Deep In His Eyes

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“That man has reached immortality who is disturbed by nothing material.”
(Swami Vivekananda – Indian Spiritual leader of the Hindu religion (Vedanta), 1863-1902)

This is a picture of Lal Baba who is a Saivite (follower of Shiva) sādhu.
He was born in the Indian state of Bihar but he stays most of the time in Varanasi (Benaras).
People call him Lal Baba because he mostly wears garments in red shades, in Hindi “lal” means red.
His huge turban keeps a few meters of dreadlocks and gives him an impressive presence.
Sometimes people think that he can’t see much because of cataract but in fact his eyes have an amazing deep blue colour.
He is a well-known figure along the Ganges however nowadays he only accepts to pose for people he knows.
Whenever I meet him we share a few words and he gives me his blessings while putting his hands on my head…
(Deep in his eyes there is my reflection taking this picture)

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Remembrance & Confidence

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“There are stars who’s light only reaches the earth long after they have fallen appart.
There are people who’s remembrance gives light in this world, long after they have passed away.
This light shines in our darkest nights on the road we must follow.”
(The Talmud)

There is no editing on this picture shot at dawn near Assi ghat along the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras).
The holy waters melted in silver and gold offering a confident sanctuary to this diya (candle) which was carried away towards the rising sun.
In the oldest living city in the world people light up those floating candles for death anniversaries known as “shraadh”.
The religious environment made of many cultural influences allows people to become peaceful with death.
This serenity might be one of the greatest gift anyone could ever find in the Eternal city.
The more people remember stronger they become and they can carry on their way in peace and tranquillity…
(This week I am performing shraadh for my parents, this picture is in their memory)

An Oasis in the Heart

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“Faith is an oasis in the heart which will never be reached by the caravan of thinking.”
(Kahlil Gibran – Lebanese American artist, poet, and writer, 1883–1931)

This is the back yard of a house in a little village neaby Lucknow, the capital of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh where I went recently in order to take some pictures of ladies making Chikan embroideries.
I was happy to see that in this peaceful and simple place Muslim and Hindu families are living with a true sense of harmony and unity.
The spirit of happiness shared by everyone gave me faith, faith in humanity, faith in the will to see one day my dream of people living anywhere like brothers and sisters…

Nonattachment

“The main motive for ”nonattachment” is a desire to escape from the pain of living, and above all from love, which, sexual or non-sexual, is hard work”.
(George Orwell – British Author, 1903-1950)

Since a few weeks those sadhus are staying at Darabhanga Ghat along the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras) living in self-denial and showing the practice of their asceticism.

The Dark Night of the Soul

This picture was shot at Darabhanga Ghat along the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras), the oldest living city in the world, where a group of sadhus decided to stay since a few weeks.
This child is living among them following the rules of asceticism.
I wonder if this boy decided himself to become such and then where did he find this enormous amount of energy and the wiseness to understand the moral overscrupulousness of the ascetic which made him doubt the propriety of pleasure…
I wonder what happened in order that he had this feeling of inadequacy to the demands of life.
His journey makes him fly from the world and from life therein and allows him to live an immersion of the self in a fantastic world where maybe he sees the dark night of the soul…

A Dreamer Among the Humblest

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“I prefer to be a dreamer among the humblest, with visions to be realized, than lord among those without dreams and desires.”
(Kahlil Gibran – Lebanese American artist, poet, and writer, 1883 – 1931)

This Sadhu was sleeping at Munsi ghat in Varanasi (Benaras).
It was before sunset when the golden light was reflecting from the holy waters of the Ganges providing a dreamy atmosphere to the oldest living city in the world.
Whenever I talk to those ascetic men I find out that most of them had a diferent life before, sometimes with a wife and children, and a job.
One day they left the modern world for this life where they realize their dreams with visions…

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This is picture was stolen many times and appears on several websites without copyrights.
Whenever you upload photos without coryrights some people share them and they go from page to page, site to site, from person to person indefinitely.
80% of all images used commercially are ophan images, with no name and no identity therefore when you upload them to your page you become a partner of this piracy.
There is an international convention known as the Berne Convention or WIPO Copyright Treaty which is compulsory to everyone.
My images allow to sustain a social work in Varanasi therefore stealing is against this.
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Lal Baba, the Ultimate Sadhu

© All photographs are copyrighted and all rights reserved.
Please do not use any photographs without permission (even for private use).
The use of any work without consent of the artist is PROHIBITED and will lead automatically to consequences.

