OF MEDIUMS IN TRANCE AND A BRAVE PHOTOGRAPHER

Being able to witness the mediums getting ready for the procession for the 9-Emperor God Festival is a heady experience. The adrenaline rush I got while taking close-up shots of the mediums who went into a trance and started to hit themselves with ball with sharp spikes, lances and swords was really out-of-this-world but at the same time very, very frightening.

Equally fascinating and scary was the process of inserting the hooks and skewers in the bodies and cheeks of the Indian mediums. My want of taking clear close up shots got the better of my fear and I went really, really close to snap the photos. Surprisingly, I did not see any blood coming out when each of the hooks were attached to the bodies of the mediums. Similarly, the mediums who hit themselves with the swords and lances only had welts but there was no blood. Believe me, the weapons they used were real and sharp. I was told that once they wake up from their trance, the whatever piercings would disappear.

I am one who really become very engrossed with whatever I am doing and hence I went really, really close to get the photographs. I forget about being shy or people looking at me. In my mind, there was only the thought of getting the shots that I wanted. At one time I went so close to a medium who was holding a lance that when he began to turn and face me, I began to shake and shiver. Luckily for me, he went quickly past and I continued with my passion. I am sure you can guess how close I got looking at the photos above. Also I am not in the habit of using the zoom or close-up. For me close up means I go very near.