On the Ghats The steps down to the Ganges River are crowded with Hindu faithful who want to access the sacred waters during the auspicious Kumbh Mela in Haridwar,India(13April2010).
Much of the world is currently in lock-down, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and the inadvisability of being in small spaces with large numbers of people. I currently have two lots of travel insurance – and travel plans – that are functionally worthless as countries spiral into panic and wonder how their already-stretched health systems will cope.
So, as Australia locks its borders and limits gatherings to less than ten people, I can’t help but think back to a time when I was part of one of the largest masses of human movement on the planet: a Kumbh Mela in India.
The Kumbh Mela (or Kumbha Mela) is a Hindu religious festival that is celebrated four times every 12 years. The tradition is attributed to the 8th-century Indian philosopher Shankara who wanted religious ascetics and holy men to meet for periodic discussion and debate. The location rotates around four pilgrimage places on four sacred rivers: Haridwar on the Ganges River, Ujjain on the Shipra, Nashik on the Godavari, and Prayag (Allahabad) at the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna (Jamuna), and the mythical Sarasvati.
The sacredness of these four locations is rooted in ancient Hindu texts, particularly the samudra manthana (Sanskrit:समुद्रमन्थन, churning of the ocean). Long before our time, gods and demons fought continuously over the pot (kumbha) of amrita, the elixir of immortality that is produced by their joint churning up of the milky ocean of creation. In the course of their struggle, drops of the elixir fell on those four earthly sites. When the Sun, the Moon, and Jupiter line up over the respective sites, the associated rivers turn back into that primordial nectar, giving pilgrims the chance to bathe in the essence of purity, auspiciousness, and immortality.
So, the pilgrims come – they come from all over, carrying kumbhs (water pots) or other containers to carry water from the sacred rivers home with them. They come on foot. They come by tuk tuk or bicycle or car. They come by train – as we did when I attended the 2010 Kumbh Mela in Haridwar with photographers Gavin Gough and Matt Brandon. (Being piled into an over-night second-class rail carriage across India gave me plenty of stories to tell, but is not an experience I would repeat or recommend.) For days, they keep coming.
The dates of the mela are determined by the Holy men, who measure the astrological positions for the site whose mela it will be: the holiest time is the exact moment when the Sun, the Moon, and Jupiter, are fully aligned. On April 14th 2010 – the day after these particular pictures were taken – approximately 10 million people bathed in the Ganga Mata (Mother Ganges) in Haridwar.
This is not the first time I’ve returned to this old set of photo-files (see: Faces in the Crowd), but digging through the archives and dusting off some of the pictures I made of the exuberantly smiling faces during this mass-gathering seemed like a good way of making lemonade out the lemons the world is currently throwing at us.
Enjoy!
Bicycle on the Move Being on a main artery into the Haridwar city centre gave me and my old camera a chance to practice panning. (Canon 7D, ISO100, 34mm, f/3.2, 1/40 sec.)
Motorcycle on the Move This is such a common sight – people without helmets squashed onto small motorcycles, with female passengers riding pillion on the back. (Canon 7D, ISO100, 25mm, f/4.0, 1/40 sec.)
Tuk-Tuk on the Road Most vehicles are filled to over-capacity. (Canon 7D, ISO100, 24mm, f/4.5, 1/40 sec.)
Cycle Rickshaw I can’t help but feel sorry for the poor rickshaw operators … (Canon 7D, ISO100, 32mm, f/3.5, 1/40 sec.)
Rickshaw on the Road … with their heavy loads of passengers. (Canon 7D, ISO100, 24mm, f/8.0, 1/40 sec.)
Colours of India The roadside shops are busy, as pilgrims – in their white shirts and colourful saris – stop for a break and a masala chai.
Couple Most people on the road were happy to stop and chat …
Woman in a Ghoonghat … and many insisted on having their pictures taken.
Fruit Sellers Colour and texture is all around, in the walls …
Woman in a Ghoonghat … and in the faces and clothing.
Girl in Pink Smiles are everywhere.
Pilgrim in Lace
Walking into Haridwar And the crowd keeps moving, …
Men on the Move … walking towards the sacred river.
Sadu Pilgrim in Orange You can stop for blessings along the road. Notice the copper kumbh sitting on the mat – this sadhu has already collected some sacred water.
