diaspora facing due to the heavily injecting fascist, capitalist nation making interventions, brutal oppression and the every action of effort to eradicating the fundamentals of freedom in our current times.

Written and photographs and video documented by Thasil Suhara Backer.

END