Eric Jourdan – “Le Jeune Soldat” – Published by La Musardine

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“Body language” is a picture shot at Scindia Ghat along the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras).

It was selected to make the cover of “Le Jeune Soldat”, a novel by Eric Jourdan, published by La Musardine and released in November 2011.

Eric Jourdan is a French novelist and playwright born in 1938.

Sometimes his books become source of controversy but they are critically acclaimed and well-received.

“Le Jeune Soldat” is published in French.

Splendour & Beauty

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“Because God created it the human body can remain nude and uncovered and preserve its splendour and its beauty.”
(Pope John Paul II, born Karol Józef Wojtyła, 1920-2005)

When I reached the little akhara (gymnasia) which is lost in the fields near Sakalhida, a village in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, I first saw this pelhwan (Indian wrestler) who was outside with a gada.

A gada is a large round rock fixed to the end of a meter-long bamboo staff which is lifted and swung for exercise.
It may weigh as little as five or as much as fifty to sixty kilograms.
In the Ramayana and Mahabharata the gada is often mentioned as a weapon.
In popular religious art and iconography Hanuman is almost never depicted without one. It is not only the symbol of his strength but also of his countenance. The gada he carries is highly decorated and made of gold. At championship bouts wrestlers are awarded gadas made of silver. The gada is, then, clearly the mark of a wrestler’s prowess. Given the preponderance of phallic symbols in the akhara and the gada’s general shape it is evident that swinging a gada has clear symbolic overtones of sexual potency and virility.Each time the gada is swung it is brought to a balanced position, erect from the wrestler’s waist.The phallic aspect of the gada is also evidenced by its association with snakes. In the Harivamsa Akrura dives into the serpent world where he sees Ananta asleep on top of a mace…
In shape a gada resembles the churning stick used to make butter and buttermilk. A parallel between churning and sexual energy has been drawn above. By swinging the gada one might say that a wrestler is churning his body to increase his store of semen.
(“The Wrestler’s Body: Identity and Ideology in North India” by Joseph S. Alter)

“Vanity is so secure in the heart of man that everyone wants to be admired: even I who write this, and you who read this.”
(Blaise Pascal – French Mathematician, Philosopher and Physicist, 1623-1662)

This image was shot at Scindia Ghat along river Ganga in Varanasi (Benaras).
This young man was striking several poses in order to catch my attention so I could take a few snaps of him but I was pretending not to see him as I am mostly working on natural poses.
It was a Sunday afternoon before sunset and he came there to wash his laundry, his attitude was amazing, full of narcissism, each of his gesture was carrying vanity and pride…
After a while I couldn’t help laughing and I took a few pictures, in fact he knew that I was leaving the akhara nearby where I often take pictures of the pehlwani (wrestlers).

The pillar on the left belongs to the remains of a massive palace which used to stand on Scindhia ghat.
The entire structure has sunk several feet into the earth since its erection and is still gradually and slowly sinking.
Sometimes in the winter when the holy waters of the Ganges come very low it is possible to see it otherwise most of the time it stays underwater.

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Inward Calm

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“Inward calm cannot be maintained unless physical strength is constantly and intelligently replenished.”
(Buddha – Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta, founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C.)

This picture was shot at the little akhara (gymnasia) located nearby Scindia ghat along the Ganges in Vanarasi (Benaras).
Like many people in the Eternal city this pehlwan (wrestler) comes here every morning at dawn or before sunset in order to perform his daily physical training routine.
Since the Mughal Era it became a way of living deeply connected to culture of Northern India, this art of wrestling is a synthesis of native malla-yuddha and Persian Varzesh-e Pahlavani.
Through time Western training methods and nomenclature from Iran and Europe were introduced into Pehlwani.
Wrestling competitions, known as dangals, held in villages can have their own rules variations.

Bright Angel

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“Artistic temperament sometimes seems a battleground, a dark angel of destruction and a bright angel of creativity wrestling.”
(Madeleine L’Engle – American writer, 1918-2007)

This picture was shot at the little akhara (gymnasia) located nearby Scindia ghat along the Ganges in Vanarasi (Benaras).
Like many people in the Eternal city this pehlwan (wrestler) comes here every morning at dawn or before sunset in order to perform his daily physical training routine.
Since the Mughal Era it became a way of living deeply connected to culture of Northern India, this art of wrestling is a synthesis of native malla-yuddha and Persian Varzesh-e Pahlavani.
Through time Western training methods and nomenclature from Iran and Europe were introduced into Pehlwani.
Wrestling competitions, known as dangals, held in villages can have their own rules variations.

Without a Model

“I can’t work without a model.
I won’t say I turn my back on nature ruthlessly in order to turn a study into a picture, arranging the colors, enlarging and simplifying; but in the matter of form I am too afraid of departing from the possible and the true.”
(Vincent van Gogh – Dutch Post-Impressionists Painter, 1853-1890)

I met this young man at the little akhara (gymnasia) located near Jatar ghat along the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras).
He was swinging a gada (mace), it was before sunset.
I asked him if he wanted to model for our new collection, but he said that he was too busy with his job which he couldn’t leave for a few hours.
He is a sari seller in a shop and as it was the wedding season he had too much to do.
He smiled with a kind of shyness as if he didn’t know how handsome he was.

The Chewing Session

 

As I was playing with fishes at Jatar ghat’s shore along the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras) this man came nearby, he was chewing paan (betel leaf) and therefore he couldn’t speak but he made me understand that he wanted a few pictures.
There was a little akhara upper and as he was big and tall I thought that he could be a pehlwan (Indian wrestler) who comes to train there.
The shots came out in a quite funny way because of his involuntary attitude which was a mix of absurd positions, the paan in his mouth and most of all a langot (Indian underwear) which was really too tiny for him.
I showed him what I was getting on my camera and after a good laugh, he accepted my guidance for a few poses.
On this picture there is still some happiness in his eyes and he is trying not to laugh because of his “chewing session”.

Uncovered Dreams

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“In dreams we see ourselves naked and acting our real characters, even more clearly than we see others awake.”
(Henry David Thoreau (1817 – 1862) – American author, poet, naturalist, historian, philosopher and leading transcendentalist)

This is one more picture of Anand holding an embroidered throw in pure wool with patterns inspired by the Mughal designs which are on the Taj Mahal (RED HALO – Winter 2009-10).
This amazing wall stands at the upper terrace which is on the top of our office in Varanasi (Benaras) were I can shoot with a natural light.

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Lust or Advertising

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“Society drives people crazy with lust and calls it advertising.”
(John Lahr, American theater critic).

This is another picture of our new collection for the advertising catalogue.
Anand, our favourite model, is wrapped in a woolen throw with aari embroideries influenced by the Mughals and the Rajputs styles on which we added a contemporary touch using traditional local artcrafts technics.
I took this picture with natural light at the upper terrace which is on the top of our office in Varanasi (Benaras).
(Throw style “Akbar” / RED HALO – Winter 09 -10)

Testing those pictures here is always helpful for us and I wanted to thank you for your kind comments and mails.

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“All those Lustful People”

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“O Indra, destroy all those lustful people behaving like birds…. angry ones behaving like wolves…. greedy ones behaving like vultures…. enticed ones like owls….. arrogant ones like eagles and the jealous ones behaving like dogs.”
(Atharvaveda)
The Atharvaveda is a sacred text of Hinduism, and one of the four Vedas, often called the “fourth Veda”.
It is considered by many to be as dark and secret knowledge, pertaining to the spirits and the afterlife.

Once again I am working on the catalogue of our new collection for next winter.
Recently I took this picture of Anand, our favourite model, at the upper terrace which is on the top of our office where I always find a nice natural light.
The style of this woolen throw is inspired by the Mughal designs (RED HALO – Winter 2009-10).

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Oh Boy !

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A few weeks ago it was very hot in Varanasi (Benaras) and working became a problem with such a heat.
As if monsoon forgot North India.
It was ever worst as I was coming back from Ladakh where it was about 50° less.
Anand, my favourite model was there for the new catalogue and we did a few shots at the upper terrace which is on the top of our office as I prefer to use natural light for my pictures.
The marble on the floor was burning, the sun was unbearable, we kept on drinking bottles of water as if they were glasses, I felt that my camera was sweating and I was wondering if it was possible that my memory card could melt…
Anyway here are a few pictures of our new catalogue and campaign as I always test them here and your comments will be most welcome as usual.

One more thing, because of cultural reasons it is impossible to find any woman who will accept to do those kind of picture in Varanasi, even my most daring friends refused.
So we are using men only and, against all odds the result makes it more contemporary.
It is also breaking a social and cultural taboo as we decided to enhance dark skin complexions in a country where the “fairer is better” ideology is promoted everywhere.

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