沃菲爾德風土圖記 XII作為儀式舞臺場景的建筑

[美 ] 詹姆斯 · 沃菲爾德 James Warfield顧心怡 譯 Translated by Gu Xinyi

“色彩，太陽，風，大地，聲音，平和，場所，永恒——五臺山西臺?！边@是我在2012年第一次拜訪這處位于中國山西的儀式性場所時；在旅行日志里簡單記下的一條。人們關于劇院體驗的記憶通常是說著臺詞的演員、戲劇、喜劇或歌舞。然而，我從未見過比西臺上的建筑舞臺更具戲劇性的奇景。這個場景，這座舞臺，這一建筑場所，也許正因為沒有演員而更彰顯其戲劇性——石塔穩(wěn)固生長于山巔，飾以陽光下絢麗的彩色經(jīng)幡；經(jīng)幡在風中獵獵作響，將人們的愿望送向極樂。

‘Colour, sun, wind, earth, sound, peace, place, timelessness—West Peak, Wutai Shan.’ This was the simple written entry in my travel journal of 2012 when I first experienced this ceremonial site in Shanxi Province, China.When one experiences theatre, it is most often memories of actors speaking written words, drama or comedy or song or dance.But never have I experienced a more theatrical wonder than the architectural stage set atop West Peak.The scene, the stage set, the architectural place, was perhaps more dramatic without actors, as stone stupas, planted firmly into the natural mountaintop, were adorned by colourful prayer flags brightened by the sun and flapping in the wind sending man’s ritual aspirations to the heavens.

“全世界是一個舞臺，所有的男男女女不過是一些演員；他們都有下場的時候，也都有上場的時候。一個人的一生中扮演著好幾個角色……”

——威廉·莎士比亞《皆大歡喜》

在這些充滿詩意的詞句中，莎士比亞描述了人類一直以來尋求的用于展示慣常儀典活動的舞臺。遠古以來，人們一直尋求著用于進行儀式、慶賀典禮以及文化活動聚會的“圣地”。

伯納德 · 魯?shù)婪蛩够谄浣?jīng)典展覽“沒有建筑師的建筑”中展示了一幅自己交足而坐的原創(chuàng)圖片。圖中他坐在一個用一圈石頭圍出的為冥想而特別建造的場地中央，這是他的“場所精神”，他的宇宙中心。早期人類從自然中選擇更為質(zhì)樸的場所以集聚。在此前的“沃菲爾德風土圖記”專欄文章中，我已展示了早期文明聚落的照片。納米比亞的布須曼人是以狩獵——采集為生的游牧民族，他們幾乎沒有任何建筑，夜間聚集于聚落的火堆旁取暖和尋求保護，免受動物侵擾。最重要的是，他們在火堆旁分享關于祖先的故事。在另一篇專欄文章中，我介紹了坦桑尼亞的馬賽人，他們中的婦女兒童聚集在村子唯一的樹下，不僅是為了獲得樹蔭的遮蔽，還為了進行社會交換活動。在日本，最早的神道教信徒選擇神木作為神社的前身，他們聚集于樹下，供奉祖先和自然中的神靈?；鹋c樹，同樣都是依靠直覺與常識而選出的“圣地”。

美國建筑理論家邁克爾 · 布里爾提出，依據(jù)“場所創(chuàng)造神話”理論，我們之所以認為某地神圣，是因為它具備使我們“感到”神圣的基本特質(zhì)。他寫道：

“許多圣地讓初次到訪的人在沒有任何相關儀式，甚至沒有關于那個場所的神圣歷史的任何知識的前提下便感到神圣?！?/p>

隨著時間的推移，世界人口增長，文明發(fā)展，神圣空間與社群聚集的概念也隨之變得日漸復雜苛刻。紀念性建筑提供了宗教與城市地標，這些地標成為了公共聚會的場所。羅馬的圣彼得廣場正是這樣一處為此而正規(guī)設計的世界知名廣場。來自世界各地6萬人之眾的天主教徒定期聚集于此，慶祝復活節(jié)和圣誕這樣的宗教節(jié)日，或者是在非常特殊的日子里一起等待標志著選舉出了新教皇的白煙。這座巨大的廣場作為城市舞臺，由巨大的塔司干式柱廊所界定，柱廊包圍著廣場上紀念性的巨大巴西利卡梯形入口前的人群，巴西利卡前是巨大的橢圓形區(qū)域。在另一處為大眾設計的宗教場所里，將近200萬名來自全世界四面八方的穆斯林朝圣者每年聚集于麥加，參加伊斯蘭的朝覲。虔誠的信徒們旅行至沙特阿拉伯，只為在伊斯蘭教最神圣的城市、穆罕默德誕生地的天房前下跪磕頭，那是一座神圣的城市廣場，聚焦于一處它所環(huán)抱的圓形城市舞臺，這就是麥加大清真寺。

