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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Fifty Seven: Expressions of Faith > Meditation, Hindu Temple, Delhi, India, 2008
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22-MAR-2008

Meditation, Hindu Temple, Delhi, India, 2008

I watched carefully as a series of white clouds drifted over a Hindu temple topped by a statue of the meditating Garuda, the vehicle of Vishnu, and destroyer of evil. I waited for the big cloud with the tail to fill the right hand side of my frame and then made this photograph. To me, the big white cloud with the small tail symbolically represented an idea worthy of meditation and thought.

Leica V-Lux 1
1/500s f/8.0 at 31.8mm iso100 full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
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Phil Douglis23-Apr-2008 17:13
Thanks, Vera, for seeing the meaning here. I always try to use aesthetics for the sake of meaning, not for aesthetics themselves. Most photographers are concerned with making a picture more appealing, interesting, and attractive. I am all for that, of course, but I want to take it further. I want those purely aesthetic considerations to add substance to the image, and as you say, that is just what is happening here. The composition of the image is also its message.
Guest 23-Apr-2008 00:55
I love the composition here. The vastness of the sky leaves me with a sense of freedom that is well suited to the "destroyer of evil." Room to breath and meditate.
Phil Douglis21-Apr-2008 19:13
I love your image, Mo -- that golden flag seems to be flying to the tune of the statue's flute. In this case, the clouds seem to rolling by to the tune of the statues prayers.
monique jansen21-Apr-2008 10:24
To me it speaks of the insignificance of any of our beliefs against the power and beauty of nature
I attempted something similar in Mumbaihttp://www.pbase.com/trevvelbug/image/71186739
Phil Douglis20-Apr-2008 00:09
Clouds can be interpreted as Incense of the Gods.
Tim May19-Apr-2008 19:54
So often in our images we use smoke and clouds to represent the ephemeral nature of faith. This is a classic example of that.
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