~City As Old As Time~

My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

India | Saturday, September 10, 2011 | 5 photos

Varanasi has always been a place in my memory as someone who grew up in a Buddhist country like Thailand. It was this city where the Buddha has seen life's vicious cycle: Birth, Aging, Illness and Death. And that's exactly what I experienced there as well and I believe this ancient city would look not so differently back then than now. It is city lost in time.

As Mark Twain puts it, Varanasi is "Older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, And looks twice as old as all of them put together "

In the heart of the city (and its population) flows the holy river Ganges. It is the center of every life in Varanasi that involves every phase of life and, therefore, the ideal place to get to know this city.

None of the pictures were post-processed.

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About myself and the question I should be chosen:

I had never considered photography as my passion before until traveling has opened my eyes. No, of course, it hasn't opened my eyes to photographic world but it has opened my eyes to new things, new culture, new people, new sights and new feelings. Most the time, you can only capture the sights but the feelings are another story. That was the beginning of my interest in photography.

I am convinced I should be chosen because I have balance between passion in traveling and in photography for travel photography. I started from how to bring the best out of what I see and feel and not what is the best way/equipments to use.

I am not a professional photographer. I am in human rights field and helping a few NGOs on issues like freedom of expression, political prisoners, refugees, etc.