23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
The Sixth Goddess
On the sea shore at Chhath Puja, an older devotee clutches her offerings of coconut and cloth against the wind-whipped waves. Vermilion blazes down her forehead, and for a split second she turns toward the camera with a fierce, questioning gaze—caught between the intimacy of her prayer and the vast, darkening sea.
Photo Detail
| Date Taken: | 10.2025 |
| Date Uploaded: | 11.2025 |
| Photo Location: | Mumbai, India |
| Camera: | NIKON D7000 |
| Copyright: | © rajeev anand |