.jpg) Waterways and Bridges
Amsterdam lives up to its reputation as a city of canals and bicycles. The city sits about two metres below sea level, and is criss-crossed by waterways and bridges. The Netherlands is known for its flat landscape punctuated by canals and dikes.
If fact, I was taught at school that dyke was a Dutch word. While it is true that dijk (pronounced ‘dyke’) is a common word in Dutch, it comes from the same Old German word that gave English ‘ditch’.
Sadly, the little Dutch boy who put his finger in a hole in a dyke to keep his town from flooding is virtually unknown in the Netherlands: this story was popularised by American author Mary Mapes Dodge and probably based on a French children’s tale, Le Petit Éclusier, first seen in the mid-1800s.
So, a few myths shattered!
And, contrary to our expectations, even though it was spring and we had seen plenty of tulips and windmills in Belgium the day before (see: Flanders Fields and Beaches), we saw none on our day’s stop in Holland.
We were on our last days on a small ocean cruiser, having come from the Mediterranean, up the Atlantic, through the English Channel and into the North Sea. Amsterdam was the penultimate stop before we departed the ship in Bergen, Norway, and we were determined to make the most of it.
Amsterdam has more than 100 km (60 mi) of canals – more than Venice – so exploring the downtown in a glass-topped canal boat is the perfect way to get a leisurely view of some of the city’s beautiful, narrow-fronted gable houses. In the Middle Ages, the city was surrounded by a moat called the Singel; this now forms the innermost horseshoe-shaped ring around the city. The Singelgracht, together with the Keizersgracht, Herengracht, and Prinsengracht, comprise the UNESCO-listed Amsterdam Canal District: designed at the end of the 16th century, built in the 17th century, and later lauded as a masterpiece of hydraulic engineering, town planning, and a rational programme of construction and bourgeois architecture.
Unfortunately, our canal boat broke down half way through our morning, leaving us stranded before we got to see some of the sights: like the Sloten Windmill made famous by Rembrandt. The timing of our rescue transport meant we missed the afternoon tour we had planned.
But, we did ride some of the canals and walked some of the tree-lined streets. Do come along!
.jpg) The National Maritime Museum
It is only fitting, in a city surrounded by water and in a country built on its ships, that the first building we pass as we bus into the city is the National Maritime Museum. Originally built in 1656, and reconstructed and modernised in 2011, the building sits on an artificial island constructed over 1800 wooden piles driven into Amsterdam Harbour. One of the many exhibits in the collection is the replica of the three masted Dutch East India Company vessel Amsterdam, which sank in 1749. (iPhone6) .jpg) Viking Cruise Guide
Our guide escorts us from the bus to our canal boat …  Rijksmuseum
… and we chug through the 17th century UNESCO-listed canal system and past old buildings, like the 19th-century Dutch national museum dedicated to arts and history. Layers – Canal Boat on a Canal
It was a glorious spring day and the sun shimmered through the fresh green leaves and bounced off the water. Although Amsterdam is fabled for its rainy weather, we were spared! Amsterdam from the Canals
Classic Dutch pancakes, or pankoeken, are a popular treat. Our Skipper
It must run in families: our skipper’s father also worked on the canal boats. Water, Water …
The waters go on forever. Four of these canals form the UNESCO World Heritage listing for the Grachtengordel (Canal Ring) of Amsterdam, but unless I have unique buildings as reference points, I can’t remember which one we were on at any given time. Circle Line and Bridges
This may be the land of Rembrandt, but these waterways make me think of the much later Impressionists. Westerkerk on the Prinsengracht
The Renaissance-style Western Church was built between 1620 and 1631. The Westertoren
At 87 meters (285 feet), the western tower is the highest church tower in Amsterdam. The crown at the top of the spire is modelled on the Imperial Crown of Austria of Maximilian I. Dappled Light Dutch Delft
Our boat stopped to let us explore some of the local shops. Blond Boatman
