Portraits of a River
From the Mountains to the Sea: Travels Along a Sacred River in Northern India

Nationally recognized photojournalist and Portland resident Raku Loren will be showing new work from his 2006 travels in Northern India. The exhibit will showcase some of his favorite images made along the Ganges River, the most spiritually important river to Hindus in India.

Photographs will be exhibited at the Common Grounds Café on Hawthorne in SE Portland from June 3rd to June 29th, 2006

Raku will be on-hand to talk about the images and answer questions on Wednesday, June 14th from 7-9 PM

The Ganges is considered the most sacred river for more than 800 million Hindus that live in India and one of the most important river-ways in the world because of its many uses and the vast population nurtured by its waters. The photographs explore the river along its course and the places that it passes by on its way to the sea. The images begin to help tell a story about the devotion, the connection, and the relationships that people have with this ancient body of water.

Raku has been to India three times and has spent nearly a year traversing this country-of-many-countries. Each time he has spent time along the Ganges, watching and recording everyday existence. He has hiked to the place where the river emerges from a glacier, and gone by river-ferry to the Bay of Bengal, where the great Ganges river finally empties into the ocean.

The images celebrate the subtle beauties and ordinary moments where nature and culture come together, as they have for thousands of years, in a land that many of us are wanting to learn more about and understand particularly since the country is stepping into the modern age as a major world power.

An introduction to the images that will be included at the exhibit can be previewed here: http://rakuloren.com/Exhibit/PortraitsofaRiver.htm

Several examples:

Looking out over the Ganges River , Varanasi

Young girl and a gathering of pilgrims, Haridwar

Silk saris drying in the wind next to the Ganges river, Varanasi

On an early morning, mist rolls up the steps from the river to a temple where a man makes his daily prayers.

Light passes through the tie-dyed cotton fabric that a bather wraps around his waist, Calcutta.

Hope you can visit!
-Raku