by photographer Ken Hermann
On my several travels to India and Nepal I’ve been
very intrigued by the Sadhus – the ascetic Hindu holy men.
They awoke my curiosity
with their way of life and of course
their appearance.
The Sanskrit term Sadhu ("good man") refer
to people who have chosen to leave behind all material and sexual attachments
to live a life apart from society in order to focus on their own spiritual
practice. The Sadhus are widely respected for their holiness and sometimes even
feared for their curses. They live in caves, forests and temples all over India
and Nepal
Because the Sadhus lives in the most remote corners of
India and Nepal they are very difficult to track down and the best way to get
in touch with them is to go to the sacred places or holy festivals of Nepal and
India.
My idea behind the portraits was to capture the beauty
of the Sadhus. I wanted the Holy Men to stand out from the big crowds of the
pilgrims and tourist you most often find at these sacred places.
I wanted to give the portraits power and simplicity
and to emphasize the spirituality of the Sadhus. Furthermore, I wanted to
provide the images with a kind of unreal and almost supernatural look that
emphasizes the sadhus’ place in the world
– a place closer to god.
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