Varanasi, India

umbrella wisdom originated in Varanasi, the most important and holiest of all Hindu pilgrimage cities. At any time of year, thousands of pilgrims gather here every day – to perform the various rituals, to pray, to receive blessings, and ultimately to experience purification – most thoroughly through a dip in the highly toxic waters of the Ganges. All along the grand stone steps leading into the water – called Ghats – preachers gather to bring the wisdom of Hinduism closer to the devout believer, with varying degrees of urgency. The interest is great.

umbrella wisdom shows such a preacher, who has gathered a small group around him to whom he is speaking. The attention of his listeners is assured. The photographer's gratitude as well, for he has marked his territory with a large, colorful, graphically ideally placed umbrella that seems to bundle and amplify the preacher's wisdom for his listeners. Thus protected, the group conveys the casual intensity so often found in Varanasi: despite all the hustle and bustle, restlessness, noise and intensity, there are always small, marked areas that allow for peace, devotion, and concentration. And, in the best case, the reception of relevant wisdoms.