Meanwhile, other boats and their skippers chug past us; there are countless tours running on canals. Anne Frank House
The 17th-century canal house that reputedly hid Anne Frank during World War II was opened as a museum on 3 May 1960. On the Bridges
Cars are discouraged in the inner city; pedestrians and bicycles abound. With a Boat and a Map
Many tourists explore the city on their own. Houseboat
The canals are lined with houseboats – many are residences or rentals. Amsterdam Centraal Railway
Opened in 1889, the rambling Gothic -Renaissance Revival railway station was designed by Pierre Cuypers – the same architect responsible for the Rijksmuseum we saw earlier. I particularly liked the wind-indicator clock on the central tower. Amsterdam Visitor Centre
The rather beautiful wooden information centre is a short walk from the railway station. Sea Palace
On the way back to our ship, we pass a complete contrast in architecture: Europe’s first floating restaurant – the three-story floating pagoda-style Asian restaurant on Lake IJ. Bicycles
After lunch on our ship, we walked back into the old city. Bicycle Parking
Bicycles are everywhere! The towers of the 19th century Basilica of Saint Nicholas and the 15th century Schreierstoren sit in the background. Recycled-Plastic Boat
Europe has always done better with waste than many other parts of the developed world: these boat on the Oostertoegang are a good example. The Schreierstoren
Known as the Weeping Tower, this 15th tower was part of the medieval city wall around Amsterdam. It was from here that Henry Hudson set sail in 1609, eventually ‘discovering’ New Amsterdam (New York) on the Hudson River. Red Door at the Schreierstoren
In various places around the old city, I looked at metal plaques thinking they would afford me information; they were commercial sign boards! Kloveniersburgwal
The canals look different from the ground than they do from the water. EYE Film Institute Netherlands (2012)
While Amsterdam is generally associated with medieval and Dutch Golden Age architecture, as our ship pulls out of the cruise terminal we catch glimpses of the city’s more modern conceptions. Although we didn’t see as much as we would have liked, we got a brief taste of the city.
 And – luckily for us – Amsterdam didn’t live up to another attribute in its reputation: it didn’t rain!
All in all, a pleasant visit.
Photos: 25April2018
Posted in Architecture,The Netherlands,TravelTags: architecture,blog,environmental portraits,landscape,Photo Blog,travel,Travel Blog,UNESCO,Ursula Wall
Kara Youngster
A young girl from Dus Village, in the remote reaches of Ethiopia’s Omo Valley, meets the camera with bold confidence. The Kara/Karo people, a small tribe of Omotic people, living on the east bank of the Lower Omo River in Ethiopia, are perhaps best known for their love of beads and face paint.
With fewer than two thousand members, the Kara are one of the smallest tribes in the region. They are related to the Hamar (see: The Hamar), and share some linguistic features and cultural practices with the Hamar-Banna-Bashada tribal cluster. The Kara fish, raise goats, and farm sorghum, trading with the Hamar and the Dassanech (see: A Daasanach Village) for other necessities.
This relationship with the Hamar is a double-edge sword, bringing the Kara into ongoing conflict with the much bigger and more aggressive Nyangatom tribe who live on the other side of the Omo River – on lands the Kara say were once theirs. As I have written before (see: The Kara of Dus Village), inter-tribal conflicts have continued for generations. Men need to show their ability to protect the village and herds, and must own an AK47 before they are allowed to marry (see: Men and Goats and Dust).
I was travelling with photographer Ben McRae on a Piper Mackay tour, and the Kara residents of Dus Village were more than welcoming to us. This area is remote, even by Ethiopian standards, with no wired electricity or running water, and certainly no “tourist accommodation”. Thanks to Grand Holidays Ethiopia, we were comfortably lodged in a mobile campsite, complete with portable toilets and showers, deep in the heart of Kara territory.
This meant we had proximity to the largest of the three Kara villages. We visited it several times (eg: Visits to a Kara Village) and spent some meaningful time with these beautiful people in their own environment.