Men on the Road
Young Girl Pilgrims come in all ages.
Buildings on the Ganges
Preparing Offerings At the ghats on the river …
Man with Offerings … people are preparing ritual offerings …
Ganga Mata … with which to worship the Mother Ganges.
Bridge over the Ganges Whole stretches of river are packed with worshipers …
In the Ganges … who come to bathe in the fast running waters of the river. The chain-link fence keeps people from being swept away.
Shiva Watching A 30.5 m (100 ft) statue of Lord Shiva watches over the worshipers on Har ki Pauri ghats.
Crossing a Bridge over the Ganges The flood of humanity continues across the river …
Shiva on the Ganges … under Shiva’s watch. Haridwar is a holy town, as its name illustrates: Hari(meaning God) and Dwar(Gate).
Such a crush of humanity!
And, for the most part, a happy and positive crowd. There was an episode the following day where five people were killed in a stampede; while that is – of course – tragic, given the millions of people present, the odds were still good.
Better than the odds that we seem to be confronting at the moment as we face down an invisible viral foe in social isolation.
I wish you well however you are riding out the next months.
Columns Rising Built during the second century CE, the Propylaeum (temple entrance) of the Sanctuary of Zeus in Jerash, Jordan, still rises up in graceful beauty – in defiance of over 2000 years of looting, erosion, and earthquakes.
“What did the Romans ever do for us?”
I love that line from Monty Python’sLife of Brian and have thought it appropriate in many circumstances. Naturally, it came to mind when I was wandering through the magnificent Roman ruins of Jerash – Ancient Gerasa or Garshu – in northern Jordan. These extensive ruins, so far away from the epicentre of the Roman City-State, are an imposing illustration of one of the greatest empires the world has seen.
I’m not a great student of history, and most of what I know about the Roman Empire comes from the Colleen McCulloughMasters of Rome historical novels. But, wandering across archaeological sites as far-flung as South Wales (i.e.: Caerleon – watch this space!) and the south of France (see: Ancient History: Nîmes) and Spain (see: Layers: Cartagena and Málaga) brings history to life, and makes me marvel at the magnitude of Roman rule.
Of course, the ancient Romans impacted more than just landscape: they influenced our modern military, political, legal, and social institutions, as well as leaving their mark on Western language, literature, art, infrastructure, and city-planning. But, it is in the remains of roads, aqueducts, and buildings constructed around two thousand years ago, that their reach is made visible.
Jerash has been called“Pompeii of the East” because it is so well-preserved, thanks to the dry regional climate: it is considered to be one of the best preserved sites of Roman architecture outside Italy. A marble plaque at the entrance tells the visitor: Jerash was founded during the fourth century B.C. under the Alexander of Macedon, even though there is evidence of the site having been continuously settled from the Neolithic Period (10,000–4,500 BCE).
The Roman Emperor Trajan (98-117 CE) incorporated the city of Jerash into the newly established Roman province of Arabia in 106 CE. Under Roman rule, the city entered a golden age of development and prosperity, and when Emperor Hadrian (117-138 CE) visited in CE 130, the city had grown to a population of 20,000. Many of the ruins we see today were built in preparation for that visit. The local architect Diororas is credited with the revolutionary construction techniques used to erect the vaulted domes of the South Theatre and the entrance to the Temple of Zeus.
The site itself is huge – and predominantly without shade or good signposting. I only visited about half of the ruins: I wish I’d had a paper map! I had to be back at an appointed time, and I had no sense of how far some of the temples I didn’t visit were.
Even so, I marvelled at everything I did see and explore. There is something awe-inspiring about walking through structures that were part of people’s lives so many year ago.
The Arch of Hadrian Entry to the extensive ruins of ancient Gerasa are through the 11-metre high triple-arched gateway. Built to honour the visit of Roman Emperor Hadrian to the city in the winter of AD 129–130, it was originally twice the height and probably had three wooden doors.
Roof Detail : Arch of Hadrian Major reconstruction was conducted on the arch in 2005: the repaired detailing is quite beautiful.
Fallen Cornice Immediately inside the ancient outpost, examples of beautifully carved stone lie around waiting for the next restoration project.
