Faith has varied dimensions. Some believe. Some question. Some
doubt. Some don’t believe. A wish, its fulfillment, and paying back obeisance
to the god is the most direct worldly manifestation of the faith. The
photographs below show one traditional way of doing so in the Hindu faith.
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| When the faith calls for its manifestation - a devotee travelling to the place of the deity laying his body prostrate on the ground at every step (1) |
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| When the faith calls for its manifestation - a devotee travelling to the place of the deity laying his body prostrate on the ground at every step (2) |
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| When the faith calls for its manifestation - a devotee travelling to the place of the deity laying his body prostrate on the ground at every step (3) |
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| When the faith calls for its manifestation - a devotee travelling to the place of the deity laying his body prostrate on the ground at every step (4) |
WHEN THE FAITH CALLS FOR ITS MANIFESTATION
CATEGORY: PHOTOGRAPHY
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On fulfillment of a wish, some believers, as decided while
praying for the wish, cover the distance to the place of the deity from a particular
point (that may run in kilometers) in a most difficult way that shows the
importance of the wish fulfilled and their commitment to the deity.
They cover the whole distance laying the body prostrate on
the ground at every step till they reach the place. They fold their hands, bow,
bend the body to touch the ground, take their hands to the forehead, lay down
straight, stretch their hands, mark a line on the path for their next step, get
up, to take the next leap of their faith. It goes on till they reach the place
where their faith culminates. All this while, they keep on chanting their gratitude
to the deity. This person is one such believer.
I took these photographs in a Rajasthan district that has
famous Mehndipur Balaji temple. While the temple is on the plane, there are low
altitude hills all around housing other temples complimenting to the religious
ecology of the Hindu pilgrimage centre.
A brilliantly honest manifestation of faith indeed, but only
for them who come to believe for faith is a strange ‘clarity and vagueness’ proposition
in life.
This believer was on way to the place of his deity and was
passing through the pathway laid down on top of a hillock when I observed and
clicked him.
©/IPR: Santosh Chaubey - http://severallyalone.blogspot.com/
