Photo of the Week #53

September 11, 2019
This photograph is part of the series xxxholy-Journeys into the Spiritual Heart of India, published by Kruse Verlag, Hamburg, in 2000. From 1996-1999 German artist Peter Bialobrzeski travelled across India in search of mysticism and spirituality. Far from claiming to understand the complex systems of eastern religions, his photographs work within a unique contradiction: they have the curiosity of the spiritual seeker, looking at India's holy places with wonder, acknowledging their beauty. On the other hand, one finds an analytical distance which transfers India's spiritual heart onto a theatrical stage, full of magical moments. The photographs are a non-descriptive interpretation of places and moments, each charged with a certain energy.  
 
The village of Manikoran itself is located deep in the Indian Himalayas on the Parvati River, home to a number of hot springs. The Hindus believe that a higher being named Manu recreated human life in Manikoran after the flood, making it a sacred area.