Jamadagni’s Temple: The Real Full Moon Festival
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This project documents my visit to Malana, an ancient, solitary village tucked away in the Parvati valley of Himachal Pradesh in India. To reach Malana, my Indian crew and I trekked along narrow, precipitous trails with breathtaking views. Our objective was to photograph the festival of Malana Shaun which is held every year on the fifteenth of August. Malana is a place of fables, myths and legends. The mountains echo with music during this festival, as the men begin to dance and smoke chillums full of the potent Malana cream.
Travelling through the beautiful mountains that led me to Malana village I had no idea what an extraordinary spectacle I was about to witness. Here, on a mountaintop 8,700 feet above sea level, the air is crisp and pure, the local honey is like golden nectar, and everywhere there is the unforgettable smell of the most sought-after and potent marijuana, Malana Cream. I came with the intention to observe and learn about this deeply cultured village, only to discover I was documenting an important spiritual pilgrimage where Malanese people connect with outsiders once a year to worship the same God, Jamadagni Rishi (Jamlu rishi).
The Shaun Festival runs for three days and is an important time to worship Jamadagni Rishi, the God who lives in the main temple in the village. Many people from as far away as Kullu as well as surrounding villages such as Rashol, Manikaran, Manali, Katagla, Kalga, Pulga, Tulga and Jana come to the festival to worship Jamadagni Rishi. Some drive up the rocky mountain roads through the peaks and valleys, others trek their way for miles on foot and stay for the duration. The Malanese people offer these spiritual seekers refuge for a few days and include generous offerings of food, Malana Cream, drinks and the opportunity to take part in the native activities and rituals which have been celebrated for many years.
The festival begins with those locals conducting formal duties dressing up in their traditional clothing called ‘pattu’ which is made from sheep’s wool. The priest in the village known as ‘Pujari’, recognisable by his distinguished clothing (a white turban and white and grey clothes), brings a tree to the middle of the ground in in front of the temple of Jamadagni Rishi. Pujari is in charge of the spiritual part of the festival, he speaks his own mantras and performs puja and gives blessings. Men gradually gather into a large group, one man chopping wood with an axe to add kindling to the tree and the it is set on fire. This is thought to be to aid to air purification prior to giving Jamadagni Rishi offerings. A sheep is tied up at the entrance of the temple in preparation for its ritual sacrifice. The locals surround the burning fire playing instruments while performing their local dance called ‘Nati’ which is popular within the state of Himachal Pradesh. Later on the sheep is sacrificed in front of the mounting crowd and its soul and blood is offered to Jamadagni Rishi, in another cleansing process. The men in the village drink alcohol and smoke Malana cream throughout the festival and dance and play music into the night, but the women don’t participate in any of this, although they are allowed to watch. While I was in Malana I was urged to not touch any walls or buildings, especially the ancient temples, as this can result in a fine if found guilty.
Malana is steeped in history and its people are said to be descendants of Alexander the Great’s army. They believe themselves to be pure Aryan. The language spoken ‘Kanashi’ is a mixture of Sanskrit and Tibetan dialects, although most people are able to speak Hindi as well. I was fortunate enough to meet someone in the village through a crew member who was able to translate for me. I stayed in a guesthouse called Muzic Café in Upper Malana where Gaurav, the owner, told me an old tale of a devil that used to live in Malana who left the language to the Malanese people as a memento after the devil was made to leave. Despite Malana’s rich heritage and deeply rooted culture, I wondered how long it would be before they became more affected by the outside world. I could already see that the children and younger people were wearing westernised clothing and had mobile phones. There were also noticeable satellite dishes on some of the wooden houses.
There is a public school where children are taught about India and its history but mostly they are taught about Malana’s values and traditions. The Malanese people also have a rule they are not allowed to touch outsiders, so they give as much room as possible to passersby. The children of the village are most the fearful because of the beliefs their parents and elders have passed on to them about ‘outsiders’ being impure. They believe that if they touch outsiders, negative energies will be passed on to them. If any of these rules are broken by outsiders then the Malanese people promise to sacrifice a sheep to regain purity in the village. Whilst this may or may not be true, it is certain that these rules serve to maintain their heritage and protect the beliefs passed on by many generations. Gaurav told me that people think differently now, ever since the new road was built six years ago. This road took them all the way to Kullu, a place with which many people in Malana have a history.
When it comes to marriage, women marry young, between the ages of 15 and 20. A local woman called Rami Devi told me that part of the custom of attracting men is to get a lot of ear and nose piercings. “It was essential to get a good husband as there was a lot of competition, but younger generations of women do not have as many piercings”. She explained that she would trek for days to Kullu to have her piercings done. She said that although it looks nice, it’s very heavy to wear.
In a medical emergency, such as when she had kidney stones, Leela told me she was carried by her husband, relatives and neighbours to the nearest town of Kullu, which took them several days. Since the building of the new dam, the journey takes as little as four hours by foot. Leela, who was currently heavily pregnant, told me that she has six children, which is an average number, since most families have between five and eight children. Her husband is allowed to be present at the birth but afterwards only women are allowed to visit during a 15 day period of isolation inside a tent. She told me “It’s a very difficult time, I don’t want more babies but if my husband wants them, I must obey”. There are no hospitals nearby so no pain relief is available. The intriguing rules and traditions don’t stop there; the newborn child must undergo a brutal test to become a new member of the village, on about the second full moon after the birth, the child must be showered in ice cold water at night directly under the moon. This is particularly dangerous for the baby and some do not make it and die. If they do make it then they are declared as strong enough for the climate and are celebrated as being given life and strength to live there. All of the people belonging to the Malana tribe are survivors of this ancient custom.
When it comes to work in the village, the women do it all. They cut wood in the forest and bring it home for the men and their family. They also still perform their duties at home such as cooking and cleaning. While this may be considered anachronistic to western visitors, there is much to admire about this village trying to preserve its traditions in the face of relentless modernisation. As of 2017, Jamadagni Rishi ordered that no more visitors are welcome to stay overnight in the village. The Malanese people stubbornly protect their heritage with rules and beliefs which prevent them from merging into an ever-growing homogeneous world. This makes Malana Village a rare treasure. The new road may well have helped the Malanese people in many ways and allowed more tourists in turn to discover them but, in the end, what they most desire is to live their life, in their way, under their moon.