Karim Sahai Images: Guy Fawkes Illuminates Capital

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Wellington, New Zealand, 5 November 2008. To the chilean visitors who asked me what they were about, the fireworks exploding above Wellington's Oriental Bay were seen, at first, as sky champaign for Obama's victory in the US elections. And so, the brief bit of history was in order.

The yearly fireworks display' marking 'Guy Fawkes Day' is linked to the foiled 'Gunpowder Plot' of 1605; a conspiracy whose ultimate goal was the destruction of the 'House of Lords' (Parliament House) in Westminster and the killing of the reigning monarch James I of England. Guy Fawkes, a soldier and explosives expert, was one of the central characters in this conspiracy. Fawkes and his 12 co-conspirators' justification lied in the fact that James I was perceived as intolerent towards catholics. Fawkes was found in the cellar of the House of Lords, next to 36 barrels of gunpowder, arrested, tortured and ultimately killed. In a more recent rendition, loosely based on this event, the mask-wearing character in the movie "V for Vendetta" is in fact Guy Fawkes.

To mark the safety of the King, or maybe to celebrate Fawkes' attempt to bring down the government, fireworks and bonfires light up the skies in many parts of England. New Zealand has followed suit with the capital attracting well in excess of 100,000 spectators.

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Karim Sahai is a travel photographer based in Wellington. Some of Karim's recent images of India can be seen at Karim Sahai is a travel photographer based in Wellington. Some of Karim's recent images of India can be seen at http://www.karimsahai.com

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