When he met an aged Konyak man for the first time, photographer Sajid Aboobaker felt he was meeting an alien. And yet, it was the anticipation of meeting the Konyaks that had helped him endure the gruelling journey through the Naga heartland earlier this year.
‘Konyaks’, an exhibition of photographs by Mr. Aboobaker that begins at the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi Art Gallery in Kozhikode on Saturday, is the result of the lensman’s month-long adventure.
Violent past
Known as head hunters in the past, the Konyaks engaged in battles, severed the heads of their enemies and proudly displayed them outside their houses until recently. They considered taking a head to be a great honour and symbolised their courage with tattoos on different parts of their bodies. But now, the tribespeople, in colourful beaded jewellery, exotic accessories and intricately woven shawls, are a peaceful lot, having embraced Christianity just a few decades ago. All the heads collected during past battles have been kept safely so they can be part of a museum in the future.
Through his brief stay with the Konyaks, who started entertaining visitors only recently, Mr. Aboobaker recorded their day-to-day lifestyle, food culture and the peculiar way they have customised Christianity. Christian priests in the community have tattoos all over their bodies, symbolising the person’s violent past.
The Konyak villages are spread across the border to Myanmar too. “What surprised me the most is that the house of the Konyak chief is located half in India and half in Myanmar. It’s a huge house with a big kitchen, a passage with rooms on both sides and a big hall with photos, hunting trophies and antiques,” said Mr. Aboobaker. He said opium was readily available for the tribe who “use it like tea”. “They make their own guns that are not licensed,” he added.
The death of a deputy tribal chief on the night of Good Friday gave an opportunity for the photographer to capture some unique rituals. “Not many get to chronicle the funeral rituals of the tribe that has not yet mentally left behind their head-hunting days. The deputy chief was laid to rest with Christian rituals after his glorious life as a head hunter was remembered,” he said.
The photography exhibition will conclude on November 9.