宏偉的城市廣場常常是時間的產(chǎn)物，它們隨著文明的成長而得以建造與擴大。中國北京的中心——天安門廣場，周圍大都是市政建筑，而最令人矚目的則是紫禁城古老入口的立面形象。隨著時間的推移，它始終作為文化慶典與歷史集會的重要舞臺出現(xiàn)，如1919年的五四運動，1949年毛主席宣布中華人民共和國成立。作為世界上最大的十座廣場之一，天安門廣場能夠容納超過100萬人。與之相似的是俄羅斯莫斯科的城市廣場——紅場。這巨大的公共空間將克里姆林宮，現(xiàn)俄羅斯總統(tǒng)官邸（前皇室城堡）與歷史商業(yè)區(qū)分開。莫斯科的標志建筑瓦西里升天教堂占據(jù)著廣場的一端，一直以來是搖滾音樂會、勝利游行與勞動示威等各種活動的背景板，并通過隊列、坦克與導彈展示著俄羅斯的軍事力量。All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts…

William Shakespeare,As You Like It

In these poetic words, William Shakespeare described the settings that humankind has sought throughout the ages to perform and celebrate universal rituals.From earliest times, man has sought out ‘sacred places’ to perform rites, to celebrate ceremonies and to congregate for cultural events.

In his classic exhibit, ‘Architecture without Architects’, Bernard Rudofsky featured an illustration of an aboriginal sitting,legs crossed, in the centre of a circle of stones, a special place that he had constructed to meditate, his ‘genius loci’, his spirit of place, his centre of the universe.Early man selected even simpler sites chosen from nature in which to gather.In earlier essays in ‘The Warfield Column’, I have included photos of fundamental civilisations meeting as communities.The Bushmen of Namibia,a nomadic hunter-gatherer people with virtually no built architecture gathered around the community fire at night, for warmth, for protection from the animals, and most importantly to share stories of their ancestry.In another column, I illustrated the Maasai of Tanzania, women and children assembled under the village’s only tree, for shade, but also for social exchange.In Japan, the first Shinto believers chose sacred trees as precursors to built temples under which to gather,to worship their ancestors and nature spirits.The fire, the tree—‘sacred places’ selected by intuition and common sense.

American architectural theorists Michael Brill has offered that, based upon the theory of ‘place-creation myth’, we recognise places as sacred because they possess the fundamental characteristics of places that‘feel’ themselves to us as sacred.He writes:

There are many sacred places which most people sense as sacred upon first encounter and without the presence of any accompanying ritual or even any knowledge of their sacred history.

With the passing of time, the world population expanded and civilisations developed.Concepts of sacred space and community gathering became more sophisticated,more demanding.Monumental architecture provided religious and civic icons that became destinations for public gathering.St.Peter’s Square in Rome serves as an example of one such formally designed plaza that is known throughout the world.There, as many as 60 000 Roman Catholic believers from around the globe gather regularly to celebrate the holy days of Easter or Christmas, or, on very special occasions, to await the white smoke that announces the election of a new pope.This urban stage, a grand piazza, is defined by colossal Tuscan colonnades that encompass the huge crowds before the trapezoidal entrance of the monumental basilica in the massive elliptical area that precedes it.In another religious place designed for the masses, nearly 2 000 000 Muslim pilgrims travel from the four corners of the earth to gather yearly at Mecca for the Islamic pilgrimage of Haji.At this sacred site of the birthplace of Muhammed in the holiest city of Islam, faithful travel to Saudi Arabia to kneel and bow before the Kaaba, a holy urban plaza that focuses upon an urban stage in the round, the Grand Mosque of Mecca.

