Shivaratri
Pasupati, Katmandu. Incense and people crowd the streets, orange and red colours dress the festival, the Shivaratri is about to start.The Babas, the fathers of India, the holy men have already arrived from all corners of India to this sacred
place to commemorate the Maha Shivaratri, a Hindu festival celebrated annually in honour of Lord Shiva. There is a Shivaratri every luni-solar month of the Hindu calendar, on the month's 13th night/14th day, but once a year, in late Winter (February/March, or Phalaguna) and before the arrival of Spring, there is a Maha Shivaratri, "the Great Night of Shiva".
Anastassia and I spent fourteen days at the Annapurna Ashram, a place devoted to the poor. Here, during the festival, volunteers, organisers and donors work hand in hand feeding from 1000 to over 4000 people per meal. Not in vain, the Ashram owes its name to Annapurna, the Hindu Goddess of Nourishment.
During our stay, we were honoured to share our room with Shivagiri Bike Baba, a holy man that deserves to have his story told by me and by the thousands that crossed his life. I remember hearing, “Mind no crazy, heart no pain, body no sickness…”. I can close my eyes and see the pujas, the endless queues of people, the hundreds of daily visits, the smiles, the talks... I can see a man of endless wisdom, patience and devotion to others. He took us under his wing and showed us, trough action, the power of life itself. Unfortunately for us, not so much for Hindu followers, Shivaguiri left our world to join the afterlife. The immensity of his presence needed to rest and we felt deeply honoured to witness his departure. He left this world as a figure that thousands will remember with peace.
Trough my camera, I humbly tried to capture the daily life in the Ashram as well as a little overview of the festival, compiling a body of work that tries to convey the idea and the essence of this magic festival: fabrics, dreadlocks, ash, food, tradition... an endless chain of impressions leading to life-changing experiences for many.
Om Namo Narayanaya Hamso Soham Swaha.
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