Thursday, April 09, 2009

I'm praying





That I will never forget what I've experienced here in India. 

I've been jotting quick notes in a moleskine in attempts to keep everything I've seen, done, heard, smelled and touched in Kolkata, Varanasi and now Delhi, India. Truthfully, it has been one of the most intense experiences of my life and I'm overwhelmed at not being able to unpack anything in the past 6 days. Internet has been spotty at best and we've been running most of the time, so I haven't been in touch since Bangkok. I've got a list of images written down, experiences I've had that I could/should spend the next 6 months making part of me. 

I've wept uncontrollably, been so proud of people, a little amazed at myself and overly convinced of the power of prayer. My heart has been massaged and I've seen firsthand the results of Godly miracles. I've been inundated with stimulus to the point of having to close my eyes on taxi rides. 

I appreciate those of you who have followed this and even recently asked why the blog hasn't been updated. Know that I've wanted to respond to each e-mail, just haven't had the capacity or connectivity to do it. I'm thankful for family and friends praying for my health and protection--and to get the story of India captured in moving pictures. 

If pictures are worth 1000 words, here begins the dissertation of my India journey. I'm absolutely humbled.

pic 1: Much of our time has been spent traveling. We started in Calcutta (Kolkata) and spent 2 days there, then to Delhi for a night and Varanasi for a day and now back in Delhi. I'm getting a flavor for several Asian airlines.
pic 2: on the Ganges River in Varanasi. Varanasi is considered the holiest city in India with thousands of years of history. This is an idol worship ceremony on the river (more to come on this). 
pic 3: as I was filming the river before the ceremony, I met a couple young men who were wondering what I was doing with the camera. They were so gracious to teach me about the ceremony and the significance of it to their Hindu culture. As you can see from this picture, big crowds gather around cameras!
pic 4: There isn't a picture that can capture the intensity of the numbers of people in India. It boasts 17% of the world's population and the three cities I've visited are bustling cities with very little personal space.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Troy
You are very lucky to be able to travel the world and capture it on film for many others to see. The pictures and stories are truly amazing.
I can only imagine what it is like over there. I have only heard of stories others who have traveled to that part of the world. All have the same thoughts in that it is much different than what they expected.
Keep up the good work.

Michael