“Some offer their wealth, their austerity, and their practice of yoga as sacrifice, while the ascetics with strict vows offer their study of scriptures and knowledge as sacrifice.”
(Bhagavad Gita)

This is a picture of Lal Baba who is a Saivite (follower of Shiva) sādhu.
He was born in the Indian state of Bihar but he stays most of the time in Varanasi (Benaras).
I didn’t see him since a few months, no one could tell me where he was whenever I was asking at the ghats so I was happy to see him again a few days ago as I was walking with my friend Rajesh along the Ganges.
People call him Lal Baba because he mostly wears garments in red shades, “lal” means red in Hindi.
His huge turban keeps a few meters of dreadlocks and gives him an impressive presence.
Sometimes people think that he can’t see much because of cataract but in fact his eyes have an amazing deep blue colour.
I told him that Benaras is not the same without him and he laughed.
This is a link to another picture with him shot a few years ago:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3160715&id=139421082424

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Let the Flower of Gods Bless You

 

”The marigold, that goes to bed wi’ th’ sun.
And with him rises weeping.”
(William Shakespeare, The Winter’s Tale – Perdita at IV, iv) 

I often display pictures shot at the flower market which is located in the chowk of Varanasi (Benaras) but I almost never show its flowers.
The courtyard is mostly over-powered by the fragrance of fresh marigolds.

It is one of the traditional flowers used in garlands, offerings and social functions.
In India, the common Hindi name used for marigold is Gendha and it is Sthulapushpa in Sanskrit. 
It symbolizes a trust in the divine and a will to overcome obstacles
The saffron/orange colour signifies renunciation and hence is offered to God as a symbol of surrender. 

It is said to be in bloom on the calends of every month, this would be why the Romans named the flower Calendula and one of the names by which it is known in Italy, “fiore d’ogni mese”, countenances this derivation. 
However it was not named after the Virgin even if the flower is offered to Mother Mary on the Feast of the Annunciation, in fact its name is a corruption of the Anglo-Saxon merso-meargealla, the Marsh Marigold. 
Old English authors called it Golds or Ruddes. 
Being an edible flower marigolds were used in cookery and medicine and in the old times they were used to color hair yellow

Magical lore tells that putting marigolds under the matress will induce prophetic dreams. 
The herb is also said to have the power to make dreams come true.
The marigold was also believed to be protective and was used in wreathes to keep a home safe. 
Similar to St. John’s Wort, it was thought that marigold could strip a witch of her will.

The Legend

 

This is a portrait of Satya Paul who is a living legend.
Satya Paul is considered as one of the greatest figures in the Indian fashion industry.
This self-taught designer is a pioneer since the sixties and his legacy could be compared to the work of Yves Saint Laurent.
His major contributions to design has been of questioning and changing the way to wear and perceive the sari and the salwar kameez by innovating the very form and drape of it.
He is currently supporting and promoting the various crafts of weaving from all over India. 
His name is well-known everywhere in the country and all my Indian friends dream to wear his sarees.
However Mister Satya Paul is the most humble fashion designer that I ever met.
I meet him for a week twice a year as our booths are next to each other during a show.
I am lucky to be able to share a few words with him every morning then and to listen to his wonderful words of wisdom about life.
There is a radiant energy coming from his amazing happiness.
www.satyapaul.com
www.01paulsalon.com

“God has no religion”

 

“God has no religion”
(Mahatma Gandhi, 1869-1948)

Those words by Gandhiji take their plain meaning when I have the chance to be among so many religions which are so different and yet so close…
I took this picture of Shiva temples roofs as I was stepping down the narrow staircase which leads to Ahilyabai ghat which is along the holy waters of the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras).