For hundreds of years the villagers of south India have dedicated huge clay horses to their village protector, the god Ayanar. The horses are made in early summer by the village .potter, who is also the priest of Ayanar; brightly painted and garlanded, they are carried in festive ritual to the open-air temple where they join hundreds of others placed there through the centuries. The making and dedication of the horses is now a rare event and this is the first time that it has been recorded on film.
Writer and narrator John Keay
Photography DEREK BANKS
Film recordist GEORGE CASSEDY Film editor NORMAN CARR Producer DESMOND LAPSLEY
Several of these horses have been specially made for the ' Aditi ' exhibition, part of the Festival of India. They may be seen at The Barbican Centre. London, from 6 July to 22 August.