Life on the River Ganges

My Scholarship entry - A 'place' I have visited

India | Sunday, January 13, 2013 | 5 photos

In 2012, I travelled to India and spent part of my time by the River Ganges in Varanasi. What I had imagined was somewhat akin to a Utopia – a place where women dance in brightly coloured saris; where the aromas of spices would waft through bustling bazaars filled with exotic perfumes. However, these hazy contemplations had been in stark contrast to the reality.

The India that I saw was unrelentingly harsh to the senses. The scenes were swathed in dust and layers of filth and poverty. The streets were filled with arrogant men, children approaching foreigners for money, open sewerage and litter, and the stifling pungent odour of pollution in the air. As a consequence, I found myself trying to capture the more remarkable parts of life that are lived by the locals on the banks of the River Ganges.

With this submission, I hope to demonstrate to others a form of happiness and solitude with one's simple presence in this world – something that I believe is often difficult to uncover with the complexities of a first-world existence. I have always been enchanted by the transcultural nature of travel photography. As such, it would be an honour to discover Oman on this scholarship.