We have had a busy few days. On Wednesday we met with our young ladies to talk about the progress of their photography and the upcoming meetings. After that I did a joint interview with one of the families. Unfortunately we missed our favorite soapy – Generations – a story revolving around two advertising companies and the interrelationships and squabbles of the workers and family members. Fortunately however, we were treated to dinner and got to spend some time getting to know the family.
Thursday morning we woke up super early and attended the Umhlatuzana Rotary Club at 7 am. It was the day of the “two-rander” and we were volunteering so we needed instructions. A “two-rander” is a fund raising/food drive event that the club participates. Volunteers stand in front of Checkers – one of the local supermarkets - and R2 coins that are stuck to a slip of paper are handed to people entering the store. The slip asks the receiver to please help the club purchase a non-perishable food item and then drop it in the trolley-cart that then goes to one of the Durban missions to feed the homeless and orphans.
The drive started at 8 am after we all had the meeting and finished sticking the coins to the slips. Joe and I volunteered during the 10-12 shift so we took a walk on the beach before our slot. When we got there was about one trolley filled with food; after two hours of working there were about three. Being the last working day before Easter weekend lots of people were foreseen to be shopping so together with some nuns from one of the missions the Rotary members were out in full force.
Unfortunately, I don’t know how many carts we ended up with, however, some people were handing over a full shopping bag of food so surely the goal of 10 carts filled must have been fulfilled.
Today is Good Friday. A day we have been looking forward to ever since we heard that there is a fire-walking festival in Pietermaritzburg. Again we woke up early and left the house by 7:30 am. We drove from Amanzimtoti where we live to Maritzburg, about an hour away. Things were just getting started. All the wood was gathered and stacked at the temple ready to burn, the fire pit had been decorated with various spices in floral patterns, and marigolds (along with other flowers) adorned the edifices and people.
As time went on we got to see and feel the large fire. We walked around the temple a few times and eventually made our way to the river where the walkers were blessed and ritually washed. It was also the place where the chariots were brought, decorated, and finally pinned to the various devotees who dragged them to the temple – which was about two or three blocks away. All the while there was intermittent drumming and singing. Women in brightly colored saris with their less showy male counterparts circumvented the temples throwing camphor into the small fire pots situated on the grounds and carrying plastic bowls of fruit, incense, and milk as offerings to the deities.
While at the river we watched people spread turmeric (the spice that makes Indian curries yellow) on each other as a blessing. You could smell it in the air as many people had almost their entire bodies covered. It smelled a little like ginger, which made me think of why the Chinese call it 黄将 huang jiang “yellow ginger”. After getting blessed by one of the walkers and watching him get pierced Joe and I headed back to the temple to get a spot to see the walkers. By this time the big bon fire had fizzled out and left charcoal and ashes which were then spread evenly throughout the pit by several men in “Pit Crew” shirts with giant metal rakes, wearing heavy duty gloves to protect them from the conducted heat.
After about an hour or more standing in a crowd of people the devotees arrived. Most people, including ourselves really couldn’t see much of the finale because people who were nearest to the pit were crowding around not allowing anyone else a view. Eventually Joe and I got frustrated and while other people decided to yell for the people to sit down or move, I got on Joe’s shoulders to catch some video. Because I couldn’t reciprocate Joe stood on the top of a chair and got his sighting.
Right before we left we got to see some of the people who had finished walking. Many were covered with limes and marigolds that dangled from hooks placed in their skin. Others had coconuts, while others had long metal hooks and mini-tridents stuck through their cheeks and or tongues. As the items were taken off some people were serene, others looked in pain, while one young man we saw went into convulsions for about one minute. After the items were removed they were given as offerings to the people looking for blessings. They say once a person has gone through the fire they are holy and so observers touch the walkers for luck.
Having spent most of the day standing and walking around by the time we left it felt as though we had walked on the coals. The entire day it seemed we were in India and if it weren’t for the several Zulu people milling around, watching, and admiring the festivities you would not have known you were on the African continent. If given the chance I would love to attend again and both Joe and I would even participate.
For more information on the fire walking ceremony in South Africa please read this article:
natalia.org.za/Files/21/Natalia%20v21%20article%20p31-39%20C.pdf
