Impressions and Images of Banaras

The book “Time in Banaras – A visual journey” by Sumit Basu (published in 2016 by Supernova Publishers, New Delhi -- hard-bound, priced at Rs. 1250) has come into my hands only recently. This comprises 92 black-and-white pictures of Banaras, the eternal city of India (affectionate called ‘Bana- Ras’ by Sumit, quoting that icon of the city, Ustad Bismillah Khan) as it largely was in 1980s and 90’s. Black-and-white picture nowadays are rare, and rarer still are these images that Sumit has taken over the last thirty or thirty-five years. They serve as a documentation of the city as well as a rich fare of images that serve to provide the ambience of Banaras, as seen through the eyes of a dedicated photographer.

As to the pictures themselves, a good number stand out. I found the following pictures particularly attractive - “Mass rites at Scindia Ghat” (1988), “Overflowing Banks” (1998) “Bharat Milap festival” (2001), “Sonarpura sehnai” (2008), “Raga Bahriravi” (2012), “Harijan cremation” (2009), “A widow in back alley”(2007), “A zarda shop” (2010), “A hpto-session at Assi Ghat” (2012), “Sunlight and shadows” (2012). These have brought out the richness of black-and white prints besides interest in the images themselves. But especially satisfying is the “Afterword” by Sumit that touches on everything that has attracted Bengalis to Banaras, from Swami Vivekanda to Saytajit Ray. That was a clear bonus.