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Man in a Red Turban
India is a feast of colours and impressions. Everywhere you go, people in brightly dyed fabrics sit in contrast against roughly painted or wash-tinted walls – as if they are just waiting for random street-photographers to appreciate them.
I just love the photogenic faces of India!
So much of Indian life happens in the streets and public spaces. As a foreigner, wandering around – either alone, or in the company of a guide or group – I have always found that my cameras and I are welcomed into that street life. I meet the eyes of strangers, and they acknowledge me and my desire to make their picture; sometimes they want to see the result on the digital display on the back of the camera, but most of the time, we just exchange a laugh and a thumbs-up, or a namaste of thanks. Some people indicate they are reluctant or unwilling to be photographed – a sentiment I completely understand, and naturally, respect – but in India, that doesn’t happen that often.
It has been ages since I’ve spent time in India. My last small-group visit, with photographer Karl Grobl from Jim Cline Photo Tours, and local guide DV Singh Jagat, included the annual autumn Camel Fair in the Northern Indian town of Pushkar (see: Faces at the Camel Fair, and Among the Camels and Horses). Pushkar Lake has attracted pilgrims at least as far back as the 2nd Century BC. Today, the lake is registered as sacred, and is ringed by Hindu temples, Sikh gurdwaras, and 52 bathing ghats.
The start of the Camel Fair and the Hindu observance of Prabodhini Ekadashi are determined by the Hindu calendar, taking place on the 11th lunar day of Kartik – which usually coincided with November on the Gregorian calendar. The town and the adjacent fair grounds are filled with crowds of religious pilgrims, animal-traders, entertainers, touts, merchants, and international tourists (see: Street Scenes in Pushkar).
Most of the international tourists are like me: travelling alone or in small groups with big cameras, and are there for the life and the colour.
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Seated Sadu
The life of a Hindu aesthetic is relatively simple: what you see here is probably everything this man owns: blankets to sit on and wrap in, a kumbh – or pot – for collecting sacred waters, a copy of the Rama Gita or some other holy text, and a small bag for other assorted toiletries, etc.
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People on the Ghats
Today is Prabodhini Ekadashi – “awakening eleventh” – the day that Vishnu woke up from his four-month sleep over Chaturmas. Ritual observances include chanting, fasting, and bathing in Lake Pushkar.
Woman in the Crowd
The streets are busy with pilgrims heading to the ghats and temples.
Salesman in a Kumbh Shop
During the Pushkar Fair period, a ritual bath in the lake is said to lead to salvation. Hindu faithful also carry water home with them: often buying special containers, or kumbh, for the purpose.
Prayer Beads and a Blazer
I can’t help but wonder how far some of the pilgrims have walked carrying their kumbhs.
Sadhus on the Road
The different styles of sadhu are fascinating to watch as they make their way into town.
Sadhu Portrait
Cooking Street Food
The streets are lined with fresh food …
Sequinned Textiles
… and colourful goods.
Colourful Dupatta
Women in red headscarves check out the jewellery on offer in stalls alongside the road.
Pilgrim Women
Friends find places to sit and rest on their walk into town.
Older Woman in Blue
Woman with a Young Boy
Woman in Pink and Red
Selling Vegetables
Roadside vendors clump into groups, where the conversation is as important the sale.
Mannequins
The shop-front mannequins seem strangely out of place.
Street Colours
The streets are full of colour as pilgrims make their way …
Child in the Crowd
… through the crowded streets …
Outside Gau Ghat
… and into Pushkar’s most important bathing ghat.
Woman with a Head Load
Even though the pilgrims keep coming, …
A Moment’s Respite
… there are moments of quiet reflection, …
Heat and Smiles
… and there is always time for a smile.
Face amid the Saris
Between the ghats and the fairgrounds, the crowds continue.
Old Sadhu
Women at Tea Shop
I love masala chai! An open-air teashop just outside the fairgrounds provides me with a good opportunity to stop, …
Woman in a Pink Sari
… chat with the women, …
Woman in a Marigold Sari
… and raise a cup of chai.
Hot, sweet, rich, masala chai –
As hot as the streets, as rich as the colours, and as sweet as the welcoming smiles.
That’s India!
Namaste
Pictures: 13November2013
Yet again Ursula, it is wonderful to see your smiling face in my Inbox, reliving our great time together once more. Do hope you are well and thank you for the little walk here down memory lane. You are so amazing too. . . . the stories and the depth of your knowledge. Absolutely Amazing. Miss you Girlfriend. . . .
Always a delight to have your visit, Jan! Maybe we can catch up Stateside next year … I’ll email you. x
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