The Sadhu with the Trident
I first noticed the sadhu lying on a bench along Luxa Road, near St. Thomas Church in Varanasi. I took a photograph of him but did not approach him.
The following day, I encountered him again, this time on the ghats beside the Ganges, near Manmandir Ghat.
My daughter, who had joined me for the final three weeks of my travels through India, was standing beside me as we began talking with him.
I told him that I was from Canada, that I was travelling through India for three months, and that I was approaching my sixty-fifth birthday.
As we talked, his expressions became increasingly animated. He smiled, gestured and laughed. I remember the pleasure of that exchange, although I cannot now recall exactly which of my remarks prompted his reactions.
I continued photographing him as our conversation unfolded.
Looking at these photographs now, I remember the contrast between my first glimpse of him resting on a bench and the lively conversation we shared the following day.