Do join me:
Morning in Dus Village
It is early morning on the plateau at the edges of Dus Village. People wrapped in blankets are gathered around as the village chiefs deal with miscreants involved in a minor conflict the day before. Men in the Morning
The men sit on their small stools carved from acacia wood as they await the decision of the arbitrators. Kids in the Village
The many young children in the village are both shy and curious. Friends in the Beads
It’s very early, and the sun is just sneaking past the conical huts. Old Woman in Tartan Cloth Mother and Child
Kara women often crop their hair close at the sides, tie it into knots at the top, and like the Hamar, dress it with ochre. Mother and Children
Beads and babies are everywhere. Elegant Young Woman
Most people are wrapped in cloths against the morning chill. Old Woman
There is a regal bearing to these people as they go about their early morning routines. Kara Man in Profile
They are a good looking people, … Kara Man in Blue
… and meet the camera’s gaze unselfconsciously. Striped Sheets and Shadows Young Boy at a Grain Store Boy in Ochre
Kara body art encompasses a range of styles, from smeared clay to elaborate paint. I had to admire the strong wicker weaving pattern that went into the elevated grain storage containers. Morning on the Omo River
It is a beautiful spot on the river – but it is not an easy life. Women at the Omo River
Kara livelihood is determined by the rhythms of the floods along the Omo River; when the inundation of water recedes, the Kara pierce the rich mud with sticks and plant their crops, using a practice little changed in hundreds of years. Kara Woman
The morning sun shines brightly on the skin of the young women. Ethiopian Guide
Our guide was as knowledgeable as he was good looking. Each tribe and every village has a different set of rules for visitors and pricing code for photographs, and he helped us navigate it all smoothly. Goat among the Grain Stores
The prevalence of tsetse fly, which attacks large cattle, lead the Kara to focus on goats and sheep, which are less vulnerable. They keep a few cattle, but that meat is reserved for special occasions. Children in Spots Children with a Goat
The children are well aware that posing with a cute kid makes them more attractive to tourists, and they will therefore earn more birr. Woman in Bangles
Both men and women love their jewellery. Like the Hamar, Kara women wear a goatskin smock, bordered with cowrie shells and embroidered with beads for special occasions. Woman in Beads
It is common for Kara women, men, and even children, to wear a nail, a stick, or a piece of grass sticking out of their chin through an incision made under their bottom lip. Beads and Circles Woman with Grain
Kara housing is very like that of the Hamar: upright wooden poles are woven together and covered with a layer of mud, and topped with a conical roof made of straw and tree branches. Red, Blue, and White Beads
Face paint and body paints are made from pulverised local white chalk, yellow mineral rock, red iron ore, and black charcoal. Girl in Spots and Beads
These lovely designs are chalk and mineral rock with ochre. The village offers up endless photographic possibilities, but it was almost nine am, and time for our breakfast.
 But, we’d be back!
Until then,
Happy Rambling!
Photos: 21October2018
Posted in Africa,environmental portraits,Ethiopia,TravelTags: Africa,environmental portrait,environmental portraits,Ethiopia,Lower Omo Valley,Omo Valley,people,Photo Blog,portrait,portraits,travel,Travel Blog,tribal life,Ursula Wall
Crowning Pharaoh Ptolemaios XII
In a beautifully restored wall relief at the temple at Kom Ombo, Goddesses of
Lower and Upper Egypt, Wadjet and Nekhbet, crown Pharaoh Ptolemy XII while Horus (Haroeris) watches on. Bad lighting and dancing shadows lend an eerie air of animation to the figures on the walls all around us. Intricately carved pillars and beautifully restored wall-reliefs contrast with uneven stones and rough scaffolding: it truly is surreal walking after dark through structures built over 2000 years ago.
My Nile river boat was rafted up against a larger boat in the small harbour at Kom Ombo, a small agricultural town in Egypt, about 45km (30 miles) north of Aswan.
