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A Portrait of the World: 21-Days Backpacking Across Northern India
In early 2023, I set out on a three-week photo trip to India. My interest in this place had lingered ever since I could remember, but my curiosity to photograph its colors and people was sparked after a trip I did to nearby Nepal in 2016.
Given that I had only three weeks—which, in a country the size of India, is hardly enough—I focused on one region: the north. I had no plans aside from arriving in Delhi, but things soon came into motion after I ran into a few other backpackers on the streets there. This soon led to a path through Delhi, the metropolitan and international capital; Jaipur, the cultural heart of Rajasthan; Varanasi, the spiritual epicenter of India; and Kolkata, a former British capital that has undergone extensive recent reform.
Armed with only a backpack and an unassuming street camera (Fujifilm X-T5 and a 27mm lens), I aimed to capture the essence of each city through photography. I wanted to capture the genuine pulse of these places, so I vowed to use local trains and buses—as much as possible. While these modes of transport were far from comfortable (to say the least), they led to some of the most profound experiences of the trip.
The trip that ensued was one of my favorites yet. India is a sensory overload, but in the best way imaginable. The intermingling smells of spices and incense, the bursts of color, and the ceaseless energy of bustling streets—it is overwhelming, yet captivating.
But the journey offered something even more significant. Given its immense population, it's fair to say that experiencing India provides a view into a substantial portion of the entire human experience. One night, while sitting on a platform at the Varanasi station waiting for my endlessly delayed train, I looked tens of thousands of people in the eyes as they passed by. With each passing glance, I contemplated the staggering number of lives intersecting at that very moment. This experience shattered my illusions of separateness, reminded me that despite the vast number of people on Earth, we share many more similarities than differences. We each navigate life through our unique perspectives, but ultimately, we're all woven into the the same, intricate tapestry of humanity.
A trip to India isn't just an eye-opener; it's a soul-opener. This journey forced me to confront and appreciate the staggering scale of human existence, making it an experience I believe everyone should have at least once in their lifetime.
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