Un video de la Expedición a Katmandú y Benarés

A short video of the photographers with the Sadhus at Kathmandu

We have just returned from Kathmandu with the last expedition, I would like to introduce a video that should give you an idea of the atmosphere of a shooting at Nomad Photo Expedition with some of the photographers that came to this trip.  You will see the Fuji XPRO-1 at work. On this opportunity we approached the place were the Sadhus sleep and live, on the backstage of Pasupatinath temple, Kathmandu, far away from tourists and worshippers. I have been visiting them last year and decided to bring with me some of the pictures taken at that time.  You can see the Naga Sadhus waiking up on the past year blog entry.

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Recién llegado de Katmandú con la expedición Nomad, quería presentaros un vídeo que quizás pueda dar una idea de cómo se desarrolla parte de un día de Nomad Expediciones Fotográficas en el campo de batalla.

En esta ocasión nos acercamos al lugar en el que duermen los Sadús (Santones),  en la parte trasera del templo, alejados de los turistas y fieles.  Yo ya había estado el año anterior y, para relajar el ambiente, llevaba conmigo algunas fotografías realizadas entonces. Aquí podeis leer la historia de aquél momento.

La cosa es bastante impresionante, especialmente la primera vez.  Estos Sadús se despiertan fumando Ganja, una  variante de la marihuana, mientras se acicalan pintándose el rostro con las pinturas rituales. El problema desde el punto de vista fotográfico es que se empeñan en posar y además lo hacen siempre de una determinada manera, en pose de meditación budista. Evidentemente consideran que esa es la posición de mayor dignidad.  No os aburro más. Vamos a ver si, por una vez la imagen vale más que las palabras..

Naga Sadhús rezando al despertar

Harry Fisch. " Naga Sadhus, Katmandu"

Back in my city, a photographer, looking at this picture asked me:

- "Do they express interest in the result ?"

- Yes, I answered,  Like any human being. Be it an actor or a criminal :-) . Much more if they feel or discover that they have beeen respectfully and seriously photographed. In this precise case, I went to their "home" the place were they sleep and wake up. Apart from tourist and religious visitors.

Those are Sadhus. Holly men that survive from alms. Many of them are supposed to have made wows of poverty. They pray, give blessings to the visitors at Pasupatinath, the oldest Hindu temple in Kathmandu on the banks of the holy BagmatiRiver,. Devotees of Shiva and sadhus flock to Pashupatinath and many Nepalis choose to be cremated on the banks of the holy river. This picture was made very early in the morning, just when they were waking up, before the visits of the devotees and the start of the cremations. As a matter of fact, I entered the place were they meet and sleep. This was clearly a behind the scenes capture...

When will go back to Kathmandu, the first thing I will do is bring them their pictures, big and, possibly, framed. In my experience this is a present that is accepted with pleasure and gets us (them and me) to another level of reciprocal understanding.

This "mechanism" (Photo-going back-discussing the photo) is what we (subject pictured and the photographer) enjoy the most.

It opens for both sides new horizons: the "American" tourist is less a tourist and the Nepali "naked" Sadhu is less naked. This new situations changes our perception of "the others" and allows, even with an eye contact without words, a new relation on each future photography, which, again, becomes only an excuse for another relation...

A last curiosity: they are smoking "Ganja", a variety of Cannabis. Funny enough, they smoke it without problem whilst a foreigner smoking it will be in very serious problems in Nepal...

Me  acerqué durante dos días consecutivos a Pashupatinath, Katmandú,  a la parte trasera, al lugar en el que duermen.  Las seis de la mañana, trás bambalinas, el momento en el que se despertaban, antes de las visitas  y del comienzo de las cremaciones.

Al ver esta foto ya en Madrid, me pregunta un amigo:

- ¿Y les interesa el resultado de la foto?

-   Desde luego -le contesté- como a cualquier persona, sea actor o criminal.

Les interesa especialmente  si  entienden que la fotografía es  realizada con interés y respeto. De una manera seria. 

El despertar de los Sadhus

Sadhus waiking up..., a photo by Harry Fisch.

This was my second visit. The other time the relation has not been easy. I just arrived after they morning "Toilette" and they were quite surprised to have someone there at such an early moment. Sadhus are sanyasi, or renunciates, who have left behind all material and sexual attachments and live in caves, forests and temples all over India and Nepal.

Era mi segunda visita. La vez anterior la cosa había estado más tensa. Lo cierto es que llegué cuando casi habían terminado de acicalarse  para desplazarse a las zonas del templo donde vienen los fieles y turistas. Los Nagas Sadhus (los Sadhus desnudos), al fondo,  estaban cubriendo su cuerpo de cenizas y se calentaban con una pequeña fogata. En lugar de desayuno.....