I’d started my day at Edfu, after sailing up from Luxor the day before (see: Luxor Bazaar and the Mighty Nile). We’d spent the day chugging up-river, watching the banks with their rich farming lands and and small village slide past. It was already dark when we docked: our destination, the Temple of Sobek and Haroeris, was sitting on a small hill just above us, bathed enticingly in yellow lights.
Often referred to just as Kom Ombo Temple, this distinctive double-temple dates to the Ptolemaic dynasty (305 to 30 BC.), successor to the rule of Alexander the Great, and the last dynasty of Ancient Egypt.
The temple is unique in that it is dedicated to two Gods: Sobek (Sebek) the crocodile god, creator of the Nile River and responsible for fertility, and Horus (Haroeris, Hor, Har, Her, or Heru) the falcon-headed god of power and healing. Therefore, the temple – begun by Ptolemy VI Philometor (180–145 BC) at the beginning of his reign and added to by other Ptolemies – consists of two identical sections along a main axis, each with its own entry, courts, halls, sanctuaries and rooms. The northern section is dedicated to Horus, and the southern section to Sobek.
This temple was Sobek’s chief sanctuary. The ubiquitous Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) had a reputation for eating anything in their path, and generated fear in the local communities. Legend has it that in ancient times, sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the river banks near Kom Ombo, and as totem animals, a number were kept in captivity within the temple itself. This has lead to another unique feature at Kom Ombo: the discovery of three hundred mummified crocodiles – a few of which are on display in the chapel of Hathor, in “Egypt’s first ever crocodile museum”.
On a photographic technical note: the lighting in the temple was truly awful! Most of my shots are taken at the highest ISO settings available to me – 3200 and 6400 – so the quality is not what I would like. Also, only phone-cameras were allowed in the crocodile museum.
I hope you’ll agree that the content is sufficiently interesting to make up for any lack of quality.
A Hazy Morning on the Nile
It’s barely 7:15 in the morning, but the sun is already high over the banks on the east side of the river. Our Nile riverboat, featuring a hamsa or khamsah – a hand with the fingers spread apart to ward off evil, is docked at Edfu on the west bank. (iPhone6) Tourist Boats at Edfu
It was low season, and operators said business had still not bounced back after the Arab Spring (2010-2012) – making me wonder how crowded it must be on this river in a good high season! Nile Dahabiya Boat Nile Boat and Kom Ombo Temple
After nightfall, we are tied up in the little harbour, looking across other tourist boats to the lovely Greco Roman temple perched atop a dune. Kom Ombo Temple
It is a short walk to the base of the hill. Temple Under Lights
We are not the only tourists walking around in clumps from one point of interest to the next with their guides. Waves of Stone
Every surface tells a story; … Explaining
… the guides point out the features to their groups. Regal Relief
This story-board show King Ptolemy XIII in the centre, flanked by Thoth and Isis on the left and Sekhmet and Horus on the right. These reliefs have been painstakingly restored: between floods, subsidence, earthquakes, and the Copts who used the building as a church, the temple has experienced extensive damage. Carved Column
The carved sections have withstood the tests of time far better. Shadows across the Murals
The lighting is a real challenge! This intricate relief shows Thoth and Horus pouring sacred water over Pharaoh Ptolemy XII‘s head. Two-Headed Nehebkau and Others
Nehebkau (Nehebu-Kau) was a funerary god associated with the afterlife. Offerings More Stories in Stone
While trying to get a few photos, I missed most of the stories our guide told us. I thought I could look them up easily on line afterwards: I was wrong! I don’t know what Hathor, Horus and the pharaoh are doing here. Flat Walls and Round Columns Columns and Courtyards
It was really hard to get a sense of the floor plan in the dark; … Carved Columns
… carved with ankhs, the symbols of life, the columns seemed to go on forever. Guide outside a Small Chamber Tourist Dwarfed by the Columns More Reliefs Telling Stories
Guides give detailed descriptions of each panel to their customers. It amazes me how much is actually known about the Ancient Egyptians thanks to their extensive hieroglyphics and iconography. Horus the Falcon God
I can’t keep up with the different forms the Gods take, and the complicated interrelations between them! Mummified Crocodiles
I thought the mummified crocodiles, and the various statues to Sobek were as interesting and unique as the double-temple itself. (iPhone6) It really is a fascinating place – and it would be worthwhile to see in daylight, but our boat was continuing up the river to Aswan, where more ancient wonders awaited.
