Prashant Panjiar’s photos of the Kumbh mela transport viewers into the very heart of India

Prashant Panjiar’s Amongst the Believers opens with a couple of minimalist photos that give a sense of the vastness of the landscape that is the riverbed on which the Kumbh mela is held. Gradually there is a build-up of pilgrims. We are led into the heart of India where the vast populace that has travelled miles to be able to take the holy dip begins to appear.

The lines formed by the various tones of grey that dissect the frame form a geometric pattern either by the flowing river or the flow of humanity on the many temporary bridges and streets laid out specifically for this event.

In one picture we see a dhoti floating in mid-air against the bright sky, held delicately in the hands of its silhouetted owner who forms the left side of the frame, whereas the right of the frame is occupied by a few men perched against the spread of the sky, where details of sparse cumulus clouds are just about visible.

We see the pouring in of rural India with endless rows of people carrying belongings in sacks on their head with the aim of seeking darshan and listening to the gyan on offer by the many holy men, and jostling their…

Read more