Majestic urban squares are often the products of time, built and expanded as civilisations grow.Tiananmen Square in the center of Beijing, China, is bounded by civic buildings and most notably by the historic entry fa?ades of the Forbidden City.It has served over time as a distinguished setting for cultural celebrations and historic protests such as the May 4 movement of 1919 and the proclamation of the Peoples Republic of China by Mao Zedong in 1949.One of the 10 largest squares in the world, Tiananmen Square can hold over 1 million people.It’s counterpart as an urban plaza in Moscow,Russia, is Red Square.This great public space separates the Kremlin, the former Royal Citadel and now the official residence of the president of Russia from the historic mercantile quarter.The iconic church of St.Basil, the architectural symbol of Moscow,terminates one end of the square and has served over time as a stage set for rock concerts, victory parades, labour demonstrations,and displays featuring Russia’s military prowess in the forms of troops, tanks and missiles.

在秘魯?shù)母吆０纬鞘袔焖箍疲磕暧袃蓚€傳統(tǒng)節(jié)日。第一個是太陽節(jié)，可追溯到15世紀被殖民以前的古印加帝國，由西班牙歷史學家加爾西拉索 · 德 · 拉 · 維加首次向西方介紹。這一農(nóng)耕慶典舉辦于每年白天最短的冬至日，在這一天，印加人聚集于古都庫斯科中心，宰殺羊駝祭祀大地之母巴查媽媽，以祈求更長的白天和確保豐收。如今，幾千名印加人后裔聚集于城市附近山頂由巨大石墻體筑成的古印加薩克塞瓦曼堡，繼續(xù)這一印加節(jié)日的傳統(tǒng)。

In Peru, two historic ritual events are celebrated annually in the high-altitude city of Cuzco.The first, Inti Raymi, dates back to the 15th century preconquest days of the ancient Inca Empire and was first chronicled for the West by the Spanish historian Garcilaso de la Vega.The agrarian celebration occurred annually on the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, when the Incas gathered in the heart of the ancient capital of Cuzco to slaughter llamas as offerings to the earth goddess Pachamama to guarantee longer days and ensure good harvest.Today,thousands of Inca descendents gather high above the city, and from the colossal stone walls of the ancient Inca fortress Sacsayhuaman to continue the tradition of this Inca Festival.

庫斯科的第二個年度節(jié)慶是羅馬天主教的基督圣體圣血節(jié)。這個持續(xù)9天的節(jié)日，其慶典舞臺位于武器廣場，以大教堂與坎帕尼亞耶穌會教堂這兩處紀念性建筑為背景。慶典的開始是圣徒與圣女游行，塑像被人們從偏遠的村莊經(jīng)由崎嶇的山路抬至庫斯科的街道，在大教堂放置一周，在此期間，幾千名慶祝者在廣場上跳舞，盡情享用傳統(tǒng)食品——玉米面包和豚鼠的盛宴，暢飲傳統(tǒng)啤酒——吉開酒。節(jié)日的最后一天，懺悔者與虔誠的信徒們抬著沉重的木像架回到他們位于安第斯山脈中高海拔的村莊家園。

Cuzco’s second annual ritual celebrates the Roman Catholic religious feast of Corpus Christi.Staged in the Plaza de Armas against the monumental architectural backdrops of the Cathedral and the Jesuit Church of La Campania, this nine-day celebration begins with a parade of saints and virgins carried from distant villages through rugged mountains and into the streets of Cuzco to be placed for one week in the Cathedral while thousands of celebrants dance in the plaza and feast on traditional foods, cornbread and guinea pig, and drink traditional beer chicha.On the last day of the festival, penitents and faithful carry the heavy wooden biers back to their high-altitude home villages in the rugged Andes Mountains.

16世紀，西班牙征服者到達美洲的同時，也帶去了他們以城市廣場為中心的地中海地區(qū)城鎮(zhèn)規(guī)劃傳統(tǒng)。無論是墨西哥的阿茲特克與北美的瑪雅文明傳統(tǒng)還是南美的印加首都，都讓西班牙人找到了與他們歐洲家鄉(xiāng)相似的城市發(fā)展軌跡。因此，西班牙人在新大陸最早的定居地是與阿茲特克的特諾奇蒂特蘭、印加的庫斯科等美洲本土的儀式性中心相容的。曾經(jīng)由石造神廟限定出的公共廣場重新由天主教堂和宗教建筑來圍合。

When the Spanish conquistadors of the 16th century arrived in the Americas, they brought with them a Mediterranean tradition of town planning that centered on urban plazas.Both in the Mexican Aztec and Mayan traditions of North America and in the Inca capitals of South America, the Spanish found urban developments sympathetic to those of their European homeland.And so, the original Spanish settlements of the New World proved compatible with the Native American ceremonial centers of Aztec Tenochtitlan and Inca Cuzco.Public plazas once defined by stone temples became newly formed by Catholic churches and religious edifices.

