Blacksmith Holding His Tools Near A Flame In Pondicherry, India, 2008 (photo)

The blacksmith belong to one of the lowest casts in India, like the guys who do the washing and the people who clean the roads or the toilets, the practice of “untouchability” was abolished in 1950, however castes still remain in India, this system was born 2 000 years ago and is tied with the religion of Hinduism, so it is not going down easy; India has one of the world’s largest democracies, but the Dalits (untouchables) do not generally feel that they are really enjoying it; there are four large castes categories in India, the Brahmins (priests and teachers), the Ksyatriyas (rulers and soldiers), the Vaisyas (merchants and traders), the Shudras (labourers and artisans); the fifth category is considered outcasts, untouchables or Dalits, they were traditionally not allowed to wear moustaches; in South India, eight out of ten males wear moustaches; the trend is attributed to films, It says that famous north Indian actors never sported a moustache, their South Indian counterparts like having always done otherwise; in Hindi films, it was usually the bad guys who had a moustache, while in South Indian movies everyone had one, on the other hand, even TV serial actors in South India wear the moustache