Zatra Festival, a photo from Goa, West

Photographer's Note

A devotee busy to clean her ustensils with water+ashes, is sitting under a red tent in the paddy field in front of the temple.

Every year in the first week of January, Zatra festival is celebrated for 5 days at Shri Bodgeshwar Temple in Mapusa (a small town in north Goa, situated 13kms from Panaji).
Surrounded by greenery, it is a small shrine dedicated to Kanakeshwar Baba or Bodgeshwar, locally known as Bongini.
Thousands of devotees flock to this temple, and an endless crowds pile up in the paddyfields.

The god is regarded as agngavani i.e. to whom vows are made and who fulfills desires of the devotees. On the fulfillment of desires, people offer presents(flowers, bananas etc.) to the God as promised by them earlier.

A big fair bristling with local sweets called "kaddio-boddio", eats, toys, utensils, tea stalls, game stalls like the giant-wheel, tattooists, etc.

(INFO PARTIALLY TAKEN FROM : http://www.goacom.org/goanow/2001/jan/feasts.html)

In the WS, you can see a complementary photo.

Hope you like it...

robertosalguero, AiresSantos, ramesh_lalwani, jaja1970, imrek, siolaw, papagolf21, delkoo, cunejo200, Emile, syd1946, JCG, Jean-Luc, riclopes, kevinos, alford, pierrefonds, zeca, edal, pranab, noborders has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

robertosalguero (292) 2007-01-09 1:38

In the midst of poverty and hardship the people of India almost always seem happy and cheerful when they are photographed. I like the natural expression of the woman as she smiles to the camera. Nice colors and perspective from above to capture her face and smile. Nice work and thanks for sharing Marilyn :-)

batalay (41261) 2007-01-09 2:23

Hello Marilyn,

I hadn't seen your gallery for some time. I am happy to see this sensational portrait that you have posted, capturing the soul of your subject. Like a very good portrait artist, you've put one eye right on the vertical bisector of the canvas. Exquisite composition, masterful exposure.

Happy New Year,
Bulent

P-S-I-G (25536) 2007-01-09 2:29

Salut Marilyn,
Tr鑚 bon portrait. Il y a une excellente nettet�. Bonne profondeur de champ. Et puis quelles couleurs vives et plaisantes. Excellent boulot.
Amicalement,
Tr鑚 bonne ann馥 2007,
Fabrice

pvijayan (132) 2007-01-09 2:33 [Comment]

Show Comment

AiresSantos (56155) 2007-01-09 2:56

Hi Marilyn,
Excellent protrait, lovely smile !
I like how you framed the picture and managed the light. Very good colours and focus
TFS and greetings
Aires

ramesh_lalwani (3213) 2007-01-09 2:56

excellent angular portrait of this beatiful lady.Lovely colors and background floor.TFS
Ramesh

jaja1970 (1304) 2007-01-09 3:06

Hi Marilyn,

Fantastic picture of Zatra Festival.
Her pose is great and you showed her mood very well.
Light, colors and detailes are unique.

Congratulations,

Javad.

imrek (4) 2007-01-09 3:26

Hi Marilyn,
very nice portrait of this old lady...an interesting pov and good use of focus...well done!!!
regards,
imre

siolaw (38294) 2007-01-09 3:36

Salut Marilyn,
Excellent POV de cette femme qui se retourne poour te voir, belle expression amicale, jolies couleurs et bonne nettet�
A plus
Laurent

papagolf21 (152607) 2007-01-09 3:56

Bonjour, ch鑽e Marilyn,
Une fois encore, vous nous emmenez dans des endroits qui sont totalement d駱aysants en nous pr駸entant ces diff駻entes publications.
Nous apprenons beaucoup gr稍e � vous.
Le portrait pr駸ent� est empli de gr稍e et de beaut�, malgr� le m騁ier difficile de cette femme.
Amiti駸.
Philippe

barrufeto_77 (28888) 2007-01-09 6:46

Hi Marilyn.

The face of the woman is lovely: the colours, the sharpness, the contrasts...all great.

My compliments for this close-up!

Rgs, Oscar

delkoo (68) 2007-01-09 7:25

bonjour marylin
ton cadrage particulier donne beaucoup d'intensit� au portrait de cette femme au sourire rayonnant, j'aime bien aussi les tons de ta photo avec la meme dominante de rouges et de marrons.

amicalement
didier

cunejo200 (7281) 2007-01-09 7:43

Oh dear, she has the most expressive eyes, the wrinkles on her forehead show her wisdom, and her accessories are good adornment to this lovely portrait. Have a good day Marilyn. A delight to view this photo.

Emile (20352) 2007-01-09 10:35

Hola Marilyn.
Excellent portrait, very well captured, beautiful smile, good DOF and POV. Great details. Well done. TFS.

boromare (366) 2007-01-09 11:31

Salut Marilyn
joli portrait depuis un angle interessant.. les couleurs et la nettete sont bien aussi... interessant la vaisselle avec les cendres
A plus
jean

sufi (9588) 2007-01-09 11:58

Merhaba Marilyn, my friend...
What a beautiful look!... Her look is sincere and her smile is hearty... the point of view, the light and the details are perfect... I like it so much, indeed...
TFS...
Stay well..
Salim.

syd1946 (1167) 2007-01-09 13:48

Hi Marilyn,
Another lovely portrait shot but in this time from a different point of view!This way gives to the photo a big interesting through your fine note about the daily life in India!

Greetings,
Thomas

JCG (35153) 2007-01-10 3:30

Bonsoir Marylin,

Un joli regard complice pour la photographe. Beau portrait original de cette femme. Une bonne et appr馗iable nettet�. Merci pour la note et les photos compl駑entaires fort int駻essantes.

Avec toutes mes amiti駸 et � bient,

Jean-Charles

berek (50518) 2007-01-10 4:50

Hi Marilyn,
nice portrait and very good point of view. I like smiley face .have a nice day
Burak
my overall evaluation -> ****

Jean-Luc (5488) 2007-01-10 5:01

Bonjour Marilyn,
Excellent portrait o� la finesse des d騁ails et la beaut� des couleurs rehaussent le regard rayonnant de cette femme.
La note compl鑼e bien la photo.
Amicalement
Jean-Luc

riclopes (35577) 2007-01-10 7:13

Ol� Marylin, great POV from above and good interplay with her to get such an enjoyable expression. It's a pitty that the image isn't a bit more to the left, to get both hands but the wrinkles of her forehead are great. Very good capture.
Regards,
Ricardo

kevinos (7517) 2007-01-10 11:50

When there are so many dull picture, you never seem to make a dull picture Marilyn. You seem to have a feel for colour and movement and interesting detail. I love the colour and light of this one and I love the backward curling composition. I like this kind of record of a culture, it is exactly right for TE. Regards Kevin

vincz (19113) 2007-01-10 12:03

Beau portrait rapproch�, on s'y ctroirait presque surprenant cette dame qui se retourne vers nous. L'ensemble des tons sur ta photo sont tres agreables. Tres bien fait.

alford (4063) 2007-01-10 20:05

Hello Marilyn! Very nice candid shot, her expression shows her feelings during that particular event! Very sharp and crisp, I'm amazed at her skin/face texture - so real! The colors are attractive, typical of almost every Indian shot . rgds.

feather (51130) 2007-01-11 10:28

You are building up a very good series of portraits of people at work. Perhaps you should start a theme. The composition is unusual and very good. You captured a lovely smile.
Kath

pierrefonds (115705) 2007-01-14 8:50

Bonjour Marilyn.

Un bon portrait de cette femme qui lave ses ustensiles, la photo a une bonne composition, nettet� et de belles couleurs. Bonne journ馥.

Pierre

sabyasachi1212 (19779) 2007-01-14 13:45

Hi Marilyn,
Excellent portrait, good POV. She may be poor as is evident from her torn dress yet her smile does not betray her poverty.
Best Wishes
Sabyasachi

leo61 (0) 2007-01-14 13:55

Hi Marilyn!
Good portrait and what a smile and wonderful eyes.Good light at her face and a nice perspective.
Regards,Leo

vinicio (23423) 2007-01-19 7:03

Good post Marilyn, compliments, the portrait is beautiful, also the woman, and I like well the workshop images, interesting festival and colors everywhere, compliments.
Ciao
Vinicio

zeca (19762) 2007-01-22 22:56

Hello Marilyn!
Nice portrait of this happy woman!
Good sharpness, colours and POV!
Regards,
Zeca

edal (6804) 2007-01-27 9:56

Bonsoir Marilyn!
A great portrait - great colors and luminocity. And such a sincere smile with amazingly perfect teeth (I doubt she has visited ever a dentist). The earthwashing is symbolic - life with Mother earth purifies us.
Anton

Angshu (56760) 2007-01-28 22:47

Hello Marilyn
An earlier post of yours I missed...From your high POV as she looks up, I like her beautiful smile. The wrinkles on her forehead along with the splatter of vermillion & the yellow paint makes this wonderful...I only wished you had kept her to the left of the frame & thus not cutting off her hands..
Regards
Angshu

pranab (5354) 2007-02-22 13:43

marilyn,
it's been long since my last visit and it seems that i have missed a lot of good ones too.
excellent skin texture and great natural color. you have captured the expression of the moment very well. great work.

thaprem (2566) 2007-04-02 3:24

Marilyn,
More than the Shots in WS, the originall shot steels the show hands down for its closer angle & the Happy face even in such dire situation...
So much for your effort.
Well done.
Cheers,
Prem.

noborders (1010) 2007-06-01 1:43

Cette dame a un super sourire et j'admire le point de vue, aussi la nettet�, aussi les belles couleurs - vraiment tr鑚 belle photo, je ne l'avais pas vue...
Bravo (je l'ajoute � mon nouveau th鑪e, si tu le permets)
Cath.

Photo Information

Copyright: Marilyn MC (axiotea) (21651)
Genre: 人間
Medium: カラー
Date Taken: 2007-01-07
Categories: 祭り
Exposure：　f/3.6
More Photo Info: view
Photo Version：　Original Version, Workshop
Theme(s)：　Smiles of India, Zatra Festival, "INDIA photos that I'd like to remember (II), My portraits [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-01-09 0:54