Scenes from a festival

        For a week, Mylapore fills with thousands of devotees celebrating Panguni Utsavam, a South Indian festival said to be a day for divine marriages, including that of Shiva and Parvati and Rama and Sita. Perched on ornately decorated “cars” carried on long, wooden poles by dozens of men, idols are paraded on the streets surrounding the Kapaleeshwarar temple.                

 

 

                                              Sunday, I happened on early morning temple festivities.      

An idol in waiting

     

The band

        

Securing the idol before the procession

 

 

Carrying the idol

     

     

 

The big “reveal”

       

Seeking sacred ash from the priest accompanying the idol

 

Substantial priests