在危地馬拉的奇奇卡斯特南戈這座宜人的小城，中央的主廣場保留了體現(xiàn)其歷史的建筑與文化特征。廣場東西兩側(cè)分別是伊格萊西亞圣托馬斯大教堂與卡爾瓦里奧小教堂的白色抹灰立面，南北兩側(cè)則是市政建筑、市政廳兼地區(qū)博物館。坑洼的石頭臺階自教堂入口傾瀉而下，上面有每周祭祀時火燭留下的蠟和灰，以及玉米皮和燒剩的柴火所組成的痕跡。奇奇卡斯特南戈當?shù)氐氖袌稣宫F(xiàn)著人間煙火氛圍的肌理、煙氣和色彩，使這一公共空間成為特別令人難忘的城市舞臺。

In Chichicastenango, Guatemala, the central main plaza of this modest community retains both architectural and cultural characteristics of its historic past.The white plaster fa?ades of the Iglesia Santo Tomas and the Capilla del Calvario terminate the main plaza on the east and west, while municipal buildings, the town hall and regional museum flank the north and south.Rugged stone staircases cascade from the church entries, textured with a weekly patina of candle wax and ashes from sacrificial fires, littered as well with corn husks and unburned firewood.Chichicastenango’s indigenous market provides the textures, smoke, colour and ambience of humankind to make this public space a truly memorable urban stage.

在希臘，東正教會的宗教儀式極其復雜，進出教區(qū)教堂與家庭小教堂，經(jīng)過白色村莊的狹窄街道，再來到滿是基督教信徒家庭的小廣場。東正教復活節(jié)是一年之中最熱鬧的宗教圣日，持續(xù)一周的系列游行、典禮和宗教服務細數(shù)耶穌基督受難，被釘上十字架以及復活的事跡。這一周開始于棕枝主日，信徒們在這一天手持棕枝組成游行隊伍，行走于村莊的窄街，以此紀念耶穌受難前進入耶路撒冷城。此后持續(xù)一周，氛圍陰郁的節(jié)日事件將重敘耶穌與十二門徒在圣周四共進最后的晚餐，以及他在受難日被釘上十字架的事跡。

In Greece, the religious rituals of the Orthodox Church are highly complex, moving in and out of parish churches and family chapels,through the narrow streets of whitewashed villages and into diminutive plazas packed with the Catholic faithful and extended families.Orthodox Easter is the most popular of all religious holy days in the year, a special time that recounts the passion of Jesus Christ, his crucifixion and resurrection in a weeklong series of parades, ceremonies and religious services.The week begins with Palm Sunday, a day when worshipers parade through the narrow village streets with palms in hand, in memory of Christ’s entry into Jerusalem.The somber events that follow throughout the week recount Christ’s Last Supper with the apostles on Holy Thursday, and his crucifixion on Good Friday.

在受難日慶典上，大堆人群簇擁著一只巨大的、飾滿鮮花的棺材，這只棺材由教會牧首和持蠟燭的信徒護送。在圣周六的晚上，人群涌入各個小廣場，等待午夜燃放焰火，敲響鐘聲，載歌載舞的盛大慶典。復活節(jié)主日是家人團聚、共享傳統(tǒng)美食的日子。希臘人會在這一天享用烤羊肉、傳統(tǒng)紅蛋、希臘酒和茴香烈酒。復活節(jié)當天，無論住在何處，希臘人都要回到自己的出生地，與家人在街道、廣場、庭院里慶祝節(jié)日。那一刻，這些地點全部成為了圣地。

During the Good Friday celebration, large crowds parade a great casket adorned with thousands of flowers, escorted by patriarchs of the church and by candle-bearing faithful.On Holy Saturday evening, crowds pack diminutive plazas awaiting midnight and the great celebration of fireworks ringing bells, dancing and music.Easter Sunday is a time when families gather to feast on traditional foods—roasted goats and lambs,traditional red eggs, Greek wine and strong anise-flavored Ouzo.At Easter, regardless of where they are living, Greeks return to their place of birth to celebrate with their families in the streets and plazas and courtyards, all of which becomes sacred places.

