Thematic expression: 'flowing emotions' through photographs of a marriage

While photographing an event like marriage in India; 
we encounter innumerable 'SHADES OF EMOTIONS', played fast, in quick succession, 
on faces and in body languages of the 'SUBJECTS', 
involved there in. 

That's pure magic, a challenge for any 'SHUTTERBUG' to capture them in flickering seconds of those deciding moments.

Happiness is the predominant mood in arranged Indian marriages too, except one occasion when bride finally says goodbye to her home, friends and relatives specially close family members.

This is called Vidai (विदाई),  a bit emotional part of the marriage.
Here are a few pictures of the same occasion..

Vidai (विदाई), a post wedding ceremony in arranged Hindu marriage in India, when bride finally leaves her home and family members to go to grooms home. A bit emotional part of the marriage !!

Father being consoled

Escorted by sister

Here in this picture, brother of the bride seen in off focus, standing beside the car of the sister where she is in, in a gloomy mood.

Ayodhyā an ancient city on the right bank of Saráyu river

In a land of prophets and sacred rivers,
India owns many places worth visiting,
Not only for the beauty. serenity & people inhabiting to the place..
But for the way religion transforms people for their concern to environment including animals, plants and rivers.

Ayodhyā, an ancient city in north India, 9000 years old as per one belief..
Believed to be the birthplace of Rama, a Hindu prophet, incarnation of Vishnu,
Who symbolizes virtuous, righteous, democratic social dealings based on equality, without prejudices any.
Epic Ramayana was set to this place describing the period of Rama.

After arriving to this place, one notices the abundance of Langur monkeys, in and around the city.
As per mythological belief they are specially treated animal though wild they are.
Sadhus (sage, ascetic) are also here as they come from every part of India for the Hindu pilgrimage.

Bank of river Saráyu witnesses a multitude of people of early morning bathers, who take holy dip, irrespective of the weather.
Some put earthen lamp floating in the river, some pray with their folded hand to the rising sun and some offer flowers to the river to which they revered most.

Ayodhyā railway station

Coolie, Sadhus and visitors at the Ayodhyā railway station

A Sadhu (ascetic) on Ayodhyā railway platform passing through a hoarding with the 'Ramayana' quatrant which translates as,"Living through birth & death; happiness & grief; Loss & profits; meeting with loved one & losing someone so dear; This all happens as the 'play of Time'; Just like day & night happens itself."

Sunrise, early bathers, flower wendor and holy cow at Saráyu river bank

Sunrise, a boat, holy cow and a flower wendor at Saráyu river bank

People taking holy dip in Saráyu, and a flower wendor

A sage for the holy dip, while lighted floating lamp visible in picture in Saráyu

Cow roaming, some idols on the bank of Saráyu

An old lady carrying sacred water of the Saráyu river while floating lighted lamps and a boat is visible in the picture

Oblation to the river Saráyu with folded hand, lighted lamps floating in the river water at sunrise

Faith Matters: Vedic Rituals En Masse

'Faith' is a science of bodily-powers which transcends the confine of human body and finally acts as desired/projected.

'Particle Physics' too believes that the 'Graviton' are the only closed 'String' form (particle/energy:the duality) which has capacity to move through all other 11 known dimensions.

Such is the human spirit that one fine morning we found out that villagers are busy in erecting a huge podium for their faith sake to observe the oldest known rituals of Indian civilization, that is 'Vedic' observation and offerings to 'Agni' the 'Fire'.

Temporary tents were erected in the field by the villagers for the participants..

And a temporary covered-podium for the sermon of the Saints, who were gathering from the different parts of this huge nation..

And a temporary staying-utility-there-in the field too for the guest who shall share their insight with audience..

A central canopied structure made purely of Bamboo stem & leaves with native decorations.

This centrally erected structure shall be the place of worship with a place of 'sanctum sanctorum' in the most central to it.

And the Vedic rituals of worshiping 'Fire' with various 'Mantras' from 'Rig Veda' and other age-old scriptures would contain a wish for the well-being of all humans including the mineral, vegetable, and animal kingdoms with the crucial balance of Nature with everything.

More references for the 'Yajna' (the sacred fire worshiping):

 (courtesy:Wikipedia)
In Hinduism, yajna (Sanskrit यज्ञ wikt:yajna; also Anglicized as Yajna, Yadna) is a ritual of sacrifice (also "worship, prayer, praise, offering and oblation, sacrifice" according to Monier-Williams) derived from the practice in Vedic times. Yajna is a ritual of sacrificing and sublimating the havana sámagri (herbal preparations) in the fire accompanied by the chanting of the Vedic mantras. The sublime meaning of the word yajna is derived from the Sanskrit verb yaj, which has a three-fold meaning of worship of deities (devapujana), unity (saògatikaraña) and charity (dána). An essential element is the sacrificial fire - the divine Agni - into which oblations are poured, as everything that is offered into the fire is believed to reach God. As the name of the service, the term yajna is linguistically (but not functionally) cognate with Zoroastrian (Ahura) Yasna. Unlike Vedic Yajna, Zoroastrian Yasna has "to do with water rather than fire".(Drower, 1944:78; Boyce, 1975:147-191)
Rituals associated with temple worship in Hinduism are called agamic, while those involving communication with divinity through Agni are considered to be Vedic. Temple rites in modern-day Hinduism are a combination of both Vedic and agamic rituals. The ritualistic portion of the Hindu scriptures is called Karma-Kanda. Parts of Vedas which describe or discuss Yajnas or sacrifices fall into this portion. The Nambudiri Brahmins of Kerala are among the most famous Śrauta Brahmins who maintain these ancient rituals.
Today, only a few hundred individuals know how to perform these sacrifices and even fewer are able to maintain the sacred fires continuously and perform the Śrauta rituals. Only a few thousand perform the Agnihotra or basic Aupasana fire sacrifice daily .

#place:Bhitthi, Ambikapur, India.
#date:11th February, 2012