Published on October 10, 2013 16:39

The soul of a traveler, a blend of ancient civilization, six cities and six stories are like six reincarnations; The soul is always in the dream, and has nothing to do with the real world. The soul is intertwined with each other, everything already exists, everything may change because of faith. A reflection with a belief soul will be like a drop of water from the Ganges River, converging into the sea, and then sublimating to save the world. Six different cities, six different stories make the country famous.

Please follow my camera to find rhythm and order from the noise of this ancient civilization, to restore India's distinctive color and mystery.

India, if you look at it, you will never forget it, because it is different from the rest of the world（ Mark Twain)

preface:

This is a century old house. The winding stairs are like a labyrinth. Most people who walk in for the first time will get lost. It's just like the old elevator in the movie. The elevator driver looks at everyone who comes in and out with no expression. His copper handle turns 15 degrees, and the elevator starts to creak down. The light and shadow passed through the rusty iron brake and shone into the faces of two passengers in the narrow space of the elevator. The atmosphere was a little dull. The elevator continued to go down to the first floor, shaking for a while, and then suddenly stopped. When the power was cut off, people were shut in, and there was no time to spread fear. A few seconds later, the power returned to normal and continued to creak; After a few more shakes, the elevator continues to go down to the non-existent underground

TIPS:

      Sina Weibo: @ No.1 buhoudao

Shooting equipment: one 135 digital SLR, one 16-35 lens, one 135 lens. Some photos were taken by mobile phone.

In a creaking sound, the elevator stops on the ground of the invisible floor, and I pull the gate to look out in confusion

Section 1 Varanasi

(this picture has been forwarded by the Tourism Bureau of India microblog)

Six thousand kilometers away, the river is flowing or the stars are shining. Some people sing to you in the morning or dusk. Some people walk to the Ganges in the morning and sunset. Every face is shining with the light of faith.

Red, red background, red monk, red dress

Yellow and blue are complementary colors with strong stimulation

The contrast of blue and orange is a kind old man in Xiaodian

Golden cover, golden light and shadow, God like old man

Just like Italo Calvino's invisible city, the old city in memory only exists in memory and image, and each pair of eyes reflects a city. Every face is a hidden and invisible city in India. Its name is Varanasi.

Purple light and shadow change, unpredictable morning

This is one of the countries with the strongest religious atmosphere in the world. Not only Hinduism and Buddhism originated here, but also Islam, Christianity, Jainism and Sikhism account for a considerable proportion. Among them, Hinduism is a polytheism, which has no founder, no absolute authority, no unified religious administration, and even few clergy. It is not so much a religion as a mixture of beliefs, customs and lifestyles of many peoples in the Indian subcontinent. Varanasi is the holy land of Hinduism.

White and gray, the old man of dark tone

Look at the sunrise and bathing of Ganges River, all kinds of people in the narrow streets of the old city, you will find that this is a color country, incomparable color country

Orange in warm gray, bright and exciting

When you walk in India, you will really feel like a dream. When you close your eyes, the dream comes. When you open your eyes, you will see the scene of another dream. It's because when you think you really wake up, how can you believe that this is not another dream? If you can't believe the pain of cutting your fingers, the satisfaction of filling your stomach, the damp heat of holding your fingers together, the intense heartbeat when hugging, and the memories of happiness, sadness, and promise, what should you do? Forget how you come and how you leave. In fact, maybe we never wake up, six cycles of reincarnation, Every scene and every picture in the dream is real, and the return is dream. Dreams are reality.

This kind of flower shop can be seen everywhere here. The clusters of lime, orange and red represent the purest Indian elements. As long as there are such clusters, it must be Hindu temples or temples of other sects in India, and ordinary people's homes can also be seen everywhere. There is no shortage of flowers and smiles.

The dark night, the dark street, the dark door, the smile of a woman under a street lamp, all these make people very unreal, but they are true. In the way of life, because there is a smile, so forgive all the sadness.

Green background, the red jump out

Even if we Chinese don't want to admit it, our culture is undoubtedly deeply influenced by India. The monkey god of Hinduism is Sun Wukong in journey to the West. Buddhism, which has been around for two thousand years, originated in India, and Sanskrit in Buddhist classics is a kind of ancient Indian. The core spirit of traditional Chinese culture is the culture of learning from scriptures, which has been infiltrated into every Chinese's blood since Buddhism was introduced into China 2000 years ago. From philosophy to religion to art, we are all influenced by what India has imported. From this point of view, India is an exporter, and we have almost no cultural influence on India. Looking at the Yoga practiced by women in modern Chinese society, various training classes for spiritual masters, fitness training for Indian dance, Indian Fashion Fashion

We have also had similar historical periods. These two peoples with long memories do not cherish and disdain their own past, and even have disgust. All strata of the two countries have superstition on Western culture and contempt for their own national culture. This caused irreparable huge losses, both mentally and materially.

Children with river lanterns look at you eagerly. India, like us, worships the river civilization. The Indian people raised by Ganges, like us, have boundless admiration and worship for the river.

The ascetic monk has become a kind of acting career. As long as you raise your camera, the next action is to hold out your hand for money. This is the most suitable country for walking, suitable for pure spiritual travelers. Similar to the most devout religious ascetic, you can live in hell, eat only barely full vegetarian food, and watch the incomparable fantasy and humanity every day.

For those who pursue the enjoyment of food and accommodation, here will never be your travel destination.

At the beginning of the night, the ceremony of Varanasi's most sacred priest, the river god, is about to begin. For all ancient civilizations, the river that nurtured them must be the focus of the priests. Since there were human beings here, Varanasi has never interrupted this sacred priestly activity. Every selected priest is from the Brahman, the pure Aryan race at the top of Indian society. The music starts and the curtain opens, In the hands of these handsome Brahman priests

There are many kinds of night, in addition to the bright and clear blue, there can also be a variety of man dance and intoxication. Deep night, there is love in my heart, even if it is dark, it will be warm.

