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Vel Procession
A bare-back ride to remember
Kandy has its perahera and Colombo has its Vel Festival. The latter is held in honour of Lord Murukan popularly known among the Sinhalese as Kataragama Deviyo. Skanda, Chief deity of Kataragamma possess 6 heads and 12 arms. His devotees must wish they had the same. Each July (or August) hundreds of Hindus go walkabout in mid-day sun with bare chests, bare feet, in blind faith to drag several tons of a temple chariot.
If you arrive late for the Vel procession held in Colombo , panic not. This snails-pace journey from Sea Street Kovil to Bambalapitiya, 5 kilometres away, involves much hanging around! Hump-backed bulls and fairground horses are mere decoration, the strenuous task of propelling the heavy gilded charriot along the Galle road is agonising manpower undertaken by the holiest devotees clad in white and smeared with holy ash. Impossible to discern Colombo 's wealthiest Hindus working knuckles to their bone with penitents further down the Caste ladder, while metal hooks are hung into the flesh of their back.
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