The face of poverty: Intimate portraits of Indian paupers reveal what life looks like when you live on just 33p a day
- Roberto Pazzi, 42, who works a day job as a sales manager, went to India to capture these pictures of its paupers
- Subjects included the Sadhus, Hindu holy men who gather in the city of Varanasi on the Ganges to meditate
- Also pictured are street vendors and beggars from India's largest citries who survive on just 33 pence per day
Faces
furrowed with wrinkles well beyond their years, smeared with a mixture
of religious pain and dirt, this is what poverty looks like for millions
of Indians who often survive on as little as 33 pence per day.
From
Hindu priests making holy gestures while clothed in brilliantly
coloured turbans, to grey-haired women begging for change on the
streets, these stunning portraits were captured by Italian
photographer Roberto Pazzi.
The
42-year-old spent three weeks in the Asian country photographing people
of all ages in the suburbs of a number of cities, including New Delhi,
Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Jaipur, Agra, Varanasi and Kalkota.
Roberto
says he was captivated and humbled by his subjects, who live in a
country which, according to the World Bank, has 179.6 million people
struggling to survive below the poverty line.
Scroll down for video
The poorest
of the poor: Photographer Roberto Pazzi captured these images of
villagers from India who survive on as little as 33 pence per day,
including this elderly woman from Jaipur (top) and this man (bottom) who
is a Sadhu, a holy man of Hinduism, from Varanasi
Surviving: A
Sadhu, a Hindu holy-man dedicated to achieving liberation through
meditation, is pictured in Varanasi making the Vitarka Mudra hand
gesture, symbolising learning and intellectual argument. An elderly
woman begs on a nearby ghat - or holy stairs
Head held
high: More Sadhus are pictured (left and right) in Varanasi, one of the
oldest inhabited places on Earth, and one of Hinduism's seven holy
cities situated on the banks of the Ganges
The
42-year-old, who now lives in Treviglio and works as a sales manager,
said: 'I took these photographs because I wanted to create a window into
the lives of the people of India.
'I
feel that their faces, eyes, hands and wrinkles are all so expressive -
it's as if their body is telling a story. They live such simple, happy
lives, and I think it's an ethical example that our society should
follow.'
During
his travels through India, Roberto spent his time in the quieter
suburbs of the cities meeting families and learning about their
lifestyles.
He
says: 'Most of the people I photographed had never seen a camera
before. I remember one particularly poor man was trying to sell some
peanuts down a side street. After I took his photograph, he was so
amazed that he called over his whole family to take a look.
'He was so happy with the picture, that before I left he offered me a bag of peanuts - the only thing he had.'
Struggle:
Two men from one of the poorest parts of Jaipur sit in the streets.
While the city is famous for its opulent pink palaces, it is also home
to grinding poverty
Keeping spirits high: An Indian pauper
plays the flute inside Jaswant Thada, the memorial palace in Jodhpur,
built in 1899 and dedicated to Maharaja Jaswant Singh II, the ruler of
the province who lived from 1873 and 1895
Losing the
plot: An elderly woman pulls a mad face while posing for a photograph in
the slums of Jaipur, while in Agra, home of the Taj Mahal, a street
vendor sucks on a cigarette
Roberto took around five photographs of each subject, aiming to perfectly capture their features.
He
says: 'I always approach my subjects with a smile, which I believe is
the best 'business card' that you can show someone. They're always so
amused, and often share stories of their lives with me- which is
amazing.
'I
always feel quite emotional when taking portrait photographs, and worry
that I won't capture exactly what I would like the photograph to
portray.'
On
average, people living in India's suburban villages survive off just
22.42 rupees per day, which is the equivalent of just 33 pence.
Roberto
says: 'Photography reminds me that the simplest things in life are also
the most important ones. I really hope my photographs reflect this
philosophy.'
Living
below the poverty line: A holy Sadhu (top) and a street vendor (bottom)
are pictured in Jaipur. Photographer Roberto Pazzi said he always
approches his subjects with a smile, and they usually allow him to take
their portrait
Holy
men: Varanasi, which is Hinduism's holiest city, is filled with Sahu
holy men, such as these two (top and bottom). The men, who are also
usually yogis, attempt to achieve spiritual liberation through
meditation
No comments:
Post a Comment