But there are noticeably far fewer tears on display here than in other parts of Iran, and clerics are almost entirely absent for the muddy sections. “This is a celebration for the people, it has nothing to do with the authorities,” says one man on the sidelines. The event has proved increasingly irresistable for photographers and journalists, who swarm around the mud-caked men. Among the snappers is world-renowned director Jafar Panahi, who was banned from making films after the anti-government protests in 2009-10. “There are more photographers here than worshippers,” he jokes, only slightly exaggerating.