Ancient Mosaic Tiles The beautifully restored mosaic floor of the Church of Marianos (AD 570 -749) is a lovely example of the decor in the Byzantine churches of the time.
Outside the Hippodrome Although not as big as the one in Rome, the Hippodrome in Jerash is the best preserved example in the world.
Horse and Handler Inside the hippodrome, there are a few dainty horses with their young handlers.
Nooks and Crannies The greenery is a welcome break: the site is is very hot, with the sun bouncing off the stones and bricks and tiles all around us.
Temple of Zeus Temple ruins dominate the horizon around us.
South Gate Originally, there were four gates through the city wall into the city proper; this gate at the south was probably built in AD 130.
Arch Entry The 3.5km-long boundary walls surround a square kilometre of the ancient city.
Rocks and Columns
Rubble and Ruins The renovation work is ongoing around the South Theatre.
South Theatre Inside the South Theatre, which held over 3,000 spectators, …
Piper in the Theatre … we get a sense of the wonderful acoustics when the Jordanian Bagpipe Band starts playing. I thought the pipes were originally Turkish, but there are those who claim they are a Roman invention.
Inscriptions – South Theatre The theatre was supported by the rich, and inscriptions in Latin denote who has sponsored any given section of seating.
On the Phone Surrounded by 56 columns – each made from four blocks of stone – the oval-shaped plaza outside the South Theatre makes a good resting spot for visitors.
Columns on the Hill More columns lead into the Temple of Zeus.
Columns and Cornice Up on the Temple of Zeus, the fallen ornaments are as interesting as those still on the columns.
Carved Cornice The details of the fallen cornice pieces are beautiful …
Oval Plaza and Modern Jerash … and the views over the colonnaded Oval Plaza and towards the new city are wonderful.
Lines and Curves
Cardo Maximus There is something about walking on a Roman road: knowing you are on diagonal paving slabs that were laid two millennia ago! It is a tribute to Roman engineering that these streets are still intact.
Columns and Walls
Wall Detail Every where you look, there are beautifully carved details on columns, or in the niches in the walls.
With more time, I would have explored the rest of the site, but what I did visit was amazing.
It is hard to believe that the people of the Roman Empire walked those same roads…
Upper Falls The waterfalls that dot the Hocking Hills State Park are easily accessible via a network of walking trails. The bridge over the Upper Falls is a charming extension of the beautiful cliffs of Black Hand Sandstone either side.
Hocking Hills State Park, in the American state of Ohio, comprises 2,356 acres (9.53 km2) of caves, waterfalls, trees, and hiking trails. The park is known for the dramatic geologic features that, over the aeons, have carved themselves into the surrounding Black Hand Sandstone.
Black Hand Sandstone is the name given to an early Mississippian (about 355 million years old) coarse, sometimes conglomeratic, quartz sandstone. Endemic to Ohio, this massive sandstone rock was named for a location (Black Hand Gorge on the Licking River) rather than for its colour – which ranges from tan to orange. (If you are into geology, the Time Scavengers blog on Black Hand Sandstone includes a wealth of detail and illustrative photos.)
Hocking Hills State Park has over 40 kilometres (25 miles) of hiking trails that criss-cross through six distinctly different natural areas, each featuring magnificent natural sandstone rock formations. The Park itself sits within a larger network of nine State Parks and Nature Preserves, three State Forests, and a National Forest, meaning that visitors are spoiled for choice.
Fortunately, we had the advantage of local knowledge!
My husband and I were visiting relatives living about an hour and a half away from the entrance to the Park. On a lovely summer Sunday afternoon, we strolled around the most popular walk: the 10 kilometre (6 mile) Old Man’s Cave Hiking Trail loop. This is a lovely trail, which includes a lot of steps, but meanders through beautiful hemlock and beech trees, taking in a magnificent landscape of cliffs, caves, and waterfalls. We included a section of the Grandma Gatewood Trail to Cedar Falls, and so were on a portion of the much longer Buckeye Trail, which is in turn, part of two national systems: the North Country Scenic Trail and America’s Discovery Trail.
Join me for a lovely afternoon walk:
Old Man’s Cave Trail From the carpark, our trail winds down through tall trees into a dark gorge …
Stone Bridge over Old Man’s Creek … that was carved deep through the sandstone by Old Man’s Creek over the millennia.
