Weddings are my weakness. Unapologetically and undeniably. But travel is the trousseau that makes me ready for the world. A world that is filled with such uniqueness that the shutterbug in me can hardly let it go.
While the lens can encapsulate the magic hidden in every moment, it is the festivals and festivities of the world that fascinate me. The exclusivity of every occasion triggers me to capture it and that becomes the muse for my next assignment.
One such undertaking was my tryst with Moi Chara. A centuries-old tradition that possibly has its roots in the Sunderbans, Moi Chara is performed even today in the villages of South 24 Parganas, West Bengal.
It is a race of bulls…yes, you read that right, which might remind you of the more exotic ones in Spain, or closer home, Kerala. But as I stood there at Canning that day, gathering inputs, I knew I had signed up for nothing short of a spectacle.
As the formidable bulls and their bustling owners started pouring in, I noticed an arrangement. It wasn’t one but two bulls, which were yoked together with a wooden frame and the pair was controlled by their owner. Interestingly, it is this way of teaming up from which the event derives its name as well.
Moi Chara is held in the months of June or July, immediately prior to the harvesting season in Bengal. An area is enclosed and almost flooded for the contest to take place. After an initial warm-up of these burly animals, the match commences. The action that follows is breathtaking for the spectators and breathless for the participants.
As adrenaline rushed through my arteries, I got so drawn into the game that the generous offerings of the Rain Gods could hardly dissolve my determination. Soaked to the skin and standing knee-deep in muddy water, I was struck by the way the masters strove to align their slaves. Just to make the bulls stand in a line was a daunting task, and the ease of a human race, in contrast, is what came to my mind at that moment.
What came alive in the next couple of minutes was a story of brute force and daring dominance between the man and the male bovines. While one tried to overpower the other, both were driven towards the same destination – forward. For an instant, it might even come out as cruel as the owners pull at the horns and tails of the beasts but often control is the only means of manipulation. After all, the bulls needed to be guided to the goal for the game to gather momentum.
The winner always takes it all and here too is no exception. The participants of the Moi Chara festival are bulls, who are given very good nourishment and treated with special care. Among them, the annual winners are either used for breeding purposes or sold at steep prices. So, it’s absolutely understandable if these bulls act pricey and privileged!
Sometimes, it is fascinating to explore relationships between a being and a brute, and it is only through events like these that they can be captured…raw and real.
Author : Promita Banerjee Nag
