Photo © Nicolas Perron-All Rights Reserved |
Ah, the Kumbh Mela! Yes, it's an important religious event for Hindus...but despite its over-commercialization, its entrenched charlatanism, its "must-go" label as an annual event for Western (and others) seekers of spirituality and documentarians (visual or otherwise), it has a magnetic pull, and a strong one at that.
It is considered to be largest peaceful gathering in the world, with over 100 million people (an example of the overhyping?) visiting during the Maha Kumbh Mela in 2013 It is held every third year at one of the four places by rotation: Haridwar, Allahabad, Nashik and Ujjain.
Nicolas Perron returned from the recent Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, and uploaded 100 of his photographs of the event. He managed to stay clear (almost) of the ash smeared sadhus, and of the freak show that is a certainty at the Kumbh, and focused his lens on the regular devotees....and titled his gallery Face To Faith.
Nicolas Perron is a self-taught photographer, independent and freelance, in particular a travel/humanitarian photographer. He is currently based in Paris, France, from where he travels extensively, working on assignment and on commission, creating stock images, and developing his own personal projects.