by photographer
Ken Hermann
On my several travels to India and Nepal I’ve beenvery intrigued by the Sadhus – the ascetic Hindu holy men.
They awoke my curiositywith their way of life and of course their appearance.
The Sanskrit term Sadhu ("good man") referto people who have chosen to leave behind all material and sexual attachmentsto live a life apart from society in order to focus on their own spiritualpractice. The Sadhus are widely respected for their holiness and sometimes evenfeared for their curses. They live in caves, forests and temples all over Indiaand Nepal
Because the Sadhus lives in the most remote corners ofIndia and Nepal they are very difficult to track down and the best way to getin touch with them is to go to the sacred places or holy festivals of Nepal andIndia.
My idea behind the portraits was to capture the beautyof the Sadhus. I wanted the Holy Men to stand out from the big crowds of thepilgrims and tourist you most often find at these sacred places.
I wanted to give the portraits power and simplicityand to emphasize the spirituality of the Sadhus. Furthermore, I wanted toprovide the images with a kind of unreal and almost supernatural look thatemphasizes the sadhus’ place in the world
– a place closer to god.
On my several travels to India and Nepal I’ve beenvery intrigued by the Sadhus – the ascetic Hindu holy men.
They awoke my curiositywith their way of life and of course their appearance.
The Sanskrit term Sadhu ("good man") referto people who have chosen to leave behind all material and sexual attachmentsto live a life apart from society in order to focus on their own spiritualpractice. The Sadhus are widely respected for their holiness and sometimes evenfeared for their curses. They live in caves, forests and temples all over Indiaand Nepal
Because the Sadhus lives in the most remote corners ofIndia and Nepal they are very difficult to track down and the best way to getin touch with them is to go to the sacred places or holy festivals of Nepal andIndia.
My idea behind the portraits was to capture the beautyof the Sadhus. I wanted the Holy Men to stand out from the big crowds of thepilgrims and tourist you most often find at these sacred places.
I wanted to give the portraits power and simplicityand to emphasize the spirituality of the Sadhus. Furthermore, I wanted toprovide the images with a kind of unreal and almost supernatural look thatemphasizes the sadhus’ place in the world
– a place closer to god.
www.kenhermann.com