As the petal rain falls and the climax gradually rises, the Brahman priests are still chanting the Vedas written in Sanskrit with the rhythm from the bronze age

Almost every ancient civilization has such mysterious occupations as priests. In the wild ancient civilization, priests have the most sacred super ability to communicate with the gods of heaven and earth. It is these people who push the mystery of life to a new height one after another. Although the more rapidly developed modern technology is, the more we will have the illusion that we control everything. But life, which is mysterious, superstitious and scientific, always wakes us up and tells us that the so-called control and knowledge are so superficial. There is a kind of power that people have been looking for for for thousands of years, but they have never found it, even farther and farther away. It seems that only the priests are the wise men who basically understand life.

The gorgeous music is gone, the noisy priest ceremony scene is instantly silent, after the noise, the silence is lonely, I am still silent in the distant music, unwilling to leave, sitting in a daze on the Bank of the Ganges River. India is sunny in winter. It's just fine. It's neither hot nor sticky. The bright lights poured out like mercury into the Ganges. A group of yoga practitioners with all kinds of robes come from the other side of the river like a dreamer. The floating robes and fairy wind make this group of people who quietly appear in front of me disappear in a moment

All this reminds me that this is an unusual trip. And I must be an unusual traveler. Don't easily define our happiness or pain, keep sensitive and quiet, keep an open mind, and communicate with the wonderful dream world in front of us.

On the banks of the Ganges River in the mist of the morning, the brightly dressed old boatman shared two oars and wrote all the expressions of the city on the rippling water behind him, about history and faith. Living in the samsara of thousands of years, the ceremony is repeated here every day.

Dry this bowl of Henghe River and be an Indian in the afterlife

For Varanasi women at breakfast, leisure is an attitude.

Just like life itself, though full of poverty and sadness, people there can find happiness from seemingly simple things

Men's chat is formal, about business, about family, or about weddings and funerals. The scene in such a door has been repeated day after day for thousands of years, and what remains unchanged is the surging river at the door.

Happy mother and daughter, the little boy is happily showing his new toy, a hand-made wooden pig. Happiness is so simple.

The naughty child was showing me the way. The kind grandfather looked at his grandson with warmth on his face

Fruits and vegetables, carrying water to split wood, facing the Ganges River, spring will be warm, flowers will bloom?

The contrast between red and green, the contrast between chair and cross legged, the leisurely afternoon time, time is still here, he has to walk more slowly than any other country, so that I have been unable to adapt to this kind of slow time state, maybe this is really a dream, where is the concept of time?

The curious child looks at you curiously, and even you take a picture curiously

Walking in Varanasi, walking from the perspective of rickshaw, you must be very unfamiliar with the scene. Time is flowing back, time is flowing back from the wheel, you want to use your hand to recover the time, time continues to flow away from your fingers

Holy cow, divine cow, take things as they please, has the spirit of Zen

The prominent pink is not the color of a female man at all. Any color matching that we look terrible and incredible is incomparably harmonious here. Any color can be varied and there is no taboo.

For those who have faith, timely communication with the gods is the whole of their life. No matter what other business or family matters are, everything about fame and wealth is just floating clouds. For us without faith, it's just a distant legend. At this point, we are not qualified to evaluate India

For those who have been to India, it is unfair to use one or several words to summarize India. No matter how many times, how many days, how deep and how deep you have been, you can't really understand India; Without growing up in this nation and experiencing its sufferings and tribulations, we can not say that we understand this nation. Or to criticize or praise the whole by its appearance. So I use the word "peep.". To spy on India, I don't go in and I can't, but I'd like to know something about it. I have a curious and yearning attitude. I can stand in the keyhole outside the gate and look here for a while. In my dream, I can go back and forth between the reality and the past, experience the folk customs and the positive side, and show respect to them.

In the middle of the night, rhythmic drumming comes from half asleep and half awake. It's a wedding procession. The bridegroom rides on a high horse, and the band dances with relatives and friends. The joy is on the faces and hearts of relatives and friends, and even passers-by are cheering to join the dance procession; At the narrow intersection of the old street, it is difficult for the bridegroom's horse to turn around. He is carefully adjusting the gap between the horse team and the crowd, trying to turn around and continue to walk; The singing and dancing here continued to be lively and lively, but the beating of the drums mixed with the gentle praise of the regular male voice. A group of people carrying the wrapped corpses to the Henghe river for cremation read the Scriptures and floated by. The happy newlyweds and the peaceful people running to heaven socialized in a narrow corner of the Old City Lane, where life and death mingled, In an instant, I suddenly understood the spiritual core of reincarnation. A team rushed to a happy life, the wedding party of the birth of a new life and a team rushed to heaven to die. The reincarnation of life and death was staged in such a narrow alley of Varanasi by the Ganges at midnight

The past, the future, the real, the illusory, the destiny, the awakening, the destruction, the rebirth... Reincarnation is like a kind of hint, which guides us to meet in the next time and space.

Floating colors, floating people, floating to a happy life, the birth of a new life starting point

The bridegroom riding on a high horse is decorated with national costumes. Even the white horse is full of dazzling decorations. It seems that the prince charming is also from Indian culture. Those who dream that the prince charming will come to pick up their Chinese sisters every day? What do you think?

The three younger sisters and two younger brothers of the bridegroom saw me holding up the camera and strongly demanded to take pictures for them and send them to them. They held hands hand in hand. The younger brother in black warmly grasped me and made me a little confused. Isn't this a dream? Warm and sweaty hands

"Death is just a door". When another door opens, that person will wait for you in the next time and space.

    End of the first section!