 Until next time,
Happy Travels!
Photos: 09October2019
Posted in Africa,Egypt,History,TravelTags: Ancient Egypt,antiquities,architecture,blog,Egypt,history,low light,night photography,Photo Blog,Religious Practice,ruins,sculpture,temple,travel,Travel Blog,Ursula Wall
Public Art – Local Heritage – Public Space
The tones of a rusty metal bird in flight compliment the grassy wetlands of Tips Billabong and the weathered boards of The Old Bar in the background. It was a glorious Autumn day.
The mood of the participants at the annual Ephemeral – a one day festival celebrating the ever-changing light and landscape of the Panboola Wetlands – was one of gratitude: gratitude for the weather, which was allowing us to wander and workshop outdoors in comfort; gratitude for the space, which is protected by its Environmental Organisation status; and gratitude for the community, whose members had managed to remain in good cheer, and had come together to commune, educate, and entertain.
It has been a long couple of years in this section of the country – as it has in many parts of the world. The festival was cancelled last year because of the Covid lockdowns, and for many months before that, communities in the area were battling unprecedented fires. In the weeks before the festival, many locals were again cut off: this time by flooding caused by well-above-average rainfalls that pummelled us for days. And, while fluctuating water-levels are be expected in a floodplain, the waters swept through at such a damaging rate that even heavy benches were moved.
Fortunately, the Panboola Wetlands are supported by an army of volunteers who swung into action as soon as the rains abated, and by the time the festival was upon us, the walking tracks and open spaces winding around 82 hectare-space looked wonderful. When I arrived on the day, shortly before the festival was due to open up to the public, yarn art and origami cranes decorated the trees, and the artists and crafts-people and volunteers were already busy setting up.
Since my first visit to the Wetlands in 2013 (see: The Pinnacles and Panboola), I’ve become a volunteer – albeit not a very regular or conscientious one. But, I’m happy to spend a few weekly hours cleaning pathways, or counting flying foxes, or weeding out invasive plant species. There is something about these lands: every time I walk onto them, I feel a lifting of my spirit.
The Ephemeral festival is a collaboration between the Lonely Arts Club Pambula and the Pambula Wetlands and Heritage Project. Through various grants from State, Regional and Local governments, it show-cases local talent and draws the community in to celebrate this unique landscape.
In years past, I’ve been away while the festival has been on, so I was looking forward to wandering with my cameras this year.
It did not disappoint!
