GOPS CREATIVE ARTS & PHOTOGRAPHY - CAPTURING THE SIMPLICITIES & COMPLEXITIES OF LIFE
Jan 24
by GOPAN NAIR in Life in this India 2 comments tags: corn, flakes, Girl Child Day, gop.org, gopan, gopan g nair, gops, gops creativ, gops photography, hampi, hunger, india, national, photos, poverty, stories, street

LAUGHTER OF POVERTY

Today is National Girl Child Day in India. National Girl Child Day is celebrated every year on January 24 to spread awareness about gender inequalities in the Indian society. That reminded me of an old story I always wanted to publish as a photo feature. I came across this little girl in her teens drying corn kernels under the scorching sun in the Hampi region in Karnataka. The sweltering summer had already attacked her tender skin through the torn clothes. Little pieces of stick pierced through her ears and a black thread around her neck adorned her body, perhaps the only ornaments she could afford. After entering into a conversation with her, I realized that the dried corn would go to Kelloggs factory and turn into corn-flakes and cereals for the rich. When I asked her whether she liked corn-flakes, she burst out into laughter and told me that she never had a chance to taste anything other than rice & sambar. I shamelessly clicked and captured that ‘laughter of poverty’ on film. The typical symbol of downtrodden Indian !
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Jan 30
by GOPAN NAIR in Life in this India 2 comments tags: common man, gop.org, gopan, gopan g nair, gops, gops photography, in this, india, life, photography, street

A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE STREET STORIES

HOLINESS OF LONELINESS I came across this elderly man (a Sadhu) at Rishikesh, a famous Hindu pilgrimage centre by the banks of Ganga river in India . His only possession was the Holy book, which he always kept close to the heart.  He did not smile or beg for alms, but from the peace on his face, I could feel that his contented soul had already left the mortal body.  There are times when we realize that the meaning of life is nothing but a  big Zero ! Frozen moments where emptiness filled mega pixels !! THE BAREFOOTED GOD The God appeared in front of me ! Yes, it was on a fine Sunday morning when I was taking my usual stroll down the streets of Bangalore. I turned back listening to the sound of a chime…, and there he stood !  The barefooted Rama with a gentle smile on his face.  The teenager was making some extra money in his new Avatar.  The rickshaw behind him had a picture of Hanuman pasted on it, which aroused my curiosity.  As per mythology, Lord Rama used to ride on the back of Hanuman ! BURNING DESIRES & STUBBORN STAINS Last night I had this weird dream . I […]
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Jul 29
by GOPAN NAIR in Life in this India, travel, Varanasi 10 comments tags: aarti, Assi Ghat, benaras, benares, Dashashwamedh Ghat, gali, ganga, ganges, ghat, gopan, gopan g nair, gops, gops.org, Harishchandra Ghat, hindu, holy, kashi, Manikarnika, Manikarnika Ghat, photo, photography, river, sadhu, spiritual, spirituality, street, Tulsi Ghat, varanasi, Vishwanath Temple, worship

VARANASI, A CITY BEYOND LIFE & DEATH

VARANASI ( Also known as BENARAS or KASHI ) is  the oldest living city in the world with a known history of over 3000 years.  Mark Twain once wrote, “Varanasi is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together.” This historic city existed even when Sri Budha was a young boy. Varanasi belongs to the Indian state of  Uttar Pradesh, situated by the west bank of holy Ganga River. The revered and ancient city Varanasi is the religious centre of the world of Hindus, Budhists, Jains & Sikhs. Even after several centuries of destruction by Mughals & other invaders, this city still stands, where the past & present, eternity & continuity, philosophy & wisdom co-exist.  To Hindus, Kashi is as holy as Mecca to Muslims & Jerusalem to Christians. There is a common belief that you need to get an invitation from the God to visit Varanasi. I feel this has some significance in real life too. Though I used to procrastinate a lot, the trip got materialized unexpectedly, when I was not really prepared for it. One of the main attractions in Varanasi must be its street life, and it […]
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Jan 13
by GOPAN NAIR in Life in this India, Varanasi 4 comments tags: barber, benaras, ganga, ghat, gopan, gopan g nair, gops, gops.org, gopsphotography, kashi, life, photography, river, street, varanasi

OPEN AIR SHAVE

VARANASI ( Also known as Benaras or Kashi ) is  the oldest living city in the world with a known history of over 3000 years.  Mark Twain once wrote, “Varanasi is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together.” This city existed even when Sri Budha was a young boy.  Varanasi belongs to the Indian state of  Uttar Pradesh, situated by the west bank of holy Ganga River. The revered and ancient city Varanasi is the religious centre of the world of Hindus, Budhists, Jains & Sikhs. Even after several centuries of destruction by Mughals & other invaders, this city still stands, where the past and present, eternity and continuity, philosophy and wisdom co-exist.  To Hindus, Kashi is as holy as Mecca to Muslims & Jerusalem to Christians. One of the main attractions in Varanasi must be its street life, and it is perhaps every photographer’s dream land.  In this series, I have tried to capture the spiritual moments and street life of Varanasi without losing its charm. About this particular frame : I was fascinated  by the activities of a barber who appeared from nowhere, made a quick setup and got busy with his […]
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