Honorable Mention
The Look
DESCRIPTION
"Baba Taraknath er seva lage.....Mahadevvvvvvvvvv! Bom! Bom!"Seemed like a war cry, but it was not. It was a loud chant by ill clad godmen from the backward classes draped in red cloth and garlands seeking alms during the last month of the Bengali calendar, "Chaitra" that concludes with the festivities of "Gajan".
Amongst various folk festivals of the Bengali Hindu's, "Gajan " occupies a very special place primarily for the various rituals involved with it. The name might have originated from the bengali word "garjan" meaning a load roar, or may be from combining the words Ga (meaning village) and Jon (meaning people) which indicates the festival of the village people. Started centuries ago, it can briefly be stated that this involves worshipping either Dharmathakur, resembled by a stone and believed to have originated from Buddhism (Dharmer Gajan) or Lord Shiva at places (Shiv er Gajan).They paint their faces with home made natural colors and dressed as Gods and Goddesses. This is a picture of Lord Krishna as dressed by a young village girl.
There are several phases of this month long festival -
Some selected men from backward communities choose to become "Gajan sanyasi's" who live a life of penance and sacrifice, staying away from all worldly pleasures for a month, only to please the Gods.
Two days before the month of Chaitra, "Neel Shasti" is celebrated by married women who fast the entire day for the well being of their husband and children. It is believed that Lord Shiva got married to Goddess Parvati
AUTHOR
Years ago, the quench to learn, explore, perceive and appreciate life envisioned upon me to take up the peerless art of photography. Embarking on this craft, I acquired proficiency with various advanced gadgets and related software’s. As my unending thirst catapulted me and assign a feather on my lens with the completion of EFIP and AFIAP, a keen interest for both custom and creative shades, projected me at event & wedding photography with an association at my own company. Coupled with a zest for life and with the camera as my better half, I am now predominantly engaged on Street Photography as my stock-in-trade. Like a kaleidoscopic view, I hope to capture life's piquant narratives and shades on every alley and streets through the countenance of its occupants, so as to tell a tale and narrate the facade of actual life. People say I do things differently. Well! I gladly second them. I thoroughly cherish the never ending waves of life. "There are many miles to tread before I resort to my slumber!” 