Travel Buzz: Spain’s Human Towers

One look at that picture and you might think of it as the human pyramid during Janashtami celebrations in India but look closely. It is not India and it is definitely not a handi-breaking ceremony. It is an image of one of Spain’s human towers!

Celebrated on the first weekend of October every two years in the Catalonia region of Spain, the Human Tower Competition, also known as Concurs de Castells,  is a popular contest and tourist attraction. The competition involves building the tallest and the most complicated human tower of all and then disassemble it without falling. The teams are known as Colles and the members of a team, which can be as much as 400 in number, are known as Castells and can be identified by the unique colour of their Tee-shirts.  42 teams participated this year.

The towers usually consist of the sturdier and stronger members at the base to provide a stability to the tower while the leaner ones and children occupy the top rows. The contest is judged on the basis of the three chances given to each team to build a tower.

This interesting competition dates back to the 18th century when this tradition began in Terragona city and then spread to others parts of the country. It is a popular feature and in 2010 was even declared by UNESCO as one of the ”Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity”.

So the next time you are planning to travel to Spain in the month of October, you know what not to miss out on. Better still, remember to plan your visit to Spain in the month of October and witness Spain’s human towers!

Check out more information on tourism in Spain at the official tourism portal- http://www.spain.info/en_IN/