Andrew Adams, photographer
Photo from India by Andrew Adams, Katha Images
This is a story by guest blogger Andrew Adams, who has traveled in India and is one of my favourite photographers. Andrew loves India, too, and does a lot to support Asha Canada. He is amazing at capturing moments that speak to the soul of India. As you can see.
A friend of mine thought this was a picture of a spiritual leader or guru, rather than of a homeless woman. I think that says a lot about the presence of god in India.
The soul of India
By Andrew Adams
I was staying in a small village near Thanjuvar, Tamil Nadu, India, shooting one of Ahsa’s project sites, a school for under privileged children. I went to see the kind of work Asha is doing. My last morning there I went for a walk and saw this woman walking ahead of me on the side of the road.
She was walking on all fours, picking up rocks and putting them in her sari. It broke my heart to see this. I gave her 100 rupees (about $2.00) and continued on my way. I did not photograph her until later that afternoon. After visiting one of the schools administrators at his home (I went for tea and to meet his family), I saw this woman waiting outside his house. She was waiting to thank me, and I took the photo. Turns out, she is homeless and the family look after her.
Although my time in this village was very limited, I felt so privileged to see how these people live such simple lives, without many of the conveniences we often take for granted. What struck me was how happy everyone seemed; they felt a sense of pride in their simple, honest lives.
The school I went to visit is supported by Asha US Chapter. Srividyasram school is located in the middle of lush paddy fields, coconut and sugar cane fields. The River Cauvery, the holiest river in Tamil Nadu, runs through this village. It is a quiet, clean and green village. When you drive through the village we can smell the intoxicating aroma of the fermented sugar. I would love to go back again and spend more time in the beautiful place with such wonderful Kind people.
About Andrew Adams
Andrew Adams is a wedding and travel photographer. He is currently based in Toronto, Canada. He spends his winter months in India photographing weddings and documenting life. For more about Andrew and his photography please visit Katha Images.
Andrew’s involvement with Asha
Andrew Adams has captured many Indian weddings in his hometown, Toronto, and abroad over the last decade. After his first soul-searching trip to India, he returned to Toronto transformed by the culture that is seeped in tradition and humanity. He decided to take his passion beyond capturing the happy memories of a wedding day.
He decided to dedicate his creative talent towards a humanitarian cause in India. He joined Asha Canada on a personal mission to support the children in India who are at deep social disadvantage. This project focuses on making education possible for these children, since it is through this that socio-economic change can arise in India. Andrew wanted to see first hand the work being done through the support of Asha so while on his second wedding assignment in India, he paid a visit to a school for blind children in Bangalore and several daycare centres, and schools in Delhi and Tamil Nadu.
He was deeply enriched by what he witnessed on this journey. The images he captured along these travels are donated to the project as well as the 100% proceeds from print sales. The most significant aim of this creative project is public awareness about the economic reality of children in India.
Please visit Asha Canada to learn more and to get involved.
Mariellen Ward is a freelance travel writer whose personal style is informed by a background in journalism, a dedication to yoga and a passion for sharing the beauty of India’s culture and wisdom with the world. She has traveled for about a year altogether in India and publishes an India travel blog, Breathedreamgo.com. Mariellen also writes for magazines and newspapers.
