Jhender

Im glad I did not try to go to the temple at 3am! it would certainly have been much harder to take photos. I had realised that (1) i havent properly gone to watch thaipusam in singapore despite being here for so many years (2) my camera was itching to do something.

Despite having an idea of what they do, ie all the body piercing and khavadi carrying…, it was still quite an experience seeing them getting pierced. Perhaps its a good thing I didn’t take any video. There’s just such a long story to tell. I spent about 2 hours in the temple at serangoon road. in case you were wondering, i am not becoming indian.

it’s just, you know.., watching them go through all the rites and praying and offerings and coconuts and milk pots and hooks and powder and flames and i dont know.

i think its my first time with so many local photographers. very exciting atmosphere. a free rein to take photos, with some of them being very daring/intrusive and going right up to the people, i guess that’s how to get super nice close up portraits, gotta do that, but im still not comfortable with it. lots of nice cameras and lenses too. but i shall refrain from lens-pron. i did wish i have one more camera body for separate wide angle and tele lens. but bleh, such weight and luxury. my expensive 70-200mm was great though, all the pretty photos were from that. you can tell that the wider angle ones are just not so sharp, colorful, and !!!. there was a fair bit of rushing to change lenses (bagpack is inconvenient for this, sling better. but bagpack is less heavy. how?), trying to get into good positions, and running around the room. and also it was funny being a barefoot photographer. haha. no shoes in the temple.

i dont know how some of them can still sorta dance around with the khavadi on them. gosh. so insane. i wish they wouldnt practice such painful rituals. its banned in india.

a fair bit of drums music. loud chanting/cheering when something major is being poked into the flesh, typically the tongue one. *faints*

i was surprised that people just arrive and do their preparations and some friends/family help them out, and then they just walk the road as and when they want. like pretty individual instead of a big organised procession thingy as i previously thought. and the temple was quite haphazard too. free for all. but then who wants anything

90 photos on flickr. Parental Guidance advised.

you know, i see all those photos by people running around with f/2.8 lenses and i am soooo jealous. grah.