Jain Spirit 2005 12 No24

SR No.: 529004
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jain Spirit UK
Publisher: UK Young Jains
Publication Year: 2005
Total Pages: 102
Language: English
Classification: Magazine, UK_Jain Spirit, & UK
File Size: 21 MB

Page 52

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One of my most published photographs of Palitana is showing a roofed gallery with a long row of seated Tirthankaras; last time it was used as cover for the April 2005 issue of Jain Spirit. For me, this photograph radiates a lot of Mount Shatrunjaya's spirit as one of the five holy places for the Jains.
Working as a professional photographer in India and using a stand is not easy, as you need for every single monument that you would like to photograph a prior written photo permission. You have to apply for it in general at the ASI (Archaeological Survey of India), either in New Delhi for the central protected monuments or at the respective ASI branch of each state for the state protected monuments. To make it even more complicated, there are many monuments like most of the Jain temples, under the responsibility of private organisations or trusts. Now you have the problem of finding out who is responsible for what monument. And then you have to find out where the authorities are located, because they are rarely based next to the monument. For example, I had to get my photo permission for Palitana in Ahmedabad. Sometimes I travelled in India with three or four different permissions in my pocket - but without those papers you just couldn't do anything.
When I go to India, it is not a holiday at all as I am travelling in most cases with about one hundred kilograms of luggage. As I am an architecture photographer, I use besides my 35-millimetre camera, a heavy 4x5" large-size field camera with stand and extra tungsten lighting equipment. And of course, travelling by aircraft with such equipment is a rather costly affair considering the fact that you are allowed 20 kilograms of luggage only. On all my flights to India I have spent a fortune for excess baggage.
Fortunately, my photographs of India have been published in many books, some in calendars and as postcards. Among them are two monographs on Jain temples in Northern India focussing on Ranakpur, Mount Abu and Palitana. Another highlight for me has been an exhibition of Jain Art in the Victoria & Albert Museum in London called "The Peaceful Liberators", where some of my photographs of Mount Abu and Ranakpur have been shown as photo murals.
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