Tila Pilgrimage: Chiapas, Mexico

This seems like a good image to end my first week on.

As part of a story on Maya Religion I shot a pilgrimage to Tila, Mexico. Every June thousands and thousands of people crowd into the Chiapas town of Tila to see the Black Christ which hangs in the Catholic church in town. The town more than triples in size during the pilgrimage. Maya scholars have told me that the Black Christ is an embodiment of a Maya earth lord and that the blending of Catholic and Maya traditions is a prime example of syncretic religion.

It is an overwhelming sight. Thousands of people make the predawn climb up a mountain outside of town for a Catholic Mass at sunrise. Young and old hike through the mud and vendors try to sell them food, drinks and crucifixes...

Shot with my leica m6 and fuji velvia 50. God I miss that camera.

-Stephen Alvarez

Comments

[norma perez]

give me some good images of religion

[Norm Feaster]

Hi Stephen,

I have the Lost Cove picture on my desk top. It looks great. Thanks.

Norm

[Stephen Alvarez]

wow, that pinhole hanger camera is something else...

I still have the Leica, but don't use it for work very much since making the switch to digital a few years back.

[Psycho]

So what happened to the Leica?

Thought you'd find this interesting, or at least diverting:

http://tinyurl.com/3gb2ck