Varanasi Vignette

Photographers, there are millions! And while a handful are aiming to make an image that puts mediocrity to flight, the rest of the shutterbugs wielding their ubiquitous dig-cams, are content with recording births, marriages or that lovely vacation by the sea. But be it the elite or the dregs, with every click, both attempt to fossilise their experience and the past for posterity. All those who gaze upon that photograph, inherit a part of that past. In essence, every picture tells a story, has a story.

My story began one balmy autumn afternoon when I was idly chatting with a fellow photographer. Amidst the purple haze of cigarette smoke and between endless cups of tea we decided to embark on our first photography odyssey. Little did I know the quantum of truth in the statement- He that travels far, knows much. Thus began our enlightening enterprise to the land of life, lights and after-life: Varanasi.

Is the photographer a documenter or a story teller? Is the photograph a slice of life, detached from time or is it a moment within the continuum? Question like these suck us deep into the cryptic vortex of the visual language. It was a question I was compelled to ask myself. Should I behave as a documenter recording what I saw, or should I tell the story of my journey? I was confused.

The challenges did not just stop there. While exploring the ghats of Varanasi, I realised that besides capturing the ever-present human drama, there are also certain truths to be told. Unlike a poet or a painter, a photographer has a stricter task- responding to the moment, not dwelling in it. From my textbook knowledge I knew, while freezing the right moment in time on film, there is no ‘frame’ for bias. Easier said than done! In an ideal scenario the faces of Sadhus and sinners should all be examined without piety or prejudice. But ideals I discovered are like horizon. The nearer you get the further it seems.

I never thought I would attach words to my photographs. But I realised- every picture not only tells a story but hides one behind it. You open the shutter, and the interesting stories come. Sometimes there is a story but the picture is missing. I can vividly recall all photographs that I did not take on this trip.

(The procrastinator I am, I finally wrote this after almost 4 months of the trip. Thanks to much coaxing from a few friends. I am planning to publish an e-book of the pics and experiences of Varanasi as a tribute to the successive generations of people who travel, live and make Varanasi the place it is today. Lets see when it's finally done....)

Photographed by fellow traveller and photographer per excellence- Soumik Bag