Varanasi, India

two tone was created in Varanasi, India, the most important Hindu pilgrimage city, located on the banks of the sacred Ganges River. Many thousands of devotees, priests, and pilgrims gather here at all times to perform their religious rituals. A bath in the heavily toxified Ganges is considered particularly cleansing – also in a spiritual sense.

two tone shows two Hindu sadhus, holy men, in conversation at one of the ghats in Varanasi. Ghats are wide stone steps on the banks of the Ganges that lead into the water. Here pilgrims meet, perform their rituals, are blessed, they speak, sing, meditate alone or together in groups – a captivating atmosphere.

The sadhus wear traditional garments in shades of saffron and red. Saffron represents fire, which burns impurities. The men's foreheads are adorned with religious markings (tilaka) or sacred ash (vibhiuti), as a sign of their devotion to deities like Shiva. Prayer beads (rudraksha) and the long, matted beards and hair are outward signs of their lifelong spiritual discipline and renunciation.

The image captures a moment of concentrated conversation between the two sadhus. One seems to be about to convey an important message to the other, speaking intently with a raised index finger. The listener appears to be attentively receiving the message. What could it be about?