Faces | A Detox from Delhi Smog at the Ghats of Yamuna River

“This is a shot of my friend, Emily, captured one beautiful morning around 5 a.m. at Yamuna Ghat in New Delhi. I love shooting portraits and exploring spaces with unique surroundings. My friends and I made this spontaneous plan to have a photoshoot at this location early morning. What began as an impromptu shoot ended up being a wonderful, fun experience.

It was about an hour and a half drive away from the place we were staying. Devotees often come here early to bathe in the holy water and feed the birds. The birds you see behind in the picture are Siberian Seagulls. Hundreds of them migrate every year during winter season (between October and March) and flock across the holy rivers of Yamuna. We were told by the boatman that feeding the birds is often believed to bring good karma.

This was my first visit to Yamuna Ghat and it was truly an awe-inspiring sight watching the seagulls swivel around the rivers as we fed them, while riding on our boat. That was the exact moment I captured this photograph! The ambience around the place was so pleasing- nature seemed so free and balanced in this sacred place. This is definitely one of my favourite places to visit and shoot beautiful, authentic pictures as experienced in real time.” ~Reuben Lalmalsawma, Photographer, Aizawl/New Delhi