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oochappan | all galleries >> Galleries >> INDIA Tamil Nadu 2005 > Living on the street ...
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2005-02-02 ¹ ² ³ oochappan ©®

Living on the street ...

Madurai

Why is it that I got always that strange feeling when I see those "Sadhus" on the street?
They don't beg aggressively, they just sit there, waiting for some alms, they leave the choice 100% up to you, to give or not.

Like I said before, the privilege to be poor in India, maybe this man is revolting in his way against all dominating order of arranged marriages, established rules of taking responsibility, the urge for prestige .... he simply steps beside the ruling order to recreate his world of being, not wanting anymore, in an religious mystique atmosphere to give more acceptable sense for the outer material world that there are other possibilities of living.

Indeed in India you still got the possibility for this way of living, maybe people here do still respect and accept all life-forms ... a privilege that we would deny here by calling them 'drop outs'.

He is a lonely Hindu alright living in an empty street, maybe a man like him lied at the origin of Buddhism, only one step to go, leaving religions behind.

Taken just outside the Meenakshi Temple in Madurai, inside beggars are not so welcome anymore.

Canon EOS 1D Mark II ,Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
ISO-100
Exposure: f/2.8, 1/125 seconds full exif


other sizes: small medium original auto
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