16th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
Embrace of Fondness

In the Indian religious and philosophical traditions, all knowledge is traced back to the Gods, Rishis, and Sadhus. This Sadhu lost his family 7 years before in an accident. From that time he left his home. One day he found a little Monkey kid on the roadside from that time he called her Ganga. Ganga was her only girl child and she is no more now. She is his friend, daughter everything, she is a spark of joy in his life. This sadhu treats this monkey (Ganga) as his own daughter and takes care of her need more than he does for himself. They are the support and strength of each other, and a medium to avoid their loneliness. There is a belief in Hinduism that soul is eternal and it finds any medium to reach its dear ones. If we find some unknown very close to our heart then we must have some connection in our past life. Here may be the soul of sadhu's daughter finds the form of a monkey this time.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 01.2017
Date Uploaded: 08.2018
Photo Location: Kolkata, India
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Copyright: © SOMRAJ SAHU