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Rajasthani migrant workers participate in singing religious devotional songs, or “bhajans,” as they celebrate Naya Chand, “New Moon,” in their shared Mumbai flat. Megale, center right, plays the dhol drum. These men say that when there are more voices and therefore louder singing, it increases the devotional effect. Back in their village in rural Rajasthan the number of people who gather to sing bhajans can easily reach over 1000. Backpacks and clothing belonging to the 15 or so men that share this single-room apartment hang on the walls. Any one man’s belongings in the city can fit into one of these backpacks. And although they are often separated for work during the days, they are allowed to take a holiday by their employers for Naya Chand. Religious ceremonies like this are important for these men who want to remain attached to their roots and to come together as a community, far from their homes.

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20180713_meb_Rajasthani-1.jpg
Copyright
© Matthew Busch
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4000x3000 / 3.2MB
Contained in galleries
Buy Prints, Singles I, The Urban Fringe: Migrant Communities in Urban India
Rajasthani migrant workers participate in singing religious devotional songs, or “bhajans,” as they celebrate Naya Chand, “New Moon,” in their shared Mumbai flat. Megale, center right, plays the dhol drum. These men say that when there are more voices and therefore louder singing, it increases the devotional effect. Back in their village in rural Rajasthan the number of people who gather to sing bhajans can easily reach over 1000. Backpacks and clothing belonging to the 15 or so men that share this single-room apartment hang on the walls. Any one man’s belongings in the city can fit into one of these backpacks. And although they are often separated for work during the days, they are allowed to take a holiday by their employers for Naya Chand. Religious ceremonies like this are important for these men who want to remain attached to their roots and to come together as a community, far from their homes.