Uncle Prasad’s India


 In the space of six months, I moved through two places shaped by devotion and pilgrimage: Santiago de Compostela, Spain, and Rishikesh, India. The chaos of that year peeled away old identities and revealed new ways of seeing. India wasn’t part of the plan until it was. I had set out to look outward, not inward. Yet India has a way of dissolving the sense of ‘I,’ pulling you into an overwhelming flood of the senses.

The following collection of images is not a tightly structured story, but a loose gathering of fragments: glimpses of dress, daily rituals, fleeting moments of prayer and devotion. Together they form a meditation on India’s contradictions, a country comfortable in commerce and deep philosophical reflection. Its influence reaches the world through trade and through ancient knowledge that seems to transcend material understanding.

In Mumbai, I was introduced to a man called Uncle Prasad, who became my guide and companion. From the back of his scooter, he carried me through traffic and narrow streets, showing me slums, hidden corners, and lives that rarely appear in postcards. This project is dedicated to his pride in the place he calls home and his generosity in sharing his version of India with a stranger.