Ghats at Benares, a photo from Uttar Pradesh, North

Photographer's Note

The ghats at benares (Varanasi). One of the iconic scenes of India.

Every morning people come down to purify themselves in the waters of the Ganges, a river considered holy (and I invite anyone from India to provide a fuller and probably more accurate account of this aspect of Indian life). The immense buildings house, I believe, pilgrims, and this has been going on for hundreds and perhaps thousands of years.

Even though this picture was taken 30 years ago (and is part of my efforts to digitize my slides to make them more accessible to me and my family), I imagine that the scene is largely unchanged today, and will be for hundreds of years to come.

Scanned from a Kodachrome II slide using a Minolta Dimage III scanner.

Liora, Catli, ChrisJ, MLINES, Joffre, BWJ ha puntuado esta nota como útil.

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kinginexile (2598) 2004-11-07 22:40

Because of all the Benares pix and comments, i am now seriously thinking of adding this city to my South east asian trip, next winter.

I just bought the (big) book from the photographer Richard Lannoy, "Benares seen from within", this afternoon, actually.

You not only got a perennial image of this holiest of places, but also the perennial Indian light that comes with it. The buildings are slightly over-exposed, but maybe more expert photographers would disagree, and it is no hinderance to enjoy a
very impressive sight.

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Liora (1857) 2004-11-08 0:23

A most amazing photo Alan - the first amazing detail is its pristine condition, given its 30 years of age. The second is the combination of these magnificent structures with the "daily life" scene just next to it. Great capture!

alford (4063) 2004-11-08 1:12

Excellent pic Alan! Very digital-like! Very interesting notes too! I've read in magazines about this daily routine by Indians, and this pic perfectly illustrates that. Great catch!

paguru (1056) 2004-11-08 7:55

Wonderful! A classic TE shot. The buildings look like they have been designed for a "Star Wars" movie. The light and the colors are perfectly captured, and the quality of the image is very good, considering its age.
Thanks a lot,
Oliver

bharat (474) 2004-11-11 4:23

Awesome photo on banares / varanasi.What a shot.Hope to travel in the near future.

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ChrisJ (171146) 2004-12-12 20:20

Hi Alan

Excellent daily life scene from Benares. I may try a ws.

[workshop] [compare] +

jsec (2154) 2005-02-02 2:07 [Comment]

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sengir (4956) 2005-04-15 17:15

very nice picture, lots of life in it, compo is good and this light... beautiful!

MLINES (12516) 2006-03-09 5:51

Good composition and ideal for TE. Frankly this sort of place is sort of uncomprehensibly dirty, but many more millions think it is a good thing to do, so maybe they are right and i'm wrong. You have captured the ambiance of this place well.

Joffre (527) 2007-09-07 23:43

Hiya Alan, wonderful morning light and colours. Great daily life detail. The POV really enhances the impressive buildings and the fact this was taken 30 years ago highlights the timeless nature of the place. Could be a touch sharper, nonetheless, impressive capture!

mafegan (8626) 2008-08-18 22:20

Hello Alan
A good scan with much detail of daily life in Varanasi. I visited here in 1975 and this brings back memories. I am wondering where you were standing?
TFS, Marlene

BWJ (3094) 2009-07-29 5:30

Hello Alan,
This is an exotic composition of daily life. It is an excellent shot of the architecture. The people bathing greatly increases its richness. Color and light and light are beautiful.
Kind regards,
Betty