Varanasi is synonymous with spirituality and Hinduism. Its photographers’ favorite and they throng Varanasi from all over the world to capture the essence of India’s religious beliefs, traditions and a life that gets weaved around the religious beliefs.
The Dev Deepavali is the festival of Kartik Poornima celebrated in Varanasi 15 days after Diwali. The steps of all the Ghats on the riverfront of the Ganges River, from Ravidas Ghat at the southern end to Rajghat, are lit with more than a million earthen lamps (diyas) in honour of Ganga. During Dev Deepawali, houses are decorated with oil lamps and colored designs on their front doors. Firecrackers are burnt at night, processions of decorated deities are taken out into the streets of Varanasi, and oil lamps are set afloat on the river.
Xploring Light now takes you on a mentored photography tour of this ancient city. Prepare for a photographic journey to the Ghats of Varanasi, where much of what Mark Twain described over a hundred years ago can still be witnessed unchanged. This photography tour has its focus set in solving the dilemma in photographing people on the streets, SEEING the UNSEEN and creating unique frames by going beyond the clichés of shooting Ghats in most mundane way.
The four-day mentored photography tour to Varanasi is designed to provide in depth knowledge and understanding of how to SEE the UNSEEN and create images that stand out from millions of mundane images clicked by thousands of DSLR owners. Tour calendar also includes photographing Dev Diwali Celebrations along the Ghats.
The itinerary includes the following activities under the expert guidance of your photography mentor.
- Dev Diwali Celebrations on the Ghats.
- Early morning life on the Ghats.
- Evening Ganga Aarti.
- Walks in the narrow lanes adjoining the Ghats where the ancient city unfolds itself.
- Sessions on travel, outdoor and street photography.
- Image critique sessions.