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About the Author

“Seeing Better: Along the River, daily lives, extraordinary devotions” is a collection of photographs taken in three riverside cities in India: Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad), Varanasi and Kolkata. These photographs portray flamboyant colour and exuberant energy. More than just being a record of travels, the book attempts to show the way in which rich, ancient traditions continue to be practised in India. The rituals, ceremonies, and festivals recorded in this book have been practised in India for millenia. In Prayagraj at the time of the Kumbh Mela as depicted here, there were millions of pilgrims who thronged the riverbanks and the town. The photographs show not only holy sadhus but also ordinary men and women full of religious fervour. Adding to the scene were various itinerant merchants who set up stalls to cater to the pilgrims’ needs. There are equally vibrant photographs of devotions in Varanasi, one of India’s most ancient and holy cities. Also of the mass of people celebrating the Durga puja in Kolkata. And in all these places ordinary life goes on—people selling food and sundries, others transporting goods, children playing and people socialising amidst their prayers.
Jaya Prakash is a Singaporean lawyer who currently practises as an international commercial arbitrator and mediator. He is also a passionate photographer having been captivated by the medium since his father bought him his first camera when Jaya was a teenager. In pursuit of his avocation, Jaya has travelled widely taking photographs of wild animals, landscapes and cityscapes, and most of all, people as they carry on their daily activities in their native habitats. Seeing Better: along the river is the third book of photographs that Jaya has published. The other two are Seeing Better (2012) and Seeing Better in Ladakh (2015).

Authors

Seeing Better: Along the river daily lives, exceptional devotions