Uttaranchal. उत्तरांचल

Smile. Haridwar. Uttaranchal

2009-09-08T09:44:00.000+01:00

drying Saris on the ghats in Haridwar where the next Kumbh Mela will take place.

www.kumbhamela.net/kumbha-mela-2003-schedule.html

www.claude-renault.fr

Bodhya. Clement Town

2008-12-19T15:18:00.000+01:00

Bodhya, a buddhist nun from Tibet, living inside theTibetan settlement of Clement Town, near Dehradhun. A lovely lady where it's nice to share a tea.
She came to salute me when I was leaving the settlement after the week I spent there.

www.claude-renault.fr

Bodhya. Clement Town

2008-12-12T13:25:00.000+01:00

Bodhya, a buddhist nun coming out of her room in the Tibetan settlement of Clement Town, Uttaranchal. A lovely old lady, so sweet and wways ready to offer you a "Chai".
www.claude-renault.fr

Saris. Haridwar

2008-09-23T10:53:00.002+01:00

Pilgrims from Bihar drying saris on the banks of the sacred Ganges in Haridwar

Morning. Clement Town

2008-08-18T16:44:00.003+01:00

Reading the sacred Texts in Clement Town, a Tibetan settlement near Dehradun

Sadhu. Rishikesh

2007-06-09T09:35:00.001+01:00

A sadhu overlooking the sacred river Ganges, in Rishikesh. Uttaranchal.

Coming Down. Gaumukh

2007-06-07T09:27:00.000+01:00

Pilgrims coming down from The sources of the ganges in gaumukh. In the background the two summits of the Baghirati Mountain, 6856m.
Another view of the mountains
www.flickr.com/photos/clodreno/46728977/in/set-875095/

Meditation. Gangotri

2007-06-05T16:32:00.000+01:00

A sadhu meditating or admiring the river, on the banks of the Ganges in Gangotri

On the Ghats. Haridwar

2007-06-05T10:22:00.000+01:00

Sadhus reading the newspaper on the ghats in Haridwar, a sacred city of India.

Harmonium. Rishikesh

2007-06-05T09:01:00.001+01:00

A musician playing on the banks of the Sacred Ganges in Rishikesh.

Books . Haridwar.

2007-06-02T13:32:00.000+01:00

"Most of the Hindu people of North India visit The Ganga river at Haridwar at important times of their lives, like a marriage, a birth or a death, to bath in the river and cleanse themselves for a new beginning. Now the photo shows the office of a Panda, so each family has a chosen Panda, you can say a family accountant. Whenever anyone from the family goes to Haridwar they go to their family Panda and get their visit registered in his record books along with details like name and number of people visiting, occasion, date etc. So these records are kept across generations with the same auditor's family. The volume of books look intimidating but they have a neat system of maintaining records and classifying them into house, street, locality and city levels".

Pilgrims. Haridwar

2007-06-02T10:42:00.000+01:00

Puja. Rishikesh

2007-05-01T08:01:00.000+01:00

A woman doing a evening Puja in the Saccred Ganges in Rishikesh

Eyes. Rishikesh

2007-03-20T09:47:00.001+01:00

A Rajasthani pilgrim in Rishikesh. She was sitting inside a small temple next to her husband in Ram Jhula.

Harish. Haridwar. Uttaranchal

2007-03-20T09:45:00.000+01:00

This image has a sentimental value to me.
This man, Harish Mahajan, from Punjab has been sitting in front of a restaurant "Chotiwallah" overlooking the Ganges in Haridwar for the past 4 years. He has been meditating since. He got paralysed on one side, then decided to go to Haridwar to meditate. Now, he told me he was much better, he can move his left arm a bit and hope he will be able to go home in a year...
He is a very nice man who used to be a science teacher. I met him everyday I spend in Haridwar and we always had lunch together..Hopefully now he is back home

Tika. Gangotri

2007-03-20T09:44:00.000+01:00

A picture of a man inside the courtyard of the temple at the entrance of the national park going to the sources of the Ganges, in Gangotri. Painting the Vishnu symbol on his forehead.

