From the Soul of Souls

 

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“What can I do, Muslims? I do not know myself.
I am neither Christian nor Jew, neither Magian nor Muslim,
I am not from east or west, not from land or sea,
not from the shafts of nature nor from the spheres of the firmament,
not of the earth, not of water, not of air, not of fire.
I am not from the highest heaven, not from this world,
not from existence, not from being.
I am not from India, not from China, not from Bulgar, not from Saqsin,
not from the realm of the two Iraqs, not from the land of Khurasan.
I am not from the world, not from beyond,
not from heaven and not from hell.
I am not from Adam, not from Eve, not from paradise and not from Ridwan.
My place is placeless, my trace is traceless,
no body, no soul, I am from the soul of souls.
I have chased out duality, lived the two worlds as one.
One I seek, one I know, one I see, one I call.
He is the first, he is the last, he is the outer, he is the inner.
Beyond He and He is I know no other.
I am drunk from the cup of love, the two worlds have escaped me.
I have no concern but carouse and rapture.
If one day in my life I spend a moment without you
from that hour and that time I would repent my life.
If one day I am given a moment in solitude with you
I will trample the two worlds underfoot and dance forever.
O Sun of Tabriz, I am so tipsy here in this world,
I have no tale to tell but tipsiness and rapture.”
(Jalal ad-Dīn Muhammad Rumi – Persian poet, jurist, theologian, and Sufi mystic, 1207–1273)

This was shot before sunset at the tomb of Mohammad Ghaus in Gwalior in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
The light and shadows were playing through the jalis (latticed screen) in the galleries surrounding the Sufi saint mazaar (tomb).
The building, built in the late 16th century in the typical Mughal style, is enclosed on all sides by delicately carved lattices over which rises a large dome.
This place is a pilgrimage centre for both the Hindus and the Muslims and make this place of devotion is a symbol of brotherhood as this is where anyone can express his faith.

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A Lightning Instant

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“The creative act lasts but a brief moment, a lightning instant of give-and-take, just long enough for you to level the camera and to trap the fleeting prey in your little box.”
(Henri Cartier-Bresson – French photographe, 1908–2004)

Lucknow, the mythical city of Nawabs, allows to travel in time.
I always enjoy to spend time in the Bara Imambara (or Asafi Imambara) complex for a sensory memory journey…

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The Beauty of the Morning

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“Earth hath not anything to show more fair:
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by
A sight so touching in its majesty:
This City now doth, like a garment, wear
The beauty of the morning; silent, bare,
Ships, towers, domes, theatres and temples lie
Open unto the fields, and to the sky;
All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.
Never did sun more beautifully steep
In his first splendor, valley, rock, or hill;
Ne’er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!
The river glideth at his own sweet will:
Dear God! The very houses seem asleep;
And all that mighty heart is lying still!”
(“Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802″ by William Wordsworth, 1770-1850)

This view of Gwalior was shot from a window of the Karna Mahal, the palace next to Man Singh Palace, which stands on an isolated rock overlooking the city in Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

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Surfaces, Lines and Values

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“This recognition, in real life, of a rhythm of surfaces, lines, and values is for me the essence of photography; composition should be a constant of preoccupation, being a simultaneous coalition – an organic coordination of visual elements. “
(Henri Cartier-Bresson – French photographe, 1908–2004)

This is the entrance of the Bara Imambara (also called the Asafi Imambara) complex in Lucknow, the mythical city of Nawabs.
It was shot from a window in the corridor which is on the level of the ceiling of the domed chamber leading to the Bhulbhulaiya, a three-dimensional labyrinth with passages interconnecting with each other through 489 identical doorways…

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Shadows and Lights with Rhythm

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“What reinforces the content of a photograph is the sense of rhythm – the relationship between shapes and values.”
(Henri Cartier-Bresson – French photographe, 1908–2004)

This picture was shot inside Ali Isa Khan Niazi’s tomb who was in the court of Sher Shah Suri during his short reign.
It is at the entrance of the Mughal Emperor Humayun’s Tomb complex in Delhi.
The jali (latticed screen) provided a game of shadows and lights dancing on the wall with a sense of rhythm…

