19-MAR-2008
Pilgrims on the Delhi-Jaipur Road, India, 2008
India’s flag bearing religious devotees walk long distances to pursue their Hindu faith.
These men will walk all the way to Jaipur. I made this image from the cab of a tour bus, also headed to Jaipur. I built the image around the dual curves of the guard railing and the outer white line of the road. Along with the curving line of red reflectors, which pick up and repeat the red flags, and the big black arrows on their yellow signs, those energetic curves seem to propel these pilgrims towards their goal.
29-MAR-2008
Three in one, Varanasi, India, 2008
Three women share a rickshaw -- they carry balloons from a Hindu celebration. I liked the way the light illuminated them. It is almost as if they are glowing with spiritual satisfaction. They are young women, and as I made this image, they passed directly blow an advertising sign heralding a “new generation.” I took this coincidence to symbolize the continuity of faith, something that is passed from generation to generation.
29-MAR-2008
Spiritual promotion, Varanasi, India, 2008
I made this image from the back of a moving rickshaw, instinctively responding to a splash of vibrant yellow amid the faded browns and grays of an ancient city. Later, as I studied the image, I noticed that I had included a man in a scarf standing diagonally below the sign. His head tilts to the right, almost as if he is pondering a message emanating from the sign that soars above him. I don’t read Hindi, but I assume the man in the poster is a spiritual person, given the beard, hairstyle, and none too subtle pink halo around his head. Red and yellow are primary colors and in this case they dominate the jumbled Varanasi street scene. The image tells us that there are many ways to sell spirituality. Some succeed. Others do not. Will the man at lower right get the message the poster is sending his way? I leave such questions and answers to my viewers.
29-MAR-2008
Religious posters, Varanasi, India, 2008
There are thousands of deities in the Hindu pantheon and each of them generates dozens of tales. Some of those Gods and stories are depicted on posters sold on the streets of Varanasi. I used a wideangle lens to stress the quantity and diversity of subject matter here. The vendor quietly waits in semi-darkness, a subordinate figure to the colorful street display of Hindu iconography.
30-MAR-2008
Cremation ghat, Varanasi, India, 2008
Sanctified by a belief in the god Shiva's presence and the sacred Ganges, the 90 or so ghats (stairways) along the river define the life and identity of Varanasi. The ghats are lined with temples and shrines that repeat the endless cycle of Hindu religious practice. It is said that Shiva whispers into the ears of the dying. Because of this, many Hindus come to Varanasi to breathe their last. Here, at Manikarnika Cremation Ghat, funeral pyres burn by day and night, their flames reflecting on the Ganges. The ashes of the dead are later cast into the river. Out of respect for the dead, cremation photography is forbidden. However I was allowed to make this photo from a boat -- using a telephoto lens from a specified distance. I used burst shooting, ISO 400, and image stabilization to be able to make this shot at 1/25th of second, spot metering on the fires. The ghat itself is dimly seen – my emphasis is on the distant fires and their reflections in the river. It is the shimmering reflections of the pyres that give this image its spiritual dimension.
30-MAR-2008
Sacred light ceremony, Varanasi, India, 2008
As darkness falls on the Ganges, India's most sacred river, Hindu priests, known as pundits, perform the aarti ceremony on its banks. Torches are waved before the deities in a spirit of humility and gratitude -- a Hindu form of communal prayer. I made this image with a telephoto lens, shooting at night from a boat in the Ganges. The coil of smoke that snakes into the overhead darkness has a spiritual quality to it – it begins with man and ends as vapor in the overhead darkness. Other tourists were firing flashes at the scene, but I used whatever light was at the scene to tell the story in a natural way. A dimly seen audience watches in silence as the chanting of the priest echoes over Varanasi’s sacred Dasashvamedha Ghat. Incongruously contrasting to this holy moment are such secular details as a sign for a coffee house featuring “Chinise” food, and a brilliantly illuminated window displaying clothing for sale. Such is the nature of India. Faith and commerce exist side by side.
30-MAR-2008
Purified, Varanasi, India, 2008
A morning bath in the Ganges is a purification ritual for Hindus. This image offers us a brief glimpse into the spontaneous pleasure of faith itself. Purification makes this soap covered man feel good, and we share his happiness. I made this incongruous image from a boat in the Ganges, using a long 420mm telephoto focal length. He never noticed me – he smiles because he is happy with himself and with his faith.
30-MAR-2008
Dasashvamedha Ghat, Varanasi, India, 2008
This ghat, a series of steps leading to the Ganges, is Varanasi's holiest spot. Bathers throng the steps in the morning, priests perform ritual prayers here for pilgrims, and the aarti prayer ceremony is held here every evening. It is also a docking place for the small boats that carry visitors down the Ganges. The mural like image, made from a boat, is a festival of color and detail, encouraging study and thought. It offers a cross section of religious and secular life. Although there are well over 100 people in this picture, my own eye keeps coming back to the woman who stands alone in the center of the frame. She holds her sari over her head and seems to be at prayer.
30-MAR-2008
Saadhu, Varanasi, India, 2008
This colorful Saadhu, a Hindu holy man, meditates on a Varanasi street corner. I found it interesting that he has chosen this spot -- directly above a sign advertising the Baba Silk Factory. "Baba" is what Indians call such men as this. He sits behind a pot, encouraging us to wonder if he is sits here in prayer, in search of donations, or both? The canopied design of the building seems as if it was made for him.
30-MAR-2008
Morning prayers on the Ganges, Varanasi, India, 2008
Devout Hindus wash and pray on the ghats of Varanasi every morning. The Ganges is life, purity, and a goddess to the Hindus of India. It is said that anyone who touches these purifying waters is cleansed of all sins. This image blends devotion with chaos. It speaks to the intensity of faith itself. The praying woman does not see the whirl of activity around her. Although there are eight people in this picture, I abstract six of them to focus attention on the contrast between the activities of the two women who can be seen in their entirety. The colors of the costumes and the image itself are timeless – the early morning light gives the scene the palette of an oil painting.
02-APR-2008
Catholic church, Kerala, India, 2008
The Christian population of Kerala, a southwestern Indian state on the Arabian Sea, originated with the visit of St. Thomas in 52 AD. Two thirds of the Christians in Kerala today are Roman Catholics, a contribution of the Portuguese who ruled here in the 1500s. A third are known as Syrian Christians because of the Syrian Liturgy, which they continue to use in their services. In this incongruous image, we see the upper portion of the church steeple rising through the electrical wires, the palms, and their coconuts. A statue of Christ waves its arms, as a light fixture forms a cross behind it. The primitive charm of this scene conveys a sense of warmth, and Kerala’s Christians seem to embrace their faith accordingly.
02-APR-2008
Pundit, Moncombu, India, 2008
Hindu priests are known as pundits. This one is preparing an offering amid streams of incense in a small Southern India village. The pundit is partially visible, appearing as a final layer behind a golden flagstaff and ornate fencing. By only partially showing him, I express a priest’s low-key role in Hindu worship. He seems to function as an expediter, helping more than leading or inspiring.