The River of Life

It’s easy to comprehend how these scenes would have affected noted Swiss photographer,Raymond Burnier and French writer and Indologist,Alain Danielou,when they were still in the process of discovering the country more than seven decades ago — awe coupled with enthusiasm. A dangerous combination when it comes to aesthetic depictions. These men,however,were not your regular backpackers out to sample Indian exotica. They were informed researchers who knew how to use art as a social document,and this very fact comes through in the ongoing exhibition,Lights of the Ganga,on at the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

Burnier and Danielou did not succumb to the temptation of telling the story of an entire civilisation through a single photograph. Instead,they chose to narrate individual tales: intimate accounts of lives that challenge conventional perceptions of the nation during those times. A glistening pahalwan stands in front of the camera,but something beyond it seems to have caught his eye. A room overlooking the ghats is saturated with early morning light as the crumpled rugs that cover the floor of the room talk about a night of revelry. These images are remarkable not only because of the brilliant composition and rendition but also because of the non-intrusive way in which they tell their individual stories.

These photographs,then, should hardly come as a surprise. Danielou is no stranger to poetry and story-telling. Burnier and Danielou shared a wonderful rapport with Rabindranath Tagore who appointed Danielou as the director of music at Santiniketan. He was also appointed as a professor at the Banares Hindu University,which allowed him to travel across Central India and Rajputana. The intricate carvings of the temples of Khajuraho,Bhubaneshwar and Konark,inspired him to conduct more research on the country. In fact,so convinced was the man of the importance of culture and religion as presented by Hinduism,that he declared himself to be a Hindu. He also famously stated ,“India is my true home,” long after he left the country.

The exhibition is on at the ICCR till March 20