Aarthy. Rishikesh

2007-03-19T16:45:00.000+01:00

The aarthi cloturing the night puja in the Ganges, in Rishikesh

Puja. Rishikesh

2006-12-17T08:43:00.000+01:00

A night Puja in Rishikesh on the banks of the Sacred Ganges

Souvenirs, souvenirs. Haridwar

2006-12-13T19:33:00.000+01:00

Pilgrims from Rajasthan buying souvenirs in Haridwar.

Saddhus. Haridwar. Uttaranchal

2006-11-27T20:43:00.000+01:00

Coming from all over the country, often on foot, to the town of Haridwar, pilgrims and sadhus are overwhelmed by tiredness, and lay on the bare ground of the ghats, while others eat or attend to their children. I find these scenes as attractive as the place itself, better, the place would be inconceivable without its pulsing life, which often includes animals, as well as human beings. I feel myself completely at ease in these surroundings.

Saddhus. Gaumukh

2006-11-25T16:04:00.001+01:00

A group of saddhus I travelled with to go to the sources of the Ganges .
You can see the two summit of the Baghirathi mountains in the background.
As a matter of fact the Ganges is named Bhagirathi river from Gaumukh down to Deoprayag.
It is from Deoprayag that the river starts taking the name Ganga.

Sacred Bath. Gangotri

2006-11-25T16:02:00.000+01:00

Rajasthanis pilgrims coming to Gangotri, taking a bath at the sources of the sacred Ganges

Laundry day. Uttarkashi

2006-11-25T16:00:00.002+01:00

A little girl doing her laundry in the sacred Ganges.

Shiva and the sadhu. Uttarkashi

2006-11-25T16:00:00.001+01:00

Shower day. Uttarkashi

2006-11-25T15:59:00.001+01:00

On the banks of the sacred Ganges.

Ram Das. Gaumukh.

2006-11-25T15:56:00.000+01:00

Ram Das is a 76 th old sadhu from Mathura. This is shot on the banks of the Ganges, in Gaumukh, he was doing his puja.
By the way, to shoot this I had to be in the Ganges at about 40 meters from where it comes out of the glacier, it was "cold"...
An amazing man, speeding going up .. I had trouble keeping up the pace.

Good News. Haridwar

2006-11-24T10:40:00.000+01:00

You can be a Saddhu, but still be interested in the news of the world.

Oka Das, a Saddhu having his lunch. Gangotri

2006-11-24T10:37:00.000+01:00

Oka das is a Saddhu. He went to an Ashram where they distributed free food, then he found a spot to have his lunch quietly.

Resting. Haridwar

2006-11-24T10:34:00.000+01:00

The pilgrims can be very tired after their trip to Gaumukh. A lot will sit together near the river as those saddhus are doing to take a rest. A friendly atmosphere.

Bargainning. Haridwar

2006-11-24T10:32:00.000+01:00

Pilgrims bargainning in Haridwar. Most of the pilgrims want to bring back home some water from the Ganges so they have to buy those big plasctic bottles.

Puja. Haridwar

2006-11-24T10:31:00.000+01:00

A woman doing her Puja near the Ganges, in Haridwar, the river is still called Baghirathi.

Cold coffee. Gangotri

2006-11-24T10:28:00.000+01:00

Gangotri is the village where all the pilgrims heading toward the sources of the Ganges will stop. There, you will find plenty of shops, restaurants, and people selling religious souvenirs on the streets.

Holy water. Haridwar

2006-11-22T17:43:00.001+01:00

A woman making dough for the chapatis with the holy water from Mother Ganga.

Chai stall. Rishikesh

2006-11-22T17:42:00.001+01:00

This woman is the owner of a small "Chai" place in Ram Jhula.
I stopped there for my morning tea..

Beauty. Haridwar

2006-11-22T17:41:00.000+01:00

This little "untouchable" girl was begging with her mother on the ghats in Haridwar..

