B (142)

T

ulsi Ghat in Varanasi transforms

into a communion of hundreds

of people during Lolark Shashti,

a festival dedicated to the Sun God.

This festival sees thousands of

married couples taking a dip in the ancient

steep well of the Lolark Kund, with only

one intention in mind. The sheer amount

of couples who visit this place come with

the hope that they will be blessed with a

baby. Moreover, once the couples take a dip

in the water, they leave behind whatever

possessions they have on them, including

their clothes, footwear, and even jewellery.

India is a country governed by firm

religious beliefs, and people still continue

to follow ancient traditions, despite their

feasibility today. This is what I wanted to

portray with this series.

— As told to Supriya Joshi

The couples pray to

the Sun God to bless them

with a child and then offer

a vegetable, mostly a

gourd, as form of prayer.

It is believed that the

couple never eats that

particular vegetable again

in their lifetime.

The devotees

become blind to the

items floating in the

water, which includes

vegetables, flowers,

clothes and footwear.

“Catering to

the inflow of

visitors, small

shops mushroom

around Lolark

Kund, further

adding to

the chaos.”

Better PhotograPhy

115

march 2015

PhotoFeature