Maya | माया
a visual anthropology
Kiran Topiwala
10/28/20231 min read
maya | माया
a visual anthropology presented by kiran topiwala
Maya is a study of the human condition, or rather, of illusion. It is becoming clear that the human story that got us to where we are today, has become clouded, muddled with, and separated from the very thing that holds the story together: nature, the intricate web of life that lies within the field of dharma. On the other hand, it is extremely unclear, uncomfortable, and even scary to think about leaving our current stories, and becoming part of another; one that is co-created, always present, and alive; a story of entanglement.
This photobook is, thus, an exploration of various human stories encountered on a journey of reconnection in India. It begins in the south of India, on the coast in a place called Kumta near the mouth of the Aghanashini River. The Aghanashini is one of the last free-flowing rivers in India, and it feels just right to begin here; as if it is a sign to allow our own personal journeys from this moment on to be free-flowing as well.
From the coast, the journey continues inland to Bengaluru. Here, the entangledness of people’s livelihoods with the built environment is considered as a manifestation of maya. This section explores the longing for connection in the midst of urban delusions.
The last leg of the journey reveals the truth and nature of joy, in the pristine foothills of the Himalayas. Beyond connection, a yearning for dependence on nature’s abundance grows, and time appears to flow at a distinct cadence. Life, no longer, presents as something you live. Rather it becomes something you experience.
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