GOD is POP /// by Stéphane Guillerme

Done, the five days of Shiva ratri are over, until next year.
2 and half millions pilgrims did the way, slept in harsh conditions, but the gods soften the pains of the trip and of the stay.
Some classic style was there, and some common excentricities, an amazing variety of local indigineous, beautiful moustaches too, some frayed saris and kids with dirty nose, some laughing and some crying, songs, some peaceful saddhus as well as some warriors, some street sellers and some street tattoo artists. So here I am with another 3 hand-made tattoo machines and some pages of basic designs of tattoo flashes.
Sure Shiva was there, night and day, and in my nights I will bring with me the new faces of my latest Indian friends (so many) that made this event an exceptional one. Till the end it was magic, even the return after midnight where, in the middle of this compact mass of humans walking back the 6 kilometers to the entrance gate, I started to feel highly claustrophobic. At this moment, in the darkness, 8 young guys on 3 motorbikes popped up and took me back to my hotel in the center of Junagadh. A long part of the way was packed with sleepy walkers and a 4x4 of the gujarati police was opening it to us. In the night, only will remain in my mind the words « Jai Mahadev » (Mahadev being another name of Shiva) that we were screaming in the night of Shiva (the meaning of Shiva ratri).

Dernier jour au matin. Homme probablement Maher en marche vers le mont Girnar.
Last day in the morning. Probably Maher men walking up to the Girnar mount.

Pèlerins dans les deux sens - 2 millions et demi se sont succédés pendant 4 jours sur la Shiva ratri - Junagadh
Pilgrims both ways. 2 and half millions pilgrims came to the Shiva ratri over 4 days of the holy Shiva ratri - Junagadh

Homme Bharwad  ///  Bhardwad man

Le bain sacré à l'extérieur d'un des nombreux ashrams  ///  One of the holy bath of one of the many ashrams

Saddhu backshish baba

Hijra. Avec toujours un mec pas invité qui vient placer sa tête sur la photo :)
Hijra. With always a npn-invited Indian who try to place his face on the picture

Vendeur de rue  ///  Street seller

Môme des rues  ///  Street kids

Vendeuse de rue  ///  Street seller

Homme Bharwad  ///  Bhardwad man

Homme Bharwad  ///  Bhardwad man

Pèlerins  ///  Pilgrims

Avec l'organisation d'un des nombreux gourous offrant gîte et couvert pour tous.

Le lundi ils ont nourris plus de 35.000 personnes.
With the organisation of the trust led by one famous indian guru who offers a place to sleep and to eat for free for any pilgrims.

On monday, the last day, they fed more tan 35.000 people.

J'enverrai à la Shiva ratri tous ceux qui diront que je suis bizarre :)
Anyone who will tell me that I am weird, I send him/her to the Shiva ratri.

Et bien sûr quelques tatoueurs de rue :)
And of course some street tattooists

Imali se fait tatouer malgré les recommandations du docteur. Vilaine, va !
Imali gets tattooed.

6 mains pour 1 tattoo  ///  6 hands for 1 tattoo

La bande de sympatiques jeunes hommes qui m'ont ramené de la Shiva ratri à mon hôtel vers 1 heure du matin

et qui sont allés jusqu'à m'offrir du thé et à manger à Junagadh avant de me déposer à la porte de l'hôtel.

Ils connaissent bien la phrase "Atithi debo baba", 'L'invité est roi" Merci à tous :)

Here is the great team of friendly young men who drove me back at around 1 AM,

from the Shiva ratri to Junagadh. They even offered me to drink and to eat just before dropping me at my hotel's door.

These guys know well the meaning of the indian sentence "Atithi debo baba", "The guest is king". Thanks to all of you, we created a good memory :)