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Space, Light and Order

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“Space and light and order.
Those are the things that men need just as much as they need bread or a place to sleep.”
(Le Corbusier – French Architect and city planner (born in Switzerland), 1887-1965)

This is a part othe main wall of the Secretariat building in Chandigarh, the capital of the Indian state of Punjab.
It is a long horizontal concrete slab form of 254 meters long and 42 meters high which was designed by the French (born Swiss) architect and urban planner, Le Corbusier, in the 1950s.
The building is composed of six eight storeyed blocks separated by expansion joints and bears close resemblance to the Marseilles apartment block.
The façade of the building gives a sculptural appearance with exposed concrete ramps, perforated with small square windows dominating the front and rear views.
The building façade is provided with projects for sun control.

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The Style of an Epoch

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“Our own epoch is determining, day by day, its own style.
Our eyes, unhappily, are unable yet to discern it.”
(Le Corbusier – French Architect and city planner (born in Switzerland), 1887-1965)

This was shot in Chandigarh, the capital of the Indian state of Punjab.
Commissioned by Nehru to reflect the new nation’s modern, progressive outlook, the city was designed by the French (born Swiss) architect and urban planner, Le Corbusier, in the 1950s.
It was the first planned city in India and is known internationally for its architecture and urban design.
Those geometrical structures made of brick and boulder stone masonry exposed in its rough form produce unfinished concrete surfaces which are the real style of an epoch.

This man was bringing the human touch to the wall and it was fun to play with him and those shapes.

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Until Eternity

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“Love is from the infinite, and will remain until eternity.
The seeker of love escapes the chains of birth and death.
Tomorrow, when resurrection comes,
The heart that is not in love will fail the test.”
(Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Balkhi, known as Jelaluddin Rumi – Persian poet, jurist, theologian, and mystic, 1207–1273)

This view of the Ganges was shot from the window of a private Shiva mandir (temple) which is at the end of Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi (Benaras).
The owner of this place allows me to come and I enjoy the quietness and the peace I find there as much as I want.
Sometimes a young palmist sits and study there, I often take pictures of what he is doing but I never asked him to read my palms…

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With Gratitude

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“Reverence, humility, contentment, gratitude and hearing the good Dhamma, this is the best good luck”.
(Buddha – Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C.)

This is a view of the city of Gwalior located in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, it was shot from the Small Sas Bahu Ka Mandir (temple) built in red sandstone during the 10th century and dedicated to Lord Vishnu.

According to local tradition, Gwalior owes its name to a sage of former times.
Suraj Sen, a prince of the Kachhwaha clan of the eighth century, is said to have lost his way in the jungle.
On a secluded hill he met an old man, the sage Gwalipa, whose influence almost took him by surprise.
Upon asking the sage for some drinking water he was led to a pond; the waters not only quenched his thirst but cured him of leprosy.
Out of gratefulness, the prince wished to offer the sage something in return, and the sage asked him to build a wall on the hill in order to protect the other sages from wild animals which often disturbed their yagnas (or pujas).
Suraj Sen later built a palace inside the fort, which had been named “Gwalior” after the sage who had given him the gift of a new life; the city which grew around the fort took the same name.
The city became, over the centuries, the cradle of great dynasties and with each, the city gained new dimensions from the warrior-kings, poets, musicians and saints who contributed to making it a capital renowned throughout the country.

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One’s Own Deeds

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“Az mast ke bar mast chon digari nist “
{What ever happens to you (good or bad) is a result of your own actions (comes from within you)}
(Nāsir Khusraw – Persian poet, philosopher, Isma’ili scholar and traveler, 1004 – 1088)

Everything that we face in life is the result of our own actions not others.
This quote comes from a famous Farsi poem about an eagle hunted by an arrow which has eagle’s feathers so it can go as fast as the bird; it is used by the character of Akbar in the movie “Jodhaa Akbar”.
A part of the movie was shot in Fatehpur Sikri which is located in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and built by Mughal emperor Akbar in 1570, in honour of Sufi saint Shaikh Salim Chisti.
This is a picture taken from a room of this royal palace.

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