Night Puja. Haridwar

2006-11-22T17:40:00.001+01:00

Night Puja. Haridwar

2006-11-22T17:39:00.001+01:00

Holy bath. Haridwar

2006-11-22T17:17:00.001+01:00

Drying up a dhoti. Haridwar

2006-11-22T17:16:00.002+01:00

Meditation. Rishikesh

2006-11-22T17:16:00.001+01:00

Meditating alongside the Ganges in Rishikesh , the night is coming down fast

Ritual. Haridwar

2006-11-22T17:15:00.001+01:00

A man during his ritual bath in the Ganges in Haridwar.

Niketan Temple. Rishikesh

2006-11-22T17:14:00.001+01:00

This is a lovely temple in a nice village, 20km away from Rishikesh

Still life. Rishikesh. Uttaranchal

2006-11-22T12:20:00.000+01:00

A saddhu quietly resting alongside the sacred "Ganges" in Rishikesh.

Puja. Rishikesh.

2006-11-18T17:21:00.000+01:00

A sleepy Saddhu. Rishikesh

2006-11-18T17:18:00.000+01:00

Laundry. Rishikesh

2006-11-18T17:15:00.000+01:00

Doing his laundry in the Holy water of the Sacred Ganges

Sacred thread. Haridwar

2006-11-18T17:10:00.000+01:00

Holy bath. Haridwar

2006-11-18T17:09:00.000+01:00

Dhoti. Haridwar

2006-11-18T17:04:00.000+01:00

A little girl helping her father dry up his dhoti..Pilgrims who came to Haridwar.
She was beautiful.

Namaste. Haridwar

2006-11-18T17:03:00.001+01:00

A woman saluting me in Haridwar...
An elegant way to greet people I believe.

Pilgrims. Haridwar

2006-11-17T10:25:00.000+01:00

Rajasthani pilgrims alongside the sacred Ganges in Haridwar.

Prayer. Haridwar

2006-11-17T10:23:00.000+01:00

These two women came to Haridwar in pilgimage to Haridwar. Haridwar is a holy city known as the Gateway to the Gods, Haridwar is considered one of the seven holiest places according to Hindus, as the devas are said to have left their footprints there

Tika. Gangotri

2006-11-17T10:22:00.000+01:00

Applying a tilak on this little boy's forehead inside a temple on the path climbing to the sources of the Ganges

Vishnu Pepsi, Rishikesh

2006-11-17T10:21:00.001+01:00

Souvenirs, souvenirs. Haridwar

2006-11-17T10:20:00.001+01:00

Pilgrim in Haridwar

2006-11-17T10:19:00.000+01:00

Puja . Haridwar..

2006-11-17T10:18:00.000+01:00

Colors. Haridwar.

2006-11-15T09:09:00.001+01:00

A kid with his mother and family in Haridwar. Those Rajasthani people were coming to haridwar
in pilgrimage, on their way to Gangotri and the sources of the Ganges

Temple. Haridwar

2006-11-13T09:03:00.001+01:00

Overlooking Haridwar, on top of a hill

Waiting. En route to Haridwar

2006-11-13T09:01:00.001+01:00

On the Road. Rishikesh

2006-11-13T08:59:00.000+01:00

A sheperd and his herd on the road from Rishikesh to Gangotri.

A widow. Rishikesh

2006-11-13T08:57:00.000+01:00

A widow feeding a calve in Rishikesh. She was climbing up the stairways for the Ganges.
Widows are usually dressed up in white.

Puja.. Rishikesh

2006-11-10T17:12:00.000+01:00

Neelkantha Mahadev temple

2006-11-10T17:10:00.000+01:00

A Lady coming out of the Neelkantha Mahadev temple, 20 KM above Rishikesh.

Soup Kitchen. Rishikesh

2006-11-10T17:05:00.000+01:00

Some poor people waiting to get free food in front of an Ashram in Rishikesh.
As you can see from the sacred thread he is wearing, even Brahmin can be poor.

A proud Saddhu. Rishikesh.