20世紀90年代早期，來自紐約州立大學布法羅分校的美國學者邁克爾·布里爾組織了一場主題為“圣地”的建筑研討會。來自設計制作工作室的德溫 · 布朗總結(jié)了布里爾“場所創(chuàng)造神話”理論的精要。該理論認為，所有人類“共享著一個存在于我們腦海之中的原型，這使我們能感受到圣地……所有神圣空間的編碼與再生之謎直接與神對人性化空間的初創(chuàng)相關聯(lián)?！睙o論背景是人為設計的紀念性建筑還是自然存在的特別場景，這些地點總是被直觀感受到且并被公認為“圣地”，用以集聚并慶祝人類最為非凡的文化事件。

In the early 1990s, American scholar Michael Brill of the State University of New York at Buffalo led an architectural seminar entitled‘Sacred Place’.Devin Brown of the Design Make Studio summarised the essence of Brill’s theory of ‘place-creation myth’ stating that all humankind ‘shares in an archetype built into the structure of our mind which allows us to experience sacred places… The myth that all sacred spaces encode and relive directly ties to god’s first creation of the humanized space’.Whether backdropped by architectural monuments designed by man, or distinct locations identified in nature, these sites become intuitively and universally acknowledged as ‘sacred places’ to gather and to celebrate mankind’s most extraordinary cultural events.

印度中央邦的賈巴爾普爾城外，圣河訥爾默達河流經(jīng)狹窄的貝達加特峽谷舉世聞名的大理石巖。此后河流變窄，形成30 ft（約9.14 m）高的敦達爾瀑布。巨大的瀑布從很遠處便能聞見其聲，“煙潭”展現(xiàn)著一座壯麗的自然舞臺，也是一處圣地。在眾多于此舉行的宗教慶典活動中，隆冬時節(jié)的印度教節(jié)日——瑪克桑格拉提節(jié)總是吸引成千上萬的印度人前往。印度教信徒們在河水中沐浴，以慶祝太陽在冬至日從射手宮移入摩羯宮。圣地因人們服裝豐富的色彩和慶典的歡快氣氛而充滿活力，成為一處鼓舞人心的禮拜場所。

Outside the city of Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh in India, the holy river Narmada flows through the narrow gorge of Bhedaghat past the world-famous Marble Rocks.It then narrows and plunges in a 30-foot waterfall known as Dhuandhaar Falls.The mighty falls are audible from a far distance and the ‘smoke cascade waterfall’ provides a magnificent natural stage set, a sacred place.Among the many religious events celebrated at this holy site, the midwinter Hindu festival Makar Sankranti draws Indian worshipers by the thousands.Bathing in the river waters,the Hindu faithful celebrate the date that marks the transition of the sun from Sagittarius Capricorn during the winter solstice.Animated by the colours of clothing and the joys of celebration, this sacred place is an inspiring setting for worship.

圣地可以有多種形式。在中國山西省東北部山區(qū)，五臺山及其周圍的平頂山峰從公元1世紀的漢代起就被認為是圣地。從公元5世紀起，這里就是皇家朝圣之地，7世紀起更成為佛教名山。五臺山與印度、尼泊爾和西藏有很深的歷史淵源，如今是一個擁有53座寺院的佛教中心。它對中國文化最重要的建筑貢獻是兩座具有永久影響力的經(jīng)典建筑——南禪寺大殿（782年）和佛光寺東大殿（857年），它們是目前發(fā)現(xiàn)的遺存時間最久的唐代木構(gòu)建筑。

Sacred places take many forms.In the mountainous region of northeastern Shanxi Province, China, Mount Wutai and its surrounding flattopped peaks have been considered holy sites since the 1st century Han Dynasty.It has been the site of Imperial pilgrimage since the 5th century and the seat of Buddhism since the 7th century.With historic ties to the Buddhists of India, Nepal and Tibet, Wutaishan is today a centre for 53 monasteries.Its most significant architectural contributions to Chinese culture include two classic buildings that have forever influenced Chinese culture: the Main Hall of Nanchan Temple (782 AD) and the East Hall of Foguang Temple (857 AD), the longest surviving timber buildings of the Tang Dynasty.

