The Gostra festival is an annual event in Malta where men run up a greased pole to snatch flags.
The festival is held to mark the feast day of St Julian, patron saint of the town of St Julian in Malta.
In the tournament, known as Gostra to the Maltese, a 16 metre pole is covered by 15 litres of lard and fixed at an angle from the promenade into the sea.
Participants run up the pole from as far as possible before the lard and gravity take their toll.
Competitors try to grab three flags at its end -- a blue and white one dedicated to St Mary, a yellow and white one for the Vatican, and the Belgian tricolour, since St Julian is believed to have been born in the Belgian town of Ath in 7AD.
As they lose momentum and traction, they either dive into the sea or bravely stretch as far as they can go for the flags.
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com
Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com
