The Purpose of Life

“Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence”
(Aristotle – Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scientist and Physician, 384 BC-322 BC)

Those ladies were sitting in front of shop located in Shivpur which is a district of Varanasi (Benaras).
They were with three other women and, according the garments and jewels of the one on the left, I believe that they are villagers.
I was standing nearby looking for some new topic to capture, they said I was looking Rajiv Gandhi and I answered something funny which made them laugh.
This moment of bliss became my subject and I tried to capture that happiness which must be the purpose of life…

This picture is for Magda and all the other members of TLC who kindly invited my work this week to their group.

You are the Veil

“All these things have you said of beauty. 
Yet in truth you spoke not of her but of needs unsatisfied, 
And beauty is not a need but an ecstasy. 
It is not a mouth thirsting nor an empty hand stretched forth, 
But rather a heart enflamed and a soul enchanted. 
It is not the image you would see nor the song you would hear, 
But rather an image you see though you close your eyes and a song you hear though you shut your ears. 
It is not the sap within the furrowed bark, nor a wing attached to a claw, 
But rather a garden for ever in bloom and a flock of angels for ever in flight. 
People of Orphalese, beauty is life when life unveils her holy face. 
But you are life and you are the veil. 
Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in a mirror. 
But you are eternity and your are the mirror.”
(Kahlil Gibran – Lebanese born American philosophical Essayist, Novelist and Poet. 1883-1931)

This was shot at Gay ghat in Varanasi (Benaras).
Those women came a long way from Rajasthan in order to worship the holy waters of the Ganges.
They were with a group of people from their village, everyone was happy.
They saw me and asked for several portraits.
We spent a long time all together.

Sharing Happiness

“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. 
Happiness never decreases by being shared.”
( Buddha, born as Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta and founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C.)

This young man was bathing in the holy waters of the Ganges at Ahilyabai ghat in Varanasi (Benaras).
He was glowing with happiness…

In the Pure Water of the Name

“O Siblings of Destiny, filth is washed away by bathing in the Pure Water of the Name.”
(Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of sikhs)

This young man was bathing in the holy waters of the Ganges near Assi ghat in Varanasi (Benaras) while I was around taking a few pictures with a group of ten amazing young photographers who were selected by FairMail.
We thought that the first subject of our photography session would be water drops.
Those kids asked me to spend some time with them in order that I could teach them a few things but I am sure that I have learnt more from them, from their talent and skills, from their kindness and humility and most of all from their unforgettable smiles…

FairMail is a company producing fair trade greeting cards in Peru and India.
The photos on FairMail cards are taken by underpriviliged Indian and Peruvian teenagers. 
FairMail offers them photography training, part-time work, medical insurance and guidance in making their future plans. 
The teenagers get 50 % of the profits of the sale of their own cards to finance their housing and education.

http://www.fairmail.info/

An Atmosphere of the Marvelous

“The life of our city is rich in poetic and marvelous subjects. 
We are enveloped and steeped as though in an atmosphere of the marvelous; but we do not notice it.”
(Charles Baudelaire – French poet, 1821-1867)

Baudelaire didn’t use those words for Varanasi (Benaras) however they express so well the atmosphere of “the oldest living city in the world”.
This lady was washing a few utensils in the holy waters of the Ganges after using them in order to worship.
I took this picture from a boat.

In a Mirror

“A man’s true wealth is the good he does in the world. 
Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in a mirror. 
But you are eternity and you are the mirror.”
(Kahlil Gibran – Lebanese born American philosophical Essayist, Novelist and Poet, 1883-1931)

I see many people along the Ganges who are taking a real care of themselves, they spend time shaving, arranging the hair, applying make-up, ajusting a saree or a dhothî.
I always enjoy to take their reflection in a mirror, sometimes I feel that they offer this to eternity.
This picture was shot at Panchaganga ghat in varanasi (Benaras).

Shedding the Old Skin

“We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. 
The old skin has to be shed before the new one can come.”
(Joseph Campbell – American prolific Author, Editor, Philosopher and Teacher, 1904-1987)

I know an old man who comes almost everyday at Ahilyabai ghat along the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras).
He spends most of the time under an huge umbrella that he owns there on a little platform where many people come to visit and to spend some time with him.
Here I met among his visitors priests and palmists, an architect, a few students and a kind of magician.
It is always amazing to see him swimming in the holy waters and then doing yoga and exercise on the ghats as if he was a young man.
I took this picture while he was performing a strength training.
That daily activity maintains his physical fitness and overall his health besides he is a very nice solar person who has so much to give to others.
I made many of his portraits and so far I never dared this picture, in a few days I’ll upload more images in order to show how handsome this old man is.

Shiva’s Trishul

“We should worship lord Shiva so that we are freed from our worldly attachments just like a fruit falls from a tree after ripening. 
Once we are successful in doing this we are liberated from this vicious cycles of life and death.”
(Quotes from the Yajurveda, the third of the four canonical texts of Hinduism)

In Varanasi (Benaras) it is easy to see tridents (trishula in Sanskrit) almost everywhere as this symbol is wielded by the Hindu God Shiva who is also the God of the city.
Trishula means “three spear” in Sanskrit, the three points have various meanings and significance, it is commonly said to represent various trinities such as creation, maintenance and destruction, or past, present and future, or the three gunas… 
It also represents the place where the three main nadis, or energy channels (ida, pingala and shushmana) meet at the brow. 
Shushmana, the central one, continues upward to the 7th chakra, or energy center, while the other two end at the brow, there the 6th chakra is located. 
The trisula’s central point represents Shushmana, and that is why it is longer than the other two, representing ida and pingala.

The weapon of Shiva emanates power and energy it is also called a Trishul, it is interesting to mention that the same word means “cross” in Romany. 

This picture was shot at Darabhanga Ghat along the Ganges.

Beyond Shyness

“What a person praises is perhaps a surer standard, even, than what he condemns, of his character, information and abilities. 
No wonder, then, that most people are so shy of praising anything.”
(Augustus Hare – English writer, 1792 – 1834)

This lady took a bath at Darabhanga Ghat along the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras).
Most of the women there show a real shyness and I never take any picture which could provide a kind of embarrassment to them.
I am trying to respect the privacy of those moments that they offer beyond shyness whenever they are simply following traditions.
Even if I realized that what they really present is not their body but their faith, the way they praise God and the elements which is actually the real intimacy of the human soul and finally what I find interesting to capture.

Washing Iniquity Away

“But if he wash them not, nor bathe his flesh; then he shall bear his iniquity.”
(Quote from the Bible)

This man was washing at Darabhanga Ghat along the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras).
He took a long time and allowed me to take many pictures.
The winter sun was falling providing the best light in order to catch water drops.
According Hinduism bathing in the holy waters of river Ganga allows to wash all sins away.