五臺山早已成為供奉文殊菩薩的世界佛教中心。兩千年的神圣寺廟和寺院建筑群組成一系列影響了佛教世界的建筑。五臺山的許多最重要的寺院都集中在清水河上游的佛教圣地臺懷鎮(zhèn)，鎮(zhèn)上有明代所建的標志性建筑大白塔。盡管整座山都被精美的建筑所裝點，最終使五臺山成為一處令人難忘的神圣儀式性空間的，還是那些信徒們自發(fā)結(jié)上的五彩斑斕的經(jīng)幡。

Mount Wutai has long been established as the global centre for Buddhist Manjusri worship.Two millennia of sacred temple buildings and monastic compounds constitute a catalog of architecture that has influenced the Buddhist world.Many of Wutai’s most significant monasteries are clustered in the settlement Taihuai at the headwaters of the Qingshui, a sacred Buddhist site dominated by the Great White Pagoda constructed in the Ming Dynasty.Although exquisite architecture graces the entire mountain landscape, it is the serendipitous colour and spontenaity of pilgrim prayer flags that ultimately make Mount Wutai an unforgetable sacred ritual space.

伊斯蘭歷的第一個月，穆哈蘭姆月的第十天被稱為阿舒拉。對什葉派穆斯林的大多數(shù)教徒以及部分遜尼派穆斯林教徒而言，這是最為神圣的一天。在印度中央邦，穆哈蘭姆月是一項節(jié)日慶典。達爾市的慶典與世界上許多其他地方一樣，要制作巨型彩船，這里的彩船幾乎都是建筑的形象。慶典由城市贊助者理查德 · 霍爾卡王子主辦，最后結(jié)束于訥爾默達圣河兩岸。在這里，4 000人聚集于王子宮邸阿希利亞堡的臺階上，大概三四十排的人在岸邊排出700 yd（約640 m）長的隊伍。五彩繽紛的人群挨著宮邸高大的磚墻而立，磚墻成為了舞臺的背景板，而舞臺則是訥爾默達河的圣水。

Ashura is the 10th day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar.For the majority of Shia Muslims, as well as some Sunni Muslims, this is a most sacred day.In the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, the celebration of Muharram is a festive event.In the city of Dhar, as in many parts of the world, the festival involves the building of enormous floats, nearly all of architectural character.In Dhar, the celebration,hosted by the town’s patron Prince Richard Holkar, concludes on the banks of the sacred river Narmada, where 4 000 people gather along the steps of the Prince’s palace, Fort Ahilya.A crowd 30 to 40 people deep, align along 700 yards of shoreline.The colorful crowd stands against the monumental masonry wall of the fort that serves as a backdrop for the stage, the sacred waters of the Narmada.

下午，經(jīng)過仔細制作的巨大彩船在達爾市街道上游行，而當暮色降臨，這些彩船就要放入河的淺水處。彩船由輕巧的木骨架、紙和箔制成，雖然體量巨大，但并不沉重。由于伊斯蘭世界禁用人與動物的形象，彩船幾乎全部都以建筑為主題——神廟、清真寺、大廈，大都有著拱形開口的掐絲邊窗戶。大約50座彩船的穹頂在其后人群的色彩與質(zhì)地的映襯下格外顯眼。20名船夫小心地將彩船駛?cè)胧ズ拥臏\水以保持其微妙的平衡，一路向先知口呼贊詞。然后他們慢慢將那些建筑模型傾斜，使其離船沉入圣水。

As the sun sets, the grand floats which had been so carefully and caringly created and paraded through the streets of Dhar in the afternoon,are lowered into the shallows of the river.Built of light wood frames, paper and foil, the floats are grand, but not heavy.Since the Islamic world forbids the imagery of humans or animals, the subjects of the floats are nearly all architectural—temples, mosques, grand edifices, most with filigree windows in arch openings.The domes of the 50 or so floats read clearly against the colour and textures of the people behind them.20 boatmen accompany each tenuously balanced float into the shallow depths of the waters of the sacred river shouting praise to the prophets all the way.They then tip the structure slowly out of the boat to sink into the holy waters.