A pilgrimage in India inspires a prismatic image.
Hindu pilgrims form a swirl of color in the streets of Pandharpur during a yatra, or religious procession. “Every year, thousands of devotees walk dozens of miles to this Indian holy town southeast of Mumbai to pay homage to the deity Vithoba, a regional incarnation of the god Vishnu,” says Arvind Ramteke, a photographer based in Mumbai.
“Here they flow around a shrine dedicated to the god Hanuman, who often is portrayed as a blue monkey, on their way through town to the Vithoba Temple, where they will honor representations of Vithoba and other deities.” “A number of things grabbed me in this image,” says Traveler director of photography Dan Westergren, “including the vivid hues and sense of motion.
The blurring makes the pilgrims look like a river of people, their colorful attire echoed by the yellow, orange, and blue shop awnings. Caught in the whirlpool of humanity is the small temple, its rooftop statues of sacred blue monkeys appearing to monitor the procession.”
