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In this archive story we are portraying an Indian man at the Gatore Ki Chhatriyan in Jaipur, India.
Read the background story of this archive photo by the photographer. |
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Gatore Ki Chhatriyan was a royal crematorium site for Jaipur's magnificent rulers. And for this portrait the photographer went to this beautiful and serene spot which is rare in India, surrounded by a small village. The monuments inside are intricately carved and the whole spot is quite elegant. The royal cenotaph is known as 'Chhatris', which is an umbrella-shaped memorial engraved with magnificent Rajasthani carvