Last year I had visited Benaras, on work. I managed to get away for both the Ganga Aarti in the evening, and a boat ride on the Ganga, in the morning.

It was also the first time i got to properly play with the new camera – the Nikon D7000, a replacement for the older Olympus 510 that i had used for ever. I was (and still am) very fond of the Olympus – but the manufacturer had stopped supporting that entire range. And, i am not yet sure of the mirrorless system.

 

this is possibly one of my favorite pictures from Benaras. And, it is, technically, a flawed shot. The lens had got  condensation drops on it (as had my glasses) – the difference between the temperature in the car and the outside, and i had not cleaned it properly. The spot on the right hand side, is the effect of fog on the lens, yet it gives an ethereal, timeless feeling to the sense of faith and devotion of those who come to Kashi and mother Ganga to pray for their ancestors.

 

This too, is one of my all time favorites – the boy walking. It is the mix of light and shadows, and the narrow darkened corridor leading to bright light that struck me, even with the naked eye. The colours are a living advertisement to the power of poster colours, they just come out there and grab you. The whole city is a treat for the senses. The aroma of cooking food, to the peal of temple bells, to the sarees on mannequins, to the monkeys that try and jump on electric poles. In a way, carrying a camera prevents you from observing and soaking in the senses

This one was the previous evening, at the Ganga Aartiva

And, this was the boatman, the one who took us on a leisurely boat ride around the ghats

more of my Benaras pictures are here, here and here.

I plan to go back in the near future.