The Mourning in Awadh

• Prize
• Photographer
  Almeen Arif, India
• Website
  http://www.almeenarif.com

The day of Ashura is the 10th day of Muharram and the day of mourning for the Shia Muslims. On this day processions are taken out to mark the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad. In India this is no different, people take out processions on the streets, there are displays of medieval martial arts , grand 'Taziyas' or miniature mausoleums are carried on shoulders and mourners flagellate themselves while they sing hymns in honour of the martyrs of the battle of Karbala. Mourners, both young and old participate with the same fervour.
Huge crowds gather and curiously watch the procession.

This series captures the portrait of a mourner in a remote village in Awadh region of Northern India,and one of the pictures in colour captures the mood of the onlookers, mainly, women and children. I chose to use Black and White images of the mourners to make it suitable for viewing for all as the colour versions would have been a tad graphic, also, B&W adds drama.

• Biography
  Almeen is a self-taught photographer from India. An Engineer by qualification , he found out he had little to do with engineering after his stint as a Software Engineer and that's when took to photography , his childhood passion. His numerous journeys through the hinterland and its varied and rich colours inspire and influence his style. His work showcases a creative blend of artistic and reportage photography. He has been featured in The Boston Globe's famous photoblog 'The Big Picture', and also in his successful solo exhibition 'A Good Year' in March 2011.