Losing your hair to save your soul
By Usha Amin: Researcher
Jain worshippers and ceremonial elephants had walked for days to attend her diksha
Making an irreversible decision at the age of 25 doesn’t come easily for many. But for Bhumididi, giving up her old life and embracing extreme austerity comes with remarkable serenity.
The 大象传媒 team had arrived in India a few days before the biggest day of Bhumi’s life. Jain worshippers and ceremonial elephants had walked for days to attend her diksha, or initiation ritual. Huge tents were being erected on the outskirts of a small Rajasthani town, kitchens were being assembled, and the whole event was to be broadcast live on Jain television.
We first met Bhumi in a dusty room. She was a young, modern, Indian woman, adorned in jewellery with her smart phone constantly ringing. She was absolutely sure that this was the moment she’d been working towards for the past five years.
it is so cramped that he has to rely on a friendly grandmother to help him change lenses!
The day of the ceremony is a blistering 44 °C and an electric atmosphere has filled the huge marquee.
Amongst the jostling crowd and local film crews, cameraman, Neil Harvey, manages to find a spot at the front of the stage, but it is so cramped that he has to rely on a friendly grandmother to help him change lenses!
Bhumi sits centre-stage, calm and composed. In the crowd sits her mother. Her eyes have been brimming with tears from the moment we met her three days ago. As Bhumi’s guru steps forward to pluck the first hairs from her daughter’s head, tears begin to stream down her face. This monumental moment signifies Bhumi’s final transformation. She is leaving her family forever.
As she loses her hair, a wave of relief washes over Bhumi’s face and she smiles, indifferent to the pain. She is sacrificing material things for the spiritual world.
After months of preparation to film this moment, it is only now, immersed in the ceremony that the true power of ritual and religion strike home.
