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20th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
sacrifice by piercing

A believer belonging to the God Murugan sect, is sacrificing to the God by inflicting upon unbearable pain on himself by piercing a heavy iron-rod long-enough through his mouth & covering a road distance of almost 2 kilometers on foot in that state with continuous dancing while the summer-temperature has touched almost 40 degree centigrade. This practice is specially followed by believers of that God to have immunity against any health disturbance.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 04.2019
Date Uploaded: 11.2022
Photo Location: Bandel, India
Camera: ILCE-7M3
Copyright: © Amitava Chandra