Photographer's Note
Yesterday was officially the last day of Durga Puja.
On this day, people from the various pandals go and immerse the idol of the deity in a holy river.
I went to the Okhla Barrage (banks of the Yamuna) where they were going to submerge these idols. There were atleast 10,000 people or more from all over South Delhi. I was quite impressed with the crowd-they were very well behaved and unlike the ones we usually come across in Delhi.
I believe the process of immersing starts around 12 noon and sometimes even carries on for a few days depending on the number of idols that are to be immersed.
This picture was taken at around 5:30 pm and we were there till 8:00. There were still loads of idols in waiting at that point of time and people were quite sure it would carry on till atleast midnight.
The tenth and the last day of the Puja is both joyous as well as one filled with sadness and emotions. Sad because the people are bidding farewell to their goddess; emotions are at their brink with a little weeping and crying off and on. Before the immersion, if time is on their side, people do their last bit of puja, arati and the dhonuchi dance as well. All around you can hear drum beats and though its a celebration, one does encounter the emotional bit too.
This was the first time i've actually seen it first hand and it was quite a captivating moment. Even though i had been there a few hours and there was nothing new happening, i just didn't want to leave. Its something that I can't explain, but you'll have to experience it to understand it.
Shubho Bijoya as they say in Bengali to all of you! (a term wishing you a happy 10th day of the puja; rather just wishing you a joyous and auspicious year ahead - exact translation being 'Auspicious Victory')
avis2avis, nwoehnl, amadej, bertolucci, sohrab, Rinie_Hoff, Jeppe, elihesamian, Kenny10pin, kaychambers, rabani, kaud, Aegean, hojper, pamastro, Endy, jrj, Riz, vapours, Bogdan, pulezan, Deke, migsy marcou esta nota como útil
Critiques | Translate
avis2avis
(4264) 2004-10-24 12:02
A very good comoposition capturing the mood and the moment perfectly. I wonder how you cold get this PoV, looks like you were knee deep in water yourself :) ... lot of zooming in I suspect. Very nicely done Smrithi. Your best so far!? Nyaaaah ... to my mind your best is about to come. :) Can't wait to see you shooting with your new cam now.
nwoehnl
(122) 2004-10-24 13:08
Very interesting shot in my opinion, Smrithi. You did great capturing the movement and the mood, and your shooting angle as well as the fact that we see the people from behind really pulls the viewer strongly into the scene. Good notes, too.
xmpcray
(36) 2004-10-24 13:48 [Comment]
bertolucci
(14052) 2004-10-24 14:34
In this documentary shot IMHO you really captured realigious intensity her Smrithi. The body language, the motion blur on some people and the expression on their faces really speaks to me in combination with very your thoruoghly informative note. Very fine job!
RGatward
(20108) 2004-10-24 14:45
Very interestng note and subject here Smrithi. I generally agree with the coments, and certainly you make us feel part of what's going on here. The white floating stuff looks like foam from industrial polution, is that it? If so I glad I wan't in there with them.
jrzufferey
(7305) 2004-10-24 14:54
Bonsoir Smrithi,Ton image est belle,je l'aurais peut-être éclairée un petit peu plus. Ta composition est très belle et ta note photographique très utile. Amitié/jr
Rinie_Hoff
(9340) 2004-10-24 15:05
Hi Smrithi, this is a real nice documentary shot, the people very busy to accompany their idol, and like it seems, getting her straight in the stream. Very nice, some blur, some focus, very well. I agree with Sohrab, you captured the spirit well.
And thanks for the informative note!
Jeppe
(18654) 2004-10-24 17:12
Very special and unusual scenary - after Danish messures :-) - You got that good bye moment excellent and the motion blur adds extra to the image. Thanks Smrithi -for fine note to explain as well - just wonder where that foam comes from -
elihesamian
(26149) 2004-10-24 17:37
Very well captured,real,excellent,Smrithi,I like it,very well seen and great angle you had,and in a fine way you composed them,nicely done.
oochappan
(4880) 2004-10-24 19:08
A real TE shot and you take us on the spot to feel the atmospere there with your note. Colors are well balanced and the action is there. Well done Smrithi.
Kenny10pin
(19301) 2004-10-24 19:14
very ncie pic captured here, I like the action shot, really good work and the note is good too, well done
kaychambers
(1198) 2004-10-24 23:11
Great capture, and superb note, but what is the ice-like looking stuff floating beyond these people?
Regards to you Smrithi,
Vic, Singapore.
rabani
(9645) 2004-10-25 3:49
Very informative note as always Smrithi and just as much, your composition too. It's like being there and someone's narating what is going on. I'm just wondering about the white foamy thing. What are they Smrithi?
ChrisJ
(172436) 2004-10-25 4:52
Good daily life shot, but what are those icebergs doing in the river? Or is it detergent / soapsuds? Good use of layering in the composition.
sohrab
(7439) 2004-10-25 4:59
i doubt you were in the water as it seems to be from a higher viepoint . you used a zoom. plus you would have run back to the ndtv officeanyway , so why would you risk getting wet
the composition is nice and so is the spirit that you captured
whats that white stuff floating around in the water??
take care
kaud
(1840) 2004-10-25 5:45
Subha Bijoya Smrithi!
You got the spirit correctly.
Yet let us have a chance to upload Durga Puja shots ;)
Kausik
Georges
(11185) 2004-10-25 12:39
Une image interessante sur le point de vu des coutumes.
J'aimerais cependant savoir car sur l'image la difference est minime ce qu'est les blocs de blanc L'anglais n'est pas trop mon fort et le traducteur est vraiment moyen..
Bravo Smrithi
Aegean
(2571) 2004-10-25 15:07
Simply a great capture and recording of a very unique and special moment! The composition is simply excellent!
hojper
(2832) 2004-10-26 3:11
Another great docu-shot, full of life and colours and action. This is TE par excellence. It doesn't get much better. And you concentrated 100% on the essential - and got the idol in exactly the right place in the frame, and as the only thing "looking" our way. I agree with other reviewers: you are getting better all the time. Looking forward to more of your beautiful country from through your lens.
clodreno
(0) 2004-10-26 9:20
I do like this image Smrithi. I only wish i was there... I never saw that celebration.
i was wondering what the white on the water is.. it looks like ice.. But I know it's not....
Endy
(1025) 2004-10-26 23:44
Very interesting scene Smrithi! You captured very well the mood of the moment. I have a question, what are the white block that we see in background?
jrj
(34843) 2004-10-27 6:15
Another great photo Smrithi with the very good notes to increast the interest. And wow am I impressed by being around that early in the morning. Anyway great 'daily life' shot, fine details, very interesting..
vapours
(8264) 2004-10-30 3:07
Great picture and a shot that is very worthy for TE. Although you cant see most of their faces, you can still feel the mood quite well.
manny
(22032) 2004-10-31 1:59
VERY documentary. Nice busy compo. Good blur and well-exposed. This is a very good shot because of so mnay freasons but more i mportantly, for its portrayal of reality.
pulezan
(841) 2004-11-04 4:10
Another good photo of an impressive moment and another nice shot. People bring so much motion on this peacuful scenery.
vedran
Deke
(708) 2004-11-08 18:37
Sensational Smrithi, the photo is a dynamic illustration of your notes, and for me the timing couldn't be better as I'm reading William Dalrymple's book City of Djinns which is about Delhi and I have just read something about the Puja. I love your photos and they enlighten the mind. Ian
christina
(2040) 2004-11-22 17:44
Great capture! I think it is great you have shown different stages of Duga Puja through your images. This image is particularly fascinating since it is describing the final moments of the festival. i enjoy your photos very much because they are different and show a unique perspective.Well done!
joseelias
(0) 2004-12-13 8:40
Great capture of this moment. The contrast of the almost BW atmosphere with the colors of the clothes and idol works great. Good action also.
Karthik
(306) 2005-01-26 6:45
This is a great shot. I Love pictures from Temple festivals and fairs. They really get across the importance of culture and tradition.
Regret missing out on Vinayak Chaturti last year in Chennai because of work! :(
Thanks for posting this shot! Was smiling looking at it!!
hey, and is that snow in the backgorund???
pamastro
(7296) 2005-01-31 0:54
There is a sort of fervor captured in this scene with the way the people are scrambling around the votive statue. There is an energy of scrambling and pushing forward toward it as they wade through the water. The foam almost looks like little ice bergs floating there giving a chilly feel. Either way, being the foam that it is or if it were ice it does show how devoted they are to go into that water like that. It's an excellent energy. Nicely done.
alimo3
(6854) 2005-03-16 16:32
Hi Smrithi,
i like this picture very much !
just came back from india this image reming me some great moment.
nice composition and great capture.
Tom
migsy
(351) 2005-06-29 16:19
Very touching picture - a couple of people in the middle foreground are a bit out of focus - but a very nice shot all round.
Photo Information
-
Copyright: Smrithi Rao (sn00zie)
(2384)
- Genre: Pessoas
- Medium: Cor
- Date Taken: 2004-10-23
- Categories: Festivais
- Versão da Foto: Versão Original
- Tema(s): Durga Puja 04 [view contributor(s)]
- Date Submitted: 2004-10-24 11:50
Discussions
- To rabani: hi (1)
by sn00zie, last updated 2004-10-25 03:34 - To kaychambers: hello (1)
by sn00zie, last updated 2004-10-25 03:35 - To Jeppe: Froth (2)
by sn00zie, last updated 2004-10-25 09:07 - To RGatward: yup! (1)
by sn00zie, last updated 2004-10-25 03:44 - To sohrab: that is correct! (1)
by sn00zie, last updated 2004-10-25 03:47 - To xmpcray: u oughtta know (1)
by sn00zie, last updated 2004-10-25 03:50 - To avis2avis: heeyaaa (1)
by sn00zie, last updated 2004-10-25 04:00 - To jrzufferey: merci (1)
by sn00zie, last updated 2004-10-25 04:04 - To ChrisJ: :) (1)
by sn00zie, last updated 2004-10-25 05:05 - To kaud: shubho bijoya (2)
by sn00zie, last updated 2004-10-25 07:47 - To Endy: froth (1)
by sn00zie, last updated 2004-10-27 06:32 - To clodreno: Don't sound sad! (1)
by sn00zie, last updated 2004-10-27 06:37