mick S T E T S O N

  • Stories
  • Destinations
  • Portfolios
  • Editorial Archive
  • News
    • Awards
    • Other
  • About
    • Bio Summary
    • Bio — Full
    • Image Info
    • Copyright
  • Workshops/Tours
    • Overview
    • Off Beat Photography Workshops/Tours
    • Choosing Workshops/Tours
  • Shop
    • Fine Art Prints
    • Lightbox Cart
  • Blog
  • Contact
Show Navigation
India All Galleries

Buddhism's Holy Land { 24 images } Created 9 Aug 2013

twitterlinkedinfacebook
View: 100 | All

Loading ()...

  • The bride receives gifts from friends and family.
    WeddingGifts-3.jpg
  • Maturing quickly, beyond their age of thirteen, girls from lower castes struggle to balance time, aspirations and education with family responsibilties.
    GirlThirteen-9-Edit.jpg
  • Early morning traffic and pedestrians bustle past on their way to work or the market, while others watch by the roadside.
    2MenStuccoWall-6.jpg
  • Nalanda was home to one of the ancient world's great universities. When Xuanzang visited in 637 C.E., there were more than 10,000 monks and students living there. Today, all that remains are the university ruins and the public bath houses, which are especially crowded on hot days, when locals seek relief from the day time heat.
    MensBath-7.jpg
  • Many water carriers (bhishti) belong to families who have been providing this service for many generations. Originally, water was carried in animal skins. Though some bhishti still use skins today, the majority use clay or metal pots. Since providing water for the thirsty is a blessed service, bhishti believe that they will go to paradise when they die.
    WaterWomen-3.jpg
  • The first stepwells were constructed between 200 and 400 C.E. in the Indus Valley, which includes modern day Rajasthan. Their purpose was not only to provide easy access to precious water reserves, but also to give some relief from the daytime heat when inside the well at the waterline.
    Stepwell-11.jpg
  • Behind the main factory is the washing station, where newly dyed saris are washed to eliminate any excess dyes prior to shipping them to the market.
    SariFactory-1.jpg
  • In Rajasthan, everyday activities take place beside ancient remains from another era in India's long history along the Indus River basin.
    BundiVillage-3.jpg
  • Sometime between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE, Siddhartha Gautama, known as the 'Buddha,' meditated for 49 days until he attained enlightenment under a Bodhi tree. Buddhist pilgrims from around the world converge at this most sacred site, paying homage to the Buddha and seeking refuge or enlightenment.
    Bodhgaya Monk-1.jpg
  • Along the banks of the Ganga (Ganges) River, steep steps lead back to the alleyways of the old city. The riverfront is a parade of people, doing their chores, bathing or performing religious rituals.
    India-421.jpg
  • During the eary hours of morning, bathers crowd the shallow shoreline waters of the Ganga, immersing in the Hindu metaphor and belief that the river flows unbroken from ancient times into the present.
    GangaBathers-644.jpg
  • A naga sadhu prepares the morning fire for chai (tea) and warmth.
    India-579.jpg
  • At sunrise, a  holy man reads Hindu scripture in front of a temple along the sacred Ganges River.
    HinduPrayer-1.jpg
  • In the old city of Varanasi, cows meander the alleyways. Some households stable their own cattle, reaping the benefits of fresh milk and paneer (cheese).
    India-718-2.jpg
  • A Buddhist devotee circumambulates Bodhnath's stupa. Historically, traders traveling between Lhasa and Kathmandu stopped here to pray for a safe journey as they drove their yaks through the high Himalayan passes.
    Nepal-1372.jpg
  • A Buddhist devotee circumambulates Bodhnath's stupa. Historically, traders traveling between Lhasa and Kathmandu stopped here to pray for a safe journey as they drove their yaks through the high Himalayan passes.
    Nepal-1373.jpg
  • A Buddhist devotee circumambulates Bodhnath's stupa. Historically, traders traveling between Lhasa and Kathmandu stopped here to pray for a safe journey as they drove their yaks through the high Himalayan passes.
    Nepal-1379.jpg
  • A mother and daughter watching a parade of musicians as they go to the festival grounds.
    Nepal-1946.jpg
  • An old man relaxes with a cup of chai in the village tea house, where many villagers gather at the end of their day of labor.
    Udaipur-39.jpg
  • Opposite their village, is a communal well where families take turns cleaning their bodies and clothes.
    Laundry-4.jpg
  • A camel herdsman attending a local camel fair has ethnic roots that possibly originate in Iran or Central Eurasia and of Scythian ancestry. The turban he's wearing is like the Arabic kufiya.
    CamelHerdsman-19.jpg
  • Camel herders from northern Rajasthan buy and sell their livestock at local camel fairs.
    CamelFair-2.jpg
  • Laborers of all ages spend the day carrying bricks to a building site for a temple at the top of a mountain in Nalanda.
    Girl&Bricks-3.jpg
  • In a small village in Rajasthan, three friends meet in the afternoon to catch up on the latest news.
    GrumpyOldMen-3.jpg