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Beyond Ram and Ravana: The Living Gods of Kulasai Dussera

In the coastal village of Kulasekarapattinam in Tamil Nadu , faith takes on an earthly form during Kulasai Dussera . Here, gods and goddesses descend to dwell among men—not through idols, but through devotees who embody the divine in a spectacle of trance, transformation, and devotion unlike any other festival in India. As India celebrates Dussehra with fireworks and effigies of Ravana, over eight lakh devotees converge at the 300-year-old Arulmigu Mutharamman Temple , where the air hums with chants, drums, and the sound of transformation itself. A Festival of Transformation   The Kulasai Dussera, observed during  Navaratri , spans ten days and culminates in the dramatic  Soorasamharam , the slaying of the demon Mahishasura by Goddess Lalithambigai—an incarnation of  Mutharamman , the fierce guardian deity of the town. Unlike Dussehra elsewhere, where the focus is on the Ramayana, the myth here centers on  female divinity and creation’s power to restore mo...
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The Low Tide

 


Decrease water level in Rupnarayan river Increases daily risks of river crossing. Everyday hundreds of people crosses the river which connect themself with Tamluk city for jobs, marketplaces and other essentials for daily life. At low tide passenger have to walk along the river around 1 km as boat can not comes to other side due to low water level.








All images are subject to copyright ©Swattik Jana


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