Dicle county in the southeastern province of Diyarbakir hosted a spring festival on Thursday (May 24). Almost 20,000 people were present, picnicking, praying and whipping each other. The whipping game is known as ‘Karmuci’. It is a traditional ceremony of Islamic mysticism, along with the practice of repeating the 99 names of God in complete silence. The festival in Kocaalan Village began with the ‘zikr’ ceremony directed by the chief of the ceremony. The men grind their bodies as they listen to the rhythm of tambourines. The festival is organised each year on the last days of spring and the people start to gather early in the morning and stay till sunset. The most interesting activity, perhaps, is a whipping game, played in a circle. Men meet one by one at the center of the circle and whip each other and then leave their place to the other players in the name of "friendship". "The whip game has been existing for almost 820 years, it is a tradition. This tradition has come down to us and it will last," according to Ibrahim Aydin. Aydin claims that there is no way the men can hurt each other in the game. "They tie some fabrics in order to whip but the important thing is that they care not to hurt each other. This is a game, it is fun, it is a game of friendship and peace," said Aydin. The game is a tradition in other villages in the region as well. During the festival women place small stones on a wall to represent their wishes for the year, they then squeeze through a circle stone in order to be purified of their sins. Some of them passed easily and some of them, because of their weight, remained stuck and needed help to pass. The festival ended at sunset and the villagers left the picnic areas to meet again next year for similar celebrations. Bureau Report