2006-11-10T17:03:00.000+01:00

A proud saddhu on the banks orf the river Ganges in Rishikesh.
The sign behind the saddhu says "this ghat is only for women" .

Pilgrims. Rishikesh

2006-11-10T17:02:00.001+01:00

Some Rajasthani women after the ritual bath, alongside the Ganges, in Rishikesh. A town full of Ashrams.

Aarti. Haridwar

2006-11-10T16:59:00.000+01:00

Every evening at 7pm the ceremony following the night Puja takes place in Haridwar.
L’aarti clôture un rituel par la rotation d’une flamme.

Sacred Bath. Rishikesh

2006-11-10T11:53:00.000+01:00

Rajsthani pilgrims taking a Holy dip in the Sacred Ganges

Night Puja. Rishikesh

2006-11-10T11:50:00.000+01:00

God Cleaning. Uttarkashi. Uttaranchal

2006-11-10T08:44:00.001+01:00

This man was cleaning a new sculpture of Shiva in Uttarkashi..
This picture was taken on the ghats near the river Ganges.

Meditation. Gangotri

2006-11-08T09:44:00.000+01:00

Buta. Gaumukh

2006-11-08T09:43:00.001+01:00

In 2004, I met Buta, a sadhu from Ujjain , at the sources of the Ganges..He travelled all the way from Ujjain to Gangotri.
He was sitting quietly on the bank of the Ganges near the glacier.

Vishnu. Gangotri

2006-11-07T19:27:00.001+01:00

A picture of a man inside the courtyard of the temple at the entrance of the national park going to the sources of the Ganges, in Gangotri. Painting the Vishnu symbol on his forehead.

Gangotri

2006-11-06T09:53:00.000+01:00

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Some Rajasthani pilgrims taking a dip into the Ganges in Gangotri.
The Water is cold there. The first village you encounter after coming down from the sources of the ganges is Gangotri.
Gangotri, the source of the river Ganges and seat of the goddess Ganga, is one of the four sites in the Char Dham pilgrimage circuit. The river is called Bhagirathi at the source and acquires the name Ganga from Devprayag onwards where it meets Alaknanda. The origin of the holy river is at Gaumukh, which is further 18 km trek along the Gangotri glacier.
Gangotri can be reached in one day's travel from Rishikesh, Haridwar or Dehradun, or in two days from Yamunotri, the first site in the Char Dham circuit. More popular and important than its sister site to the east, Gangotri is also accessible directly by car and bus, meaning that it sees many more pilgrims than Yamunotri.
This small town is centered around a temple of the goddess Ganga, which was built by the Gurkha General Amar Singh Thapa in the early 18th century. The temple is closed on the Diwali day every year and is reopened in May. During this time, the idol of the goddess is kept at Mukhba village, near Harsil.

Breakfast with my friends. Gaumukh

2006-11-06T09:22:00.000+01:00

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A picture of the group in a small tent restaurant on the way down from Gaumukh, Ram das on my left.
We were having breakfast. A very nice moment I shared with them.

Coming down. Gaumukh

2006-11-06T09:18:00.001+01:00

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Coming down from the Sources of the Ganges.
We can see the summit of the Baghirathi in the background.

Ritual. Gaumukh

2006-11-06T09:16:00.000+01:00

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3 sadhus doing their rituals at the sources of the Ganges. I went up with them .
I already posted an image of them coming down the mountain.
In Gaumukh, tents have been installed for the pilgrims there where everybody can sleep ....
A marvellous place.

Saddhus. Gaumukh

2006-11-05T16:49:00.000+01:00

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Ram Das, on the left, a 76 years old sadhu from Mathura with 3 other sadhus at the sources of the Ganges.

Ganga. Gaumukh

2006-11-05T11:50:00.000+01:00

Saddhus crossing the Ganges at the sources, where teh river is still called Baghirathi.

Saddhus

2006-11-05T11:28:00.000+01:00

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Des saddhus avec qui j'ai voyagé se rendant aux sources du Gange au dessus de Gaumukh.