I was thrilled to be asked to collaborate on a special print edition of Docu Magazine, which champions and showcases the work of photographers of all disciplines.
I chose a project shot in the beautiful Indian town of Hampi, a special place where time seems to flow backwards and life is lived on the banks of the river.
LAND OUT OF TIME
Resting on the banks of the glistening Tungabhadra River in the heart if India's southern state of Karnataka, Hampi (derived from an earlier name for the river 'Pampe' and the Hindu Goddess of the same name) is a place of ethereal natural beauty. Flat, palm fringed plains are dominated by a boulder-strewn landscape and otherworldly rock formations. giving the town and unearthly and magical quality.
Geologically, Hampi boasts some of the oldest exposed surfaces on Earth. Granite monoliths created by primeval Magma solidifying at the Earth's crust were shaped by volcanic forces, and subsequently eroded over millennia by rainwater to form today's colossal, sculptural, and seemingly gravity defying structures.
From a religious and mythological perspective, the area is of great significance to Southern Indian Hindus as the location of the marriage of Pampe to god of destruction Shiva, and in inspiring scenes in the Hindu epic 'Ramayana'. It's said to be the birthplace of monkey god Hanuman, and the location of the mythical monkey kingdom Kishkinda.
It was in this place, steeped in history, religion and mythology, that the Vijayanagara Empire built a thriving capital - a vast cosmopolitan city of temple complexes, bazaars and aqueducts stretching over 16 square miles. After enjoying centuries of trade and prosperity, it was tragically pillaged, overthrown and then left abandoned by the Deccan Muslim Confederacy in 1565.
At the time of it's demise, Hampi was the 2nd largest city in the world, with 500,000 inhabitants. After sliding into rural obscurity for centuries, it was conferred UNESCO world heritage status in 1986.
1600 monuments remain, scattered through the terrain, providing a magnificent and timeless backdrop for the lives of Hampi's modern day inhabitants.
Today the town's residents number less than 3000 people, mainly living in homes built around the architecture of the ancient temple complexes. The daily rituals performed on the river form the connection between the physical and the divine. Families bathe, women gather to wash clothes, fisherman cast their nets, prayers are sent and Aarti ceremonies are held. It's a remarkable and enduring place where the threads of history, religion, mythology and forces of nature are tightly interwoven, and where the tension between present - day uses and the challenges of safeguarding the ancient remains are a delicately held balance.
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