Ocean Indien
Yemen - Sana’a, classée au patrimoine mondial, photographiée par Bruno Morandi
The Sambatra : the collective circumcision rite of the Antambahaoka.
Every seven years, the year of the Friday, the Antambahoaka who make up one of the eighteen ethnic groups on the island of Madagascar have been celebrating for centuries the biggest event that defines them: the Sambatra. This major moment in their lives is not just the ritual of the collective circumcision of the boys born in the seven years preceding it. It is also an initiation and integration rite practiced by the Antambahoaka boy that will permit him to make the passage from an asexual state to the statute of male. From this moment on, he will be integrated into the paternal clan and initiated into the life of the true Antambahoaka man. He, himself, will thus become a Zafiraminia, a son of Raminia, the founding ancestor of this ethnic group. But for this to happen, he has to symbolically relive the history of his ancestors, which was the exodus that brought them to Madagascar. During one month, the Sambatra lets the Antambahoaka remember their origins and so honour Raminia.
Photos and text ©Jacques Bock/LightMediation
Contact - Thierry Tinacci Lightmediation Photo Agency +33 (0)6 61 80 57 21 thierry[AT]lightmediation.com
The white shepherds of the red island
On the Highlands of Madagascar in the region of Betsileo is a curious village where time stands still, and practically everybody is dressed in white! The inhabitants are the fervent adepts of a very specific branch of Christianity on Madagascar: Fifohazana or the Church of Revival, whose influence on the Red Island continues to grow. The village of Soatanana is the historic heart and radical centre of a movement that advocates a strict reading of the Bible.
Photos and text: © Patrick Delance / Lightmediation
Contact - Thierry Tinacci Agence Lightmediation +33 (0)6 61 80 57 21
thierry [at] lightmediation.com
Socotra : the “Galapagos of the Indian Ocean”.
In english:
Nested in the Arabian sea, Socotra is the forgotten diamond of Yemen. The island known as Dioscodira by the Romans and Greeks is a paradise for ecotourism and plant lovers. Must be discovered fast !
En français:
Appartenant au Yemen, Socotra est classée au patrimoine mondial par l’Unesco. Elle abrite une biodiversité incroyable et des paysages uniques au monde. Plus de trois cents espèces de plantes extraordinaires n’existent que sur cette île. Les botanistes anglais du Garden Botanical garden découvrent de nouvelles espèces chaque année.
Photos and text ©Jean Robert/Lightmediation
Dhoni Mighili : ready to play Robinson Crusoe.
A private sailing boat, with full crew, skimming across translucent lagoons, plus a house in a lush, leafy setting, ready for you to play Robinson Crusoe. The Dhoni Mighili means luxury combined with relaxation, privacy and an experience perhaps beyond your wildest dreams.
