The other day while driving and listening to someone speak, I heard a word that sounded familiar but for the life of me I couldn't quite understand it. After listening attentively to the person’s unique pronunciation a few times, I finally managed to grasp its meaning. It turned out to be a familiar word: Ullasa, which translates to "joy" in the Sanskrit language. The connection here for me is that I feel immense joy when I photograph.
And it was sheer joy that I felt last year around this time when I visited Wayanad a beautiful hill district in the southern state of Kerala. Monsoon is a great season in which to visit Kerala as everything is a lush green, much more so than usual. This was my first visit to Wayanad.
Generally, I like to approach an unknown terrain in a mindful way. I don’t plan these trips like a tourist, I like to have the curiosity of a seeker. I feel that when I do this, I discover the unconditional joy of an honest photographic endeavour.
When I am in places like Wayanad, I experience a kind of silence that gently soaks me in. The world outside is going on as it should but inside me there is silence. I think nature does this to me.
In that silence there is deep reverence. As a child I remember visiting my sister’s friend’s house in the army cantonment area. I remember being led out of their house to sit in a sort of backyard. I remember feeling overwhelmed even as a child as I looked up at the towering trees and the surroundings around me. I felt something in my heart that filled me with wonder and joy in the simplicity of what I was seeing. I still carry those emotions whenever I go into green havens.
While I navigated through Wayanad and captured moments there, I thought the place had a timeless quality. It gave me time to reflect and contemplate about my life. The frames, the colours, the unknown stories of men and women transported me to another world. The breathtaking landscapes, the tranquil beauty of the water bodies, the intricate details of green patterns in nature rejuvenated my entire being.
I am always amazed at how that feeling of being revitalized sustains me for many months. Amidst the tiresome routine of the city, the memory of those moments of stillness bring me joy/ullasa. And the memories keep me going.
©Shital Morjaria
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I love this: “I like to have the curiosity of a seeker. I feel that when I do this, I discover the unconditional joy of an honest photographic endeavour.” Seeking always leads to shedding of the ego and hence we stumble upon downright honesty, I thought. Lovely pictures!
Beautiful photos