Why are these people perched so close to the mouth of a volcano? They’re there for an annual festival in Indonesia, a country in Southeast Asia. Every year, hundreds of Tengger Hindu worshippers climb to the top of Mount Bromo and toss in offerings to please their gods. These items include food, livestock, and money.
But the villagers in this picture aren’t members of the Tengger tribe—and they aren’t there to make offerings. They’ve gathered with nets, hoping to snag other people’s offerings. It’s dangerous, but many local people feel they have little choice. About 26 million Indonesians live below the poverty line. The country ranks sixth in the world for wealth inequality. That means a huge gap exists in income and opportunity between different social groups.
Because of that, this religious festival holds a special significance even for nonworshippers.