Doomsday

• Photographer
  Fausto Podavini, Italy
• Website
  http://www.faustopodavini.eu

Being cremated at Manikarnika Ghat, on Ganga's banks in Varanasi is
the ideal end of any Hindu devotee, as this is believed to lead a soul to
Moksha, out of rebirth's cycle. Doms, a particular section of
untouchables, undertake the duty of death bodies' burning. An obscure
Dom kingdom survives since thousands in Varanasi around this
lucrative business and, as in every Kingdom, here there are masters
and servants too, both dealing with death as it is: a mere matter of
predestination. Durga Prasad is the Dom Raj servant. His main duty is
doing housework in his owner's house. He's still young, and he can
just work 9-10 days a month at the pyres earning a few dollars to be
given to his family in the countryside. But his destiny seems to be
unquestionable: breathing the burning flesh's smoke, he'll give a way
to Moksha to thousands of souls, till his last day will also come.
Worldwide, there are at least 250 million children between 5 and 15
years who work. Almost half is occupied full time. By some statistics
shows that 61% of child labor is concentrated in Asia. With its 44
million child workers, India holds the world record of child labor.

Born in Rome, Fausto Podavini lives and works in his hometown. After graduating in electronics, he obtained a Master of reportage photography at the John Kaverdash Academy in Milan.
He first started his photographic journey as an assistant and studio photographer to get always closer to photo reportage.
Leaving the studio photography to devote himself exclusively to reportage, he took up a carreer as a freelance and made reportages, through working with various NGOs in Italy, Peru, Kenya.
In 2009 he started a collaboration with the Collective Photo WSP, permanently joined in 2010. There, in addition to his photographer role aimed to the realization of common projects, he also worked as a professor of photojournalism.
In addition to various reports made in Africa, South America and India,he carried out important works on Italian social realities such as a report on sport for disabled people, another in a juvenile detention center, and a project on Alzheimer's for which he won the first prize of the World Press Photo 2013 in Daily Life section.
He is currently pursuing several photographic projects both in Ethiopia and in Kashmir.
He has been member of MIFAV University of Tor Vergata in Rome and of La Presse photo agency.
He has published in both Italian and foreign magazines and over the years received numerous awards of international fame such as the World Press Photo, PDN Photo Annual, World.Report Awards, Kolga, Vilnius Circle Of Life, Winephoto, Sony Awards and exhibited in numerous cities such as Rome, Milan, Perugia, Paris, Barcelona, Tbilisi, Kuala Lumpur, Yangon, Brooklyn, Buenos Aires.