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BY SHALEV NETANEL

Photography
- Travel
- Professional Services
About/Contact

An older man or "uncle" (as Indians call their unrelated elders) photograped in the Marina slum of Chennai, India.

Schoolchildren in the village of Vellagavi, Tamil Nadu.

Young girl selling aarti plates  on a Ganges ghat in Rishikesh.

I encountered this boy while hiking while hiking high in the mountains just north of Rishikesh. He navigated the winding mountain paths, balancing a bundle of firewood on his head, and wearing flip-flops. The reservoir channel upon which he is stand

Awkward Family Photo

Ancient monolithic temples at Pancha Rathas, Mahabalipuram (aka Mamallapuram).

Poombarai, Tamil Nadu.

This 21-year old lives in a tent on the banks of the Ganges in Rishikesh. He is a yogi and, from what I could understand from his limited English, aspires to become a Sandhu (a Hindu monk or "holy man"). I photographed him near his abode.

Schoolchildren in Poombarai, Tamil Nadu.

Happy "Baba" in Rishikesh. A sādhu (or "holyman" is a Hindu ascetic commonly called baba (meaning elder such as father, grandfather or uncle) or “baba-ji” (with a suffix for added endearment). They are essentially homeless and usually nomadic.

Tea Plantation, Munnar, Kerela

Villager playing with a hubcap near in a the plantation near Munnar, Kerala.

Baba Folding Laundry

The quintessense of India...Koshi (Cochin), Kerala.

Holi celelbrations in Hampi.

Celebrations of Holi commence the night before Holi with a Holika bonfire, a religious fire ritual to destroy the evil spirit. The next morning is celebrated as Rangwali Holi, a color festival in which participants pummel one another with colors in

Virupaksha Temple in Hampi. The elephant is trained to take temple donations in the form of coins.

Pink Baba at Kumbh Mela in Ujjain. Kumbh Mela is a Hindu pilgramage festival held once every 12 years at a given site, drew an estimated 70 million visitors to the city of Ujjain in 2016.

Naga Sadhus have matted locks of hair and cover their bodies in ash to look like Lord Shiva, who was a "black" Indian. Naga Sadus are spiritual descendants of an ancient warrior class formed to protect Hindus from Islamic invaders and some Naga Sadu

Pilgrims at the 2016 Kumbh Mela in Ujjain.

A sandu ("holyman") imbibing hashish from a kind of pipe known as a "chillum." In principle, Sadhus use cannabis to attain transcendental states.

Women performing a fire puja on the banks of the Shipra during the 2016 Kumbh Mela in Ujjain.

Indian and Pakistan compete in displays of military pomp during the nightly border-closing ceremony at the Wagah Border crossing.

Street barbers are another quintessential element of Indian culture.

Kite flying is a child's pastime in Varanasi, India. Ineluctably, kites end up in the Ganges River.

Boy jumping into the Ganges in Varanasi.

Sadhu in Varanasi.

Street Artist, Varanasi

Boatman on the Ganges River, near the main ghats of Varanasi.

Typical bustling Indian street in Varanasi.

Aghori sadhus (Hindu monks or "holy men") engage in cannibalism and other post-morten rituals. This sadhu travels annually to an Ashram located on the banks of the Ganges river where the Aghoris recite mantras to bring corpses forth from the river.

A man bathing in the Ganges in Varanasi.

Sadhu with Trident

Ganges River, Varanasi

Poombarai, Tamil Nadu.

Abandoned "tuk tuk" near the Marina slums, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

Pushkar, Rajasthan

Street barbers are a quintessential element of Indian culture. Varanasi.

Man cooling down in the Ganges River, Varanasi.

Hindu pilgrims at the 2016 Kumbh Mela in the city of Ujjain. The ancient festival attracted an estimated 70 million pilgrims to baptist in Ujjain's Shipra River Ghats.

A Sadu (or "holy man") smoking charas, a hashish form of cannabis, at Kumbh Mela. Check out my blog post on Kumbh Mela to learn about the festival that attracted an estimated 70 million pilgrims to the city Ujjaiin.

Kite flying is a child's pastime in Varanasi, India. Ineluctably, kites end up in the Ganges River.

"Auntie" in Varanasi

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