It is time to take a breather and reflect on the year gone by. 2016 was a very busy time with 15 international trips to all corners of the globe including Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Romania, Sardinia, & Botswana. I thank everyone who has been a part of these photographic adventures, and I hope that we will have an equally fulfilling time in 2017. Here is a selection of 15 of some of my favorite images, one from each trip. Rajasthani Mystics Running through Hot Coals, India Receding Wave and Calved Ice on Black Beach, Iceland Woman in a Chador Walking Past a Mural of Ayatollah Khomeini, Iran Man Walking over Puddle During Easter Procession, Guatemala Plaza de España at Dusk, Spain Portrait of Alessia in Traditional Dress of the Village of Tresnuraghes, Sardinia Elderly Woman Cutting Grass with a Sickle for Animal Food, Romania Travel Photographer of the Year Competition I am happy to say that, after 6 years as a Finalist, the image above, from one of our 2016 tours to Romania, was chosen as the Best Single image in a Portfolio "Mankind" in the 2016 Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) (see above). Another, photographed in a bakery in Viñales, Cuba was Highly Commended in the One Shot Category, "Shaped by Light" (see at the end of this post). Farm Workers Loading Fresh-cut Hay on to a Horse-drawn Cart, Romania Gelati Monastery Interior Showing Medieval Frescoes, Georgia St Blaise’s Church and the Cathedral at Dusk, Croatia Young Golden Eagle Hunter Holding his Bird, Mongolia Man Grinding Millet to Make Flour for Chapatis, India A Bride Leaves and a Bride Exits from the Pahlavon Mahmud Mausoleum, Uzbekistan Male Cheetah Using a Tree as a Lookout, Botswana Bathing Huts at St James Reflected in a Tidal Pool, South Africa The Cake Decorator, Cuba Travel Photographer of the Year Competition
"The Cake Decorator" - 2016 Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY), Highly Commended One Shot, "Shaped by Light"
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Post by Jeremy Woodhouse. We all walk the road, most of the time routinely, but Kumbh wasn't one of those [times], it left memories and this clip adds substance to what I felt there…PK Bhatnagar The Meaning of Kumbh
The literal meaning of Kumbh is a pitcher, but its elemental meaning is something else. Even as a symbol of pitcher, Kumbh is synonymous with holy activities as in daily life a pitcher (or kalash) is an integral part of all sacred activities in Hindu culture, and this pitcher is a symbol of Kumbh. Holy scriptures say that in a pitcher, its mouth (opening) symbolizes the presence of Vishnu, its neck that of Rudra, the base of Brahama, all goddesses in the center and the entire oceans in the interior, thus encompassing all the four Vedas. This itself establishes the significance of the Kumbh as symbolized by the pitcher. Different Forms of Kumbh We shall not dwell upon the literary meaning of the word Kumbh, but we would like to mention the synonyms and origins. The Kumbh is a pitcher. Kumbh is the human body, it is the abdomen, and the sea, earth, sun and Vishnu are synonyms of Kumbh. The pitcher, sea, river, ponds and the well are symbols of Kumbh as the water from these places is covered from all sides. The sky has the cover of the wind, the sun covers the entire universe with its light, and the human body is covered with cells and tissues. That is why it is Kumbh. Desire, that is longing, is also Kumbh. God Vishnu is also Kumbh as He pervades the entire creation, and the creation pervades in Him. Elemental Meaning of Kumbh Kumbh is the confluence of all our cultures. It is the symbol of spiritual awakening. It is the eternal flow of humanity. It is the surge of rivers, forests and the ancient wisdom of the sages. It is the flow of life itself. It is the symbol of the confluence of nature and humanity. Kumbh is the source of all energy. Kumbh makes humankind realize this world and the other, sins and blessings, wisdom and ignorance, darkness and light. Holy rivers are the symbols of the lyrical flow of humanity. Rivers are indicators of the flow of water of life in the human body itself. In the human body that is an embodiment of home, nothing is possible without the five elements. The elements – fire, wind, water, earth and sky – symbolize the human body. The great sage-poet Sant Kabir has explained this sublime thought in his typical manner. The Himalaya is the abode of the soul of the gods. The Holy Ganga embarks upon its journey from there, encompassing the forests, the mountain sages and the culture of the villages. The Yamuna is a co-traveler as it puts an end to all sins, and it is known variously as Tripathga, Shivpuri and other names. This is the Ganga that liberated the children of the Suryavanshi king Sagar. Its holy water is considered nectar itself. http://kumbhmelaallahabad.gov.in |
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AuthorJeremy Woodhouse is a professional photographer and traveller. He leads photography trips to all corners of the globe |