Lower Falls and Old Man’s Cave Black Hand Sandstone is made up of almost pure quartz sand and pebbles that is resistant to erosion. The softer middle portions of the rock have weathered more, resulting in recesses and rock-shelter caves all through this area. Brothers Nathaniel and Pat Rayon, came to the region in 1795 and lived in this cave briefly, but the cave was named for the hermit Richard Rowe who lived and died here in the early 1800s.
Lower Falls It is a beautiful and dramatic landscape of gorges and overhangs; waterfalls are common where the Black Hand Sandstone is exposed.
Mossy Rocks
Another Stone Bridge These old weathered stone bridges help to illustrate how long the park has been popular.
Cedar Falls Queer Creek tumbles 15 metres (50 feet) into a pond below. Cedar Falls is the largest waterfall by volume in the Hocking Hills region. Towering eastern hemlocks (not cedars, as the early settlers misidentified them) stretch up all around us.
Roots and Reflections
Stone Bridge on the Buckeye Trail
Stairs and Pathways All of the stairways are winding; many are steep.
Caves in the Cliffs If you look at the two tiny walkers on the path here, you can get a sense of how massive the cliffs and overhands are, and the height of the stately trees.
More Stairs
Young Girl and her Selfie Visitors of all ages take advantage of the beautiful surrounds to take pictures.
Patterns in the Rocks For years, water has worked it’s way into cracks and crevices
Moss and Ferns Moisture and low light along the creek bed promotes the growth of moss and ferns.
Out of the Tunnel
A-Frame and Step Bridges
Step Bridge The stepped bridge on the Old Man’s Cave – Cedar Falls Loop Hike is made of independent concrete pillars with cantilevered platforms attached.
Another Bridge Every bridge we cross is unique and different!
Holes in the Rocks All around us, crevices and caves have been carved into the rocks.
Devil’s Bathtub The Devil’s Bathtub is one of the more dramatic features along the Old Man’s Cave Trail: more than one log has been sucked into this vortex over the years!
Under the Upper Falls Technically, paddling and swimming are not allowed in State Parks, but plenty of people enjoy cooling off at the waterways.
Upper Falls The Upper Falls are not huge, but they are magically pretty.
Initials on an American Beech Tree Wherever you go in the world, people feel the need to leave their mark!
“Do Not Enter” Some trails are off-limits.
Fungus on a Tree Trunk
Water Flume For the sake of our youngest walker, we stopped at the Hocking Hills Gem Mine.
Panning for Treasures At the ‘Gem Mine’, rough that has been purchased at the shop can be sluiced using pans that are supplied, …
Arrowhead and Gems … and flint arrowheads and precious gems can be recovered.
We drove home with good memories, lots of photos, a few precious gems, and an ancient flint arrowhead.
Not bad for an afternoon walk in an exceptionally pretty place!
Ray Beadle in the Kosciusko Room Is there anything more uplifting than watching a musician who just loves to play? Ray Beadle’s joy is infectious!
We had a rough start to the year in South Eastern Australia. Instead of fire-works and revelry on New Year’s Eve, the sports and school grounds near my house were full of displaced campers, forced north by the East Gippsland fires ravaging coastal Victoria. On what would ordinarily be one of their busiest nights, our pubs closed their doors, and businesses focussed on feeding the evacuees.
Three days later, our whole town shut down. We sat glued to our radios and checked phones and computers regularly for emergency updates. With our cars packed up with anything indispensable, we watched as what was now called the Border Fire continued its relentless march north. The over-whelmed Fire and Rescue Services repeated their warnings that they would work to save lives, but not property.
My plan had been to head west, but then the word came through: more fires, further inland, had swept north, and Kosciuszko National Park was being evacuated of tourists. The planned annual Blues Festival in Thredbo was put on hold as fires licked at the edges of that little alpine community. For another two weeks, we watched helplessly as our country burned.
Finally, only three days before the festival was due to take place, easing fire conditions allowed the National Parks to reopen the Alpine resorts, and the Thredbo Blues Festival was back on. Access to all trails outside of Thredbo’s boundaries remained off limits, so bush walks were off the agenda, but at least the music would go ahead.
A lot of people couldn’t change their plans again at the last minute; friends of mine who were meant to have joined me had made other commitments during the long period of uncertainty.
But I had my Early-Bird weekend pass and needed a smile. So, I pointed my car up the hill, and aimed for the blues music that would make it all feel better.
Up Brown Mountain After drought conditions and months of fires, we were treated to some rain and mist as I drove up and over the first mountain between me and the High Country. (iPhone6)
Getting the Party Started On the opening Friday afternoon, the audiences were still thin on the ground – but they were enthusiastic! Psycho Zydeco opened proceedings in The Pub.
Shane Pacey Some artists are almost local household names: Shane Pacey is a hard-working musician who I see (and enjoy!) regularly.
Dave Fester The drummer with the Shane Pacey Trio is always fun to watch. In the darkened space of the Kosciuszko Room, it is hard to believe it is still daylight (albeit raining) outside. These shots are taken on my old Canon 6D with a EF70-200 lens (with no Image Stabilisation!) at 1/400 sec,f 2.8 and ISO 3200, and post-processed in an archaic version of Lightroom.
Richard Perso After such a long period of tension from the fires, none of us dared complain about the rain. But, I have no doubt the owner of the House of Ullr was pleased that this new “sun room” was finished in time for the festival: last year, this space was open to the elements. We were able to enjoy Richard Persoand his original songs – complete with didgeridoo and guitar accompaniments – in dry comfort while the rain showers came and went outside.
Microphone in Focus Back in the Lounge Bar, Jordan Thomas and his ‘alternate country and blues’ trio take to the stage.
Jordan Thomas I was introduced to these guys last year, and was quite taken with their smooth grooves …
Craig Renneberg … and relaxed double bass.
Swamp Stompers Often drummers are left completely in the dark, so I was happy to catch a shot of this one in a patch of light in the Schuss Bar.
Steve Edmonds Blues Quartet Eponymous band leader Steve Edmonds is the consummate professional; …
Keyboard – Steve Edmonds Blues Quartet … he and the rest of the band …
Double Bass – Steve Edmonds Blues Quartet … all have a way of making you feel special.
Blues in Colour : Steve Edmonds Blues Quartet
Ron King The Foreday Riders have been playing blues for over 50 years. Ron King is one of the founding members.
Jeff King Brother Jeff King is the other founding member.
Tyrone Vaughan’s Guitar Tyrone Vaughan grew up with impeccable musical credentials in Austin, Texas. Truthfully, I was as much in awe of his turquoise jewellery as his guitar chops.
Double-Neck Guitar … CJ Raggatt shows off a double-neck guitar of his own design.
8 Ball Aitken Australian singer, songwriter, and slide guitarist 8 Ball Aitken plays his own take on Louisiana swamp music.
The Blues in Full Colour Ray Beadle, who was featured on George Washingmachine’sBlues Rinse LP, joins him on stage. They are all having too much fun!
19-Twenty This is another group I’ve seen before: the absolutely frenetic crowd-pleasing energy of Kane Dennelly, Syd Green, and John Gwilliam is hard to capture.
Harry Ashton Band Young Harry Ashton and his band made for a colourful end to my weekend. Some people call the blues ‘simple’ music – and it might be – but in the hands of this Sydney Conservatorium student and his cohort, it is also excellent.
According to a 2016 article in Psychology Today, singing the blues is good for you.
Eyes and Earrings In the unforgiving light of an African morning, a young woman from the Arbore tribe in the Omo Valley allows me (for a price!) to take her picture. I think she is stunning, but neither the harsh light, nor the artificial nature of our interaction, can do justice to her commanding beauty.
Village visits in the Omo Valley in Ethiopia are like nothing I’ve experienced before!
The region is still tribal, and each ethnic group maintains its own customs. What all the tribes have in common is a “pay-per-shot” mentality, meaning that visiting tourists pay for each picture they take. While I see this as entirely fair – after all, why shouldn’t tribal groups trade on their distinctiveness – it does distort the concept of environmental portraiture.
Studio portraits are taken under controlled lighting and precisely edited to produce perfection. At the other extreme, street portraits are candid, and in many instances, taken without the knowledge of the subject. My preferred modus operandi is between these two points: informal people-shots made with permission, but without staging. In the Omo Valley, this was impossible: the pay-per-click mindset meant that photographic subjects were very much actors in their own shots.
And, that is as it should be! I couldn’t help but wonder, however, how much control or self-determination individual tribal members have over the rest of their lives.
These groups fascinate me: the Arbore number less than 7,000, divided across four villages along the Weito (Weyto or Woito) River. Their funeral and marriage ceremonies date back generations, as do their customs of dress, and practices of day-to-day living. Their traditional method of sorghum cultivation depends on seasonal rains and flooding, and they divide and allocate land collectively each season, giving priority to widows, orphans, and the poorest. Wealth is measured by the number of cattle owned by an individual, and this importance is reflected in the tribal name, “Land of the Bulls”: with Ar meaning “bull” and bore meaning “land”.
Unlike their fearsome and aggressive tribal neighbours, the Arbore engage in a wide regional network of exchange of gifts and goods, and get along with their neighbours. They are also protected by a legend that promises a curse if they are attacked!
I guess my questions about these groups are more political than cultural: outside their demand for 10 birr/photo, how much control over their lives do they really have, when ‘culture’ dictates their dress, their hairstyles, and their bodies. Until marriage, Arbore girls shave their heads as an indication of virginity and they are circumcised as a pre-requisite to marriage.
These questions were too big for my short visit! I was with photographer Ben McRae, as part of a small-group Piper Mackay Photo-Tour, and we were all doing our best to have a meaningful engagement – without the benefit of a common language – with these delightful people. I’ve shared some of the pictures I took previously (see: Portraits in an Arbore Village).
Please enjoy a few more:
Old Woman Once women are married, they keep their hair in tightly plaited corn-rows. Metal earrings are popular.
Woman with Animal Feed Everyone knows their place: daily jobs are divided according to age and gender.
Arbore Child While we are in the village, the children stick close to their elders. By the colourful beads and shaved head, I’m guessing this is a girl.
Mother and Child The children are curious about us – as long as mum is close by! The women keep a length of black cloth (bleached navy blue-looking by the sun) as a cover against the searing heat.
Three Generations Most of the men are probably out with the grazing animals.
Beads and Attitude Arbore women are known for their layers of beaded adornments.
Arresting Eyes
Man in a Head-Wrap The men commonly wrap a white cloth around their heads.
Young Man in a Choker They, too, love colourful beads and sport unique jewellery: this choker features a metal watch strap …
Young Man from the Back … and is neatly tied off at the back.
Man with his Stick The men spend a lot of time in the pastures with their animals, which is why they are usually seen with their sticks and their stools.
Milking the Goat Goats are central to the Arbore – and naturally, I had to pay extra to include this one in my photo!
Young Mother and Child
Young Woman
Old Man Livestock have a high economic and social value: with a crook and a stool, you are never too old to look after the precious cattle.
Mother and Kids All around the kraal, people are gathered in clumps hoping to get their turn in front of the camera’s lens.
Arbore Families The village, with its tall, elegant huts made from reeds and grass, is set against a beautiful backdrop of steep mountains.
Young Arbore Wife People marry young: judging by how long this young woman’s hair is, she has been married quite a while!
Arbore Elder Mother (or mother-in-law?) is on hand for advice.
Young Gniro I’ve shared pictures of eight-year old Gniro before (see: Portraits in an Arbore Village): I was fascinated by her calm self-possessed manner.
Young Man and the Goats My last image as we were leaving the village was of one of the young men with a small herd of goats.
There was a wonderful energy around this village, and the people were warm and welcoming. They consider themselves rich with all their cows and goats.
It is hard for me to imagine a way of life more ‘foreign’!
Another wonderful set of images, with equally delightful captions, and explanations. I always enjoy seeing your images and reading about your many adventures. Bravo again Ursula! I’m anxious to see what’s next.ReplyCancel
- Performing the Ganga Aarti from Dasaswamedh Ghat, Varanasi
- Buddha Head from Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar
- Harry Clarke Window from Dingle, Ireland
- Novice Monk Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery, Myanmar
Packets of 10 for $AU50.
Or - pick any photo from my Flickr or Wanders blog photos.
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Better than the odds that we seem to be confronting at the moment as we face down an invisible viral foe in social isolation.
