SADHUS
A Sahdu is a holy man. He leaves all material attachment behind, to achieve the final stage of life.
In 2010 and 2011 I travelled to Pashupatinath in Nepal, when many Sahdus met for Shivaratri, a Hindu festival to celebrate Shivas marriage to the goddess Parvati.
I arrived in Nepal without any concrete idea of how and what exactly. I only knew I wanted to visit Pashupatinath to photograph the Sadhus. Interessting and different as it was I took pictures of the men and the festival.
Not soon after I get confined to my room with diarrhea, reduced to be with myself, the toilet and my already taken pictures. But in this sorry state of myself, I realize all picture look like holidays in Nepal, nothing inspiring or special.
In between my momemts of agony, I fantasized about the Sashus life in poverty and mediation. He leaves everything behind to achieve liberation. How can I show what a Sadhu is all about. Everything he has is what he is and what he carries with him. I lie in bed staring at the more or less white ceiling and think this must be it. To show only the Sadhu, their should only be the Sadhu, meaning nothing on the picture but what belongs to the holy man.
After my recovery I grab my white sheets from the bad, go back to Pashupatinath and place the sheet against a wall, fixing it with rocks and I get 8 holy men to agree to be photographed in front of my studio background.