Preparations
In the cool of the morning, crafts-people and workshop facilitators are already setting up their spaces when I arrive. A Painter and his Muse
Origami cranes – part of the Community Peace & Harmony Installation – flutter from the trees as local artist Lachlan Barratt sits with a blank sheet of paper and a view he likes. Sculpture around Tips Billabong
Award-winning sculptor Jen Mallinson has a number of her beautiful, flowing metal sculptures installed on the site. Jen Mallinson and Aqueous
Later in the morning, I came across the artist talking about her metal sculpture to some interested visitors. Coffee and Chat in the Shade
A coffee and a catch-up with friends is always popular. Hay bales are colourfully covered in fabrics to make temporary seating areas. Julie Krone
New Zealand-born, local-resident artist Julie Krone conducted two popular nature-inspired block printing workshops. Spinning with Tabitha Bilaniwskyj-Zarins
Meanwhile, Tabitha Bilaniwskyj-Zarins from Tabandy Farm in near-by Candelo, talks to workshop participants about spinning yarn and creating textiles. Making “Postcards from Panboola”
All around the grounds, workshops have started … Keeping an Eye on Proceedings
… and Michelle Richmond, Panboola Project Coordinator can take a breath, knowing it is all under way smoothly. Hilary Peterson
The workshop conducted by visual artist and Bega Valley resident Hilary Peterson … “Postcards from Panboola”
… starts with participants exploring the textures and colours of the nature all around them. Panboola Volunteers
With coffees and smiles, volunteers sell products and hand out information. Artist and Educator Sharon Stevens
Several workshops target youngsters, including Botanical Drawing … Author Gabbie Stroud
… and Youth Writing. Orbs by Tharwa Valley Forge
The midmorning sun over Tips Billabong is a sparkling contrast to the beautiful rough textures of the iron orbs, donated and installed by the Tharwa Valley Forge, Canberra. Flowered Orb
Some of the metalworks are on dry land – where we can examine them more closely. Industrial Derevolution
Sculptor Mark Thompson installed his latest work (on loan) along side Tips Billabong. Bush Poetry
Reciting the works of ‘Banjo’ Paterson, Phil Inn entertains … Phil Inn
… among the gum trees. Botanical Drawing Workshop
Trained arborist and botanical artist Ge Warburton gets her participants …. Banksia – Botanical Drawing
… to really look at their specimens as they practice drawing. Women Drawing Children’s Botanical Drawings
The children’s finished artworks are quite lovely – and the kids were rightly proud. Stencil Stamping
The group making folded postcards have finished their base painting, and are ready to overlay contrasting shapes … Postcards from Panboola
… using beautiful stencils that Hilary Peterson has pre-cut of creatures found at the wetlands. Wreaths and Bouquets
Working with natural materials that the Wyndham Basket Weavers have brought along, anyone interested can spin, or weave, or create wreaths or bouquets. “Echo-Location”
Performances punctuate the morning. A group of children: y-fLiNG & Flux of Fling Physical Theatre, represent the creatures and moods of the wetlands. Latvian Independence Day
A swan and a possum performed a few musical sets. Origami Cranes
The Community Peace and Harmony group invites people to make more cranes … Crane for Peace and Harmony
… to be hung all around the venue. Blockprinting with Julie Krone
I admire a piece of fabric printed by one of the women in the first blockprinting workshop … Drawing Printing Blocks
… before the second workshop gets underway, … Carving a Printing Block
… and new participants create their printing blocks. Michelle and a Volunteer
I drop in for coffee, a slice of pizza, and a laugh, … Chalk Drawings on the Path
… before heading down the newly-decorated pathway, and out of the wetlands.
Chances are good that that chalk will all be gone when I next go back.
Like the seasons on the wetlands and the performances at the festival,
It is all impermanent and fleeting.
So, enjoy!
Photos: 17April2021
Posted in Australia,Entertainment,NatureTags: arts and crafts,Australia,blog,environmental portrait,flowers,nature,Photo Blog,sculpture,Ursula Wall
Men in the Street
During the Kumbh Mela, the Haridwar streets were full of life and people. India is in the news at the moment – because of Covid.
In spite of the fast-tracking of any vaccines the country can get hold of, a second wave of virus variants is sweeping the country. India now has the second-highest number of Covid cases in the world, and their public and private hospital systems are completely overwhelmed.
Couple this with a huge disparity in access to health, nutrition, and welfare services according to one’s place among the steeply-separated socio-economic classes – and the country’s inability to maintain any kind of preventative measures – and you have a recipe for disaster.
I was amazed to read that the state governments had refused to call off this year’s weeks-long Hindu festival of Kumbh Mela in Haridwar. Indian cities – including the sacred city of Haridwar – are wonderfully crowded and chaotic at the most ‘ordinary’ of times, and an unimaginable crush (see: A Crush of Happy Humanity) during a Kumbh Mela.
As I’ve written before (eg: Faces in the Crowd), a Kumbh Mela is a Hindu festival that takes place roughly every three years at one of four sacred pilgrimage sites. UNECO-listed for its rich cultural importance, this mela (festival) has been called the largest peaceful congregation of pilgrims on earth. The last was held across 55 days at Triveni Sangam in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. It attracted more than 200 million people, with 50 million attending on the festival’s most auspicious day. This year, numbers are well down, but not low enough to allow for social distancing: between 3.1 and 5 million people are expected on the equivalent days (see: The Conversation; India Today).
I was at the last mela in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, and found the press of humanity in the streets quite staggering (see: Crowds on the Move). On the most auspicious day – February 14th, 2010, when the attached pictures were taken – an estimated 10 million people took their ritual bath in the Ganges.
On the busiest days, I stayed well away from the bathing ghats themselves, and instead wandered around the arterial roads as pilgrims walked in and out of the city’s centre. Many of these pilgrims were happy to chat and wanted their pictures taken.
I’m always amazed how open and friendly so many people are in these foreign environments. Either side of the main roads, people in shops, homes, and temples got on with their every-day lives, and I was often welcomed in. At one point, I was admiring the beautiful facade of a building when a teenage girl with good English came out to ask me what I was doing. When I told her I was taking pictures because the building was so lovely, she went inside and consulted with her mum. I was invited in for tea – where I got to meet some of the five generations living in the home, and was given an explanation of the ritual offerings to the Mother Ganges that I had been a part of a few days prior.
It is almost impossible to imagine this happening here in my neighbourhood!
Join me for some portraits of the locals and visitors to Haridwar:
Riding into Haridwar
On foot or by rickshaw, the sadhus arrive into Haridwar. A Man and his Sewing Machine
Street traders and vendors are kept busy as the pilgrims keep coming. Street Sewing Machine
Every-day life goes on around the busy streets. Sadhu in White
There are temples and sadhus … Sadhu in Red
… in every nook and cranny I check out. Man in a Bindi
Many of the pilgrims stop for a bindi and a blessing before they continue to the bathing ghats. Old Man in Glasses Girl in Red People in the Street Housing Doorway
When I was caught photographing this lovely entry way from outside the front fence … Woman in her Doorway
… mum came out to size me up. Deciding I was harmless, she invited me in for tea! Young Woman
I then got to make portraits of her beautiful daughters against the rich textures of the outer building … Young Woman in Pink
… or against the colourful fabrics adorning the walls indoors. Auntie and her Son
It is not uncommon for extended family to have their own rooms within a shared housing complex. Smiling Young Woman The Matriarch
Several generations were under the one roof, and this was clearly the matriarch. There was an older woman in the central living room where we shared tea, but she was frail, and had clearly relinquished charge of the household. Charismatic Eyes
Back in the streets, the crowds keep walking, … Colourful Women
… or stop for a rest and a chat. Hennaed Hands
Henna is thought to bring positive spirits and good luck; the women walking into town were happy to show off their beautiful designs. Sadhu in Saffron
I find the sadhu’s endlessly fascinating … Masala Chai
… and enigmatic. Smoking his Chillum
They travel light: just a blanket, a prayer book, a small bag of personal items, a container for holy water, and a chillum: a conical clay pipe. Woman in Red
I love the vibrant colours … Woman in Yellow
… and the elegance of the women. Makeshift Campsite
The travellers make do with very little. Woman Smoking
Cigarette breaks are welcome … Smiling Girl
… and smiles are freely given. Young Friends Travelling Together Hindus believe the Ganges is holy and that bathing in it will cleanse them of their sins and bring salvation – especially during a Kumbh Mela, which some call a Festival of Immortality.
 The Uttarakhand Chief Minister has recently been quoted as saying “faith in God will overcome the fear of the virus”; let us hope the sacred waters of the Mother Ganges mitigate the “super spreader” effect that many people expect from the current mela.
Safe Travels!
Photos: 14April2010
Posted in environmental portrait,India,TravelTags: hindu,hinduism,India,Kumbh Mela,landscape,people,Photo Blog,portraits,religion,travel,Travel Blog,UNESCO,Ursula Wall
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