Either you will

go through this door

or you will not go through.

If you go through

there is always the risk

of remembering your name.

Things look at you doubly

and you must look back

and let them happen.

If you do not go through

it is possible

to live worthily

to maintain your attitudes

to hold your position

to die bravely

but much will blind you,

much will evade you,

at what cost who knows?

The door itself

makes no promises.

It is only a door.

Adrienne Rich, "Prospective Immigrants Please Note"

There is nothing more full of life than a group of young men galvanized for a mission. There was much laughter and back slapping and widespread enjoyment of their quest to deliver the statue, although I imagine a lot of them were hoarse the next day.

At the water's edge the enthusiasm waned just a bit, as some of the young men had forgotten to roll up their pants legs. Relief came in the form of those already in the river, who helped make sure she reached her destination. It took a bit of pushing to get her going.

Life on the Ghat. As you can see, another statue, also draped in flower garlands, awaits her turn.

The river banks were covered in debris from earlier launchings. When the monsoons arrive in the summer, much of this gets carried downstream. In recent years there has been some effort to improve the contamination of the Ganges but the issue is a delicate one. For many it is so revered and customs regarding its use not only in religious ceremonies but also in daily life so ingrained, making any changes will have to be carefully orchestrated.

The largest Hindu Temple in Calcutta.

These flowers are not in the flower market, but at the entrance to the cemetery in Delhi. It was one of the few western style flower stalls I saw. The rest were either in shops or more often, on the blankets of vendors on the street.

This vendor at the wholesale market has just about sold all his supply for the morning.

The closeups of the flower garlands simply do not do them justice. The fragrance, the vibrancy of the yellows and oranges against the brown dirt is hard to describe.

Bundles of marigolds fresh from the villages. The garlands are used to drape the pictures of saints and family ancestors. While I was in India, there was a huge scandal going on in West Bengal because a former highly favored governor's portrait was not draped in preparation for the inaugural ceremonies of the new incoming governor. That small oversight provided days of political fodder for the newspapers and media.

The use of flowers spills beyond religious devotion and permeates everyday life. These marigolds were nestled with votive candles in a bowl of water in my hotel. I began to look forward to seeing each morning and evening what the staff would put out. It was different each day.

Can you imagine coming home to something like this every evening?.....(!)

Here are the houseboats at the river dock. Our guide, Mitra, is in the striped sweater to the left and the special river guide, in the pink shirt, to the right. We would soon acquire a third guide en route, whose expertise was the wildlife at the reserve. If you look carefully, at the right end of the first boat you will see a small cubicle. No it is not the head, it is the kitchen. No sooner had we taken off and settled in than all sorts of commotion could be heard coming from it: pots clanging, water being poured (we worried initially about from where to where) and at one point, a bit of heated conversation. After a bit, everything was sorted out, peace prevailed and lunch was served...

In India, the term 'curry' means a sauce, not a spice, as it does here. There are countless versions of sauce as various as their are cooks and ranging from very mild to spicy, spicy hot, depending I guess you could say, on the temperament of the cook.

This is thatching straw on it's way either to market or to a job site. In the rural areas, homes are often made of mud and roofed with straw. I was struck over and over by the ingenious and adventurous method of hauling products. Trucks,bikes,wagons,lorries or boats are stacked beyond the believability point with goods. Trucks with goods 2 1/2 times the height of the truck were commonplace as well as men and women carrying loads on their heads equal to their height.

The majority of India is Hindu. Devotion to the practice of this faith is evidenced by the appearance of altars everywhere--on street corners, on taxi dashboards, on farm stands and here, along the river bank. Some are permanent, others only temporary, being constructed overnight for a particular deity's festival holiday. All are revered and dressed with fresh flowers daily.

Living on a lake I could not help but feel a kinship with the river water, the boats and setting sun.

At mid day the sun became too bright on one side of the boat, so our guide hung a shade to filter the light. The gentle flapping in the breeze of the fabric was as soothing as a lullaby. Everyone at one point or another, dozed off.

Physical labor by men and women is a significant aspect of how things get done in India. This man is hauling mud in a basket on his head to fill a hole full of steel rods that will form the structural pillar for a new tourist center. Over and over in India I saw this juxtaposition of ancient building techniques with modern ones. There is building going on everywhere in the cities but seldom do you see any large construction equipment or earth moving equipment. Instead, there are tent cities next to large structures full of itinerant workers and their families. The scaffolding they mount each day to work against the buildings is made of bamboo.

Ferry service on the rivers carries goods and people to market. This boat was loaded with bikes, people, and blankets.

Because the illiteracy rate is so high, there exists a demand for individuals who can read and write to provide this service for those who cannot. I loved this scene not only because of the quiet pride of the typist, but also the age of the typewriter and the use of carbon paper.

The vegetables were so beautiful and colorful and were available everywhere in the cities as well as the small villages.


This photo was taken in the straw market where the ceremonial statues of gods and goddesses are made that are used in the many Hindu festivals. Once this figure is shaped it will be sold to someone who will cover it with clay to shape it's features and then on to a painter who will color the statue and dress it. The finished statue will then be sold for use in a festival and ultimately recycled, often after being ritually dunked in the Ganges.

"Teach this simple truth: A generous heart, kind speech and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity." Buddha

When I first arrived in India I struggled mightily with a sense of voyeurism about taking pictures of individuals. In America we do have foreign visitors but it is rare to have the experience of them snapping pictures of everything we do. As a result I often simply people watched. My heart is full of lots of images that will linger for a long time, but I do wish I had a few more to share. What are those lines from Helen Keller? "Some things cannot be seen, but only felt." I agree.

India does not have public education, but there were school children everywhere and large numbers of them on field trips at all the national sites I visited. In every instance I would be greeted with smiling faces and gentle pats and requests to have my picture made with them, which was a lovely turnabout. Once I found myself in the center of about 200 young 9 and 10 year old girls, all gently pressing close and pat, pat, patting me as their arms encircled us. It was something I will never forget.

This is one of my favorite pictures because it involved a wonderful adventure deep into the heart of an automotive market. (A story in and of itself, for another telling) It was a dark labyrinth beyond description with every auto part made since the beginning of Henry Ford secreted somewhere inside. The air reeked of oil, grease, men and urine. It was very quiet and so was I. Suddenly I looked up and there in a shaft of light stood this marvelous man. Without thinking I smiled and this was his reply. Then smiles all around, I took pictures and the world rolled on, peacefully as before. I will never forget it.

I believe it is difficult for westerners to understand the standard of living in worlds outside our own. We have so much it is hard to grasp how people live with very little something I found over and over in my brief time there,and missing here at home. No matter how modest or simple the source of income, there was a deep abiding respect for those at work, whatever they may be doing.