The fire raged on for over three hours, starting late in the evening and continuing on until well after 9pm.
Karmapa arrived in true ceremonial dress and conducted the puja from a throne brought in especially for the occasion, facing the rest of the crowd, adorned in beautiful brocade that shimmered in the flickering light from the fire. Offerings seemed to come in a non stop procession, one after the other being thrown into the flames, mesmerizing the crowd as the fire grew brighter and more intense as each was thrown in, adding to the blaze as the chanting and drums steadily continued on.
I have never seen this puja performed in this way, so for me it was a first, and to say it has made a lasting impression would be such an understatement. The power of this puja, with the intensity and heat of the fire, with the chanting and the offerings being thrown in - I was just hopelessly transfixed on the flames. Watching as each offering was thrown in, the flame that followed - with their different colors, sparkling in the night air, it was truly beautiful.
With the event coming to a close, and the absolutely crazy amount of energy and lack of sleep that has come with it, I can happily say that I am just completely finished - emotionally and physically - but tonight was remarkable. There is nothing left to say, nothing I can add but my happiness and thanks for being here and to be able to share this with you all. What a blessing, such a gift to me - and how fortunate we all are to share in these kind of memories together. We will never forget what has happened here, these are the stories that quickly become memories of the best kind. From an extremely exhausted photographer, once again in the wee hours of the morning - with nothing left in my body but a very content heart - I can leave you this evening with only my visual and emotional impressions of what has happened before me - and nothing more. I hope that these photographs can speak for me, as in this moment I am at a loss for words…
And the fire raged on.
Karmapa arrived in true ceremonial dress and conducted the puja from a throne brought in especially for the occasion, facing the rest of the crowd, adorned in beautiful brocade that shimmered in the flickering light from the fire. Offerings seemed to come in a non stop procession, one after the other being thrown into the flames, mesmerizing the crowd as the fire grew brighter and more intense as each was thrown in, adding to the blaze as the chanting and drums steadily continued on.
I have never seen this puja performed in this way, so for me it was a first, and to say it has made a lasting impression would be such an understatement. The power of this puja, with the intensity and heat of the fire, with the chanting and the offerings being thrown in - I was just hopelessly transfixed on the flames. Watching as each offering was thrown in, the flame that followed - with their different colors, sparkling in the night air, it was truly beautiful.
With the event coming to a close, and the absolutely crazy amount of energy and lack of sleep that has come with it, I can happily say that I am just completely finished - emotionally and physically - but tonight was remarkable. There is nothing left to say, nothing I can add but my happiness and thanks for being here and to be able to share this with you all. What a blessing, such a gift to me - and how fortunate we all are to share in these kind of memories together. We will never forget what has happened here, these are the stories that quickly become memories of the best kind. From an extremely exhausted photographer, once again in the wee hours of the morning - with nothing left in my body but a very content heart - I can leave you this evening with only my visual and emotional impressions of what has happened before me - and nothing more. I hope that these photographs can speak for me, as in this moment I am at a loss for words…
And the fire raged on.
