India鈥檚 daredevils defy gravity in the Well of Death
| Aligarh, India
When he was a teenager, Muhammad Faheem visited a festival in Delhi and watched gravity-defying performers drive up and around the steep walls of a cylindrical arena. In Hindi, the carnival attraction is known as Maut ka Kuan, or Well of Death, because performers risk falling off at any moment.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 scared; I was drawn to it,鈥� Mr. Faheem says. 鈥淚t felt like the roaring engines and the cheering crowd were saying, 鈥榊ou belong here.鈥欌��
Today, Mr. Faheem is one of those stunt performers in northern India, riding his motorcycle inside a 30-to-50-foot-diameter wooden cylinder formed like a barrel. The breathtaking shows 鈥� which were once very popular in the region but now pull in smaller crowds 鈥� bring a modern twist to classic tent circuses, with cars and motorcycles replacing animals and tightrope walkers.
Despite the modest wages and dangerous operational hurdles, Mr. Faheem remains passionate about thrilling the heart of every audience member.
鈥淓very challenge we face, financial or logistical, is just another part of the act,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 what makes the final applause so worth it.鈥澛�
