On The Right Track

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“When you find yourself beginning to feel a bond between yourself and the people you photograph, when you laugh and cry with their laughter and tears, you will know you are on the right track.”
(Weegee (Arthur Fellig) – American photographer,1899–1968)

This is a portrait of Kapil Dhaundiyal who is a dancer at Kingdom of Dreams.
I took this picture as he was going on stage in order to perform in “Zangoora, the Gypsy Prince”.
During the film shoot we used to leave all our gear on his make-up table and I have to admit that we were invading his space but he never complained about it.
On the contrary he was always smiling with a contagious happiness.
He is a great entertainer who is taking the stage with an amazing energy.
This young man is an inspiration and he doesn’t know that he gives a lesson of life to anyone who crosses his path…

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Being the Noise

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“There is a community of the spirit.
Join it, and feel the delight of walking in the noisy street and being the noise.Drink all your passion, and be a disgrace.Close both eyes to see with the other eye.”
(Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī – Persian poet, 1207-1273)

I often take a few pictures of this sadhu along the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras).
This time he was walking on main ghat wher it is sometimes very noisy.
I tried something with Photoshop in order to focus on him away from this tumultuous flow going around…

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With His Grace

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“The Lord God, the Giver of peace, has granted His Grace, I am rid of pain, sin and disease.”
(Guru Nanak – Founder of the religion of Sikhism and first of the ten Sikh Gurus, 1469-1539)

This guard holding a spear was walking along the samovar of the Golden Temple which is located in Amritsar in the Indian state of Punjab.
The Harmandir Sahib is the place to go for anyone in search of spirituality as it is under the Grace of God…

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Illuminated

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“From its brilliancy everything is illuminated.”
(Guru Nanak – founder of Sikhism and first of the ten Sikh Gurus, 1469-1539)

This young man was bathing in the holy tank of the Golden Temple of Amritsar, the holiest city in Sikhism, located in the Indian state of Punjab.
He left his Kirpan (steel sword) in his turban in order to keep this symbol of his faith with him and, like most of the people who come to the Harmandir Sahib, there was a real happiness flowing around him.

 

Songs of Joy

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“Sing the songs of joy to the Lord, serve the Name of the Lord, and become the servant of His servants.”
(Guru Nanak – founder of Sikhism and first of the ten Sikh Gurus, 1469-1539)
This musician was among a group of people playing music in front of the Harmandir Sahib, the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the holiest city in Sikhism located in the Indian state of Punjab.
It was a moment of bliss at Heaven’s gate…

A beautiful prayer sung by Satinder Sartaj:

The True One

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“Those who conquer their minds are beings of renunciation and detachment.
They are beings of renunciation and detachment they are lovingly focused on the True One, they realize and understand themselves.”
(Guru Nanak – founder of Sikhism and first of the ten Sikh Gurus, 1469-1539)

After taking a deep in the Immortal Nectar of the Harmandir Sahib, this man was putting his clothes back on him.
He spread that fabric over his head which allowed to give a deeper significance to this portrait.
The Golden Temple is located in Amritsar, the holiest city in Sikhism, in the Indian state of Punjab.

 

Sorrows

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“When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions”
(From “Hamlet” – Act IV, Scene V by William Shakespeare)

This man was standing between Scindia ghat and Manikarnika ghat looking at the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras).
I took several pictures of him, it was early in the morning just after sunrise, it was still cold.
There was no sorrow in him but the quote from Hamlet was matching the expression on this portrait.

 

Being All Ears

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“So when you are listening to somebody, completely, attentively, then you are listening not only to the words, but also to the feeling of what is being conveyed, to the whole of it, not part of it.”
(Jiddu Krishnamurti – Indian Theosophist Philosopher, 1895-1986)

This man was standing along the Ganges at Dasaswamedh ghat under tha spell of the Ganga Aarti.
He was deeply absorbed by the ceremony, merging with the elements.
Around him many devotees were listening to the priests and chanting mantras.

 

About the Past

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“I can only note that the past is beautiful because one never realises an emotion at the time. It expands later, and thus we don’t have complete emotions about the present, only about the past.”
(Virginia Woolf – English author, 1882-1941)

Two days ago I met this man early in the morning near Nepali ghat in Varanasi (Benaras).
He came from the other side of the country in order to worship the holy waters of the Ganges and he was standing in front of those two huge pink water tanks which became a perfect background for a series of portraits.
Since a few days it is freezing in the city but this unusualy cold temperature provides a dense fogg and an amazing light which bring a mysterious and timeless touch everywhere.

 

Into the Depths of the Soul

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“Look into the depths of your own soul and learn first to know yourself, then you will understand why this illness was bound to come upon you and perhaps you will thenceforth avoid falling ill”.
(Sigmund Freud – Austrian neurologist and Founder of psychoanalysis, 1856 – 1939)

This man was on a boat at Nepali ghat along the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras).
It was early in the morning when there was a heavy fogg and when it was freezing in the city.
The amazing light allowed me to come close to the soul of the people I met then…