Colours of Northern India
19 Jul 2016
India is a land of great diversity and complexity. You will find the extremely rich amongst the poorest of the poor. It is a land of spirituality and devotion, yet with so many gods on offer, there are still those who have never heard of Jesus.
Over 67,000 km of track stretch out in every imaginable direction to criss-cross India. Commnet Media took a train ride across the north of the country to capture pictorially some of the uniqueness that is India. They say “It’s impossible to capture in one single portfolio all that is North India – but enjoy this taste.”
Hindu devotees apply a red powder to their forehead every day. This has deep spiritual meaning including the Hindu concepts of spiritual power and the third eye.
Sadhus are Hindu holy men, easily identified by their saffron coloured robes. They adopt a wandering lifestyle characterised by self-discipline and abstinence.
Some say there are 330 million Hindu gods. Although the exact number is unknown, it is certainly true that Hindus (eighty percent of India’s population) are very serious about worshipping their gods.
Islam is the second largest religion in India making up fourteen percent of the population. These Muslim men are observing one of their five daily prayer times on a busy train platform.
Many Hindus go into the Ganges River for ceremonial bathing. Steps leading down to river are known as ghats, and there are 87 ghats in Varanasi alone.
Although cows are considered sacred in India and wander freely through pastures, houses and peak hour traffic, the buffalos are not so fortunate. These strong bovines are good workers on the land, as well as a source of meat. This one looks destined for the dinner table.
Snake Charming is an ancient profession, and there are still plenty of snake charmers on the streets of India. The charmer pretends to hypnotize the snake by playing a reed instrument called a pungi.
Images by CommNet Media