Saturday, February 20, 2010

A Simple Offering


As  non-Hindu, I was not allowed inside the Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneshwar, Orissa. Instead, I wandered around the area, circumnavigating the wall of the temple complex. Nearing the completion of my walk, I suddenly spotted this woman, humbly clasping her hands as she paid her respects to a cow she had just fed. Without being obtrusive, I quickly snapped a photo with my D-SLR and moved on. It wasn't until I zoomed in on the photo on my computer that I realized that her arms, hands, and face revealed scarring from burns. What was her story? Regardless, the tender moment was one I'll cherish.

Watercolor on handmade paper, 2009

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