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Ganga Sagar: The Maidan Base Camp

BySantanu Chakrabarti

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COPYRIGHT NOTICE

All photographs and text contained within this book are the

exclusive property of Santanu Chakrabarti and are protectedunder International Copyright Law. The content of the bookmay not be reproduced, copied, stored, or manipulated in anyform without the written permission of Santanu Chakrabarti.This includes use of any images as part of anotherphotographic concept or illustration.

By opening the book you are agreeing to the terms above.

Contacts

Email: santanu.chakrabarti@gmail.com

Mobile: 91-9830503844

mailto:santanu.chakrabarti@gmail.commailto:santanu.chakrabarti@gmail.com

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Makar Sankranti is a religious celebration observed all over India on the last

day of month Poush in Bengali calender (around 14th of January each year).

Different parts of India have different names for it and different rituals are

observed to celebrate the occasion. However, bathing in river water on this

auspicious day is considered to relieve a person of all sins all over India.

Hence people from all corners of India flock to the places of pilgrimage to

have a holy bath; Sagar in Bengal is one such place. This is the place where

river Ganga meets Bay of Bengal.

Every year thousands of pilgrims visit Sagar to have the holy bath. For these

people a base camp is being set up at Maidan in Kolkata every year, so that

they can take some rest while on transit. One get a chance to have a glimpse

of India untouched by globalization and waves of modernization, an India

which clings to its beliefs and customs, superstitions and religion firmly, atthis place.

In this series I tried to capture the daily life at the base camp in Maidan. The

common pilgrims going about their lives, the naked sadhus and their devotees,

the onlookers flocking the place from nearby locations, the gypsies and the

businessmen selling warm clothes are the subjects of my photographs.

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A naked sadhu with his Trishul.

Trishul is a weapon with three sharpheads that is believed to be the

weapon of Lord Shiva. The sadhu

has all his belongings, like a mobile

handset, garland of holy beads, a

metal pot, a bell, etc. wrapped up at

the head of the Trishul.

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A truck converted to a two storied

house on the wheels, a makeshifthome for the pilgrims. The pilgrims

traveled long miles from their village

to the base camp on this truck.

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A pilgrim family at the base camp

with their luggages. The man of thefamily is relaxing himself with

closed eyes while one of the ladies is

relishing betel leaves.

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A woman sadhu is addressed as

Mataji, meaning the holy mother. AMataji at the base camp is

arranging her huge knotty hairs.

Sadhus sport such huge knotty hairs

as a religious gesture.

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A mendicant with a huge turban on

head and a spotted animal skinaround the neck. Certain animal

skins are considered to boost mystic

power if used to sit on during

meditation. However only the skins

of dead animals are allowed to be

used.

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A wanderer sadhu wears the sign of

his sect. In Vaishnavism (followersof God Vishnu) this is mandatory

and after every bath that one may

take one has to draw the signs again

afresh. Followers of God Shiva also

sport similar signs over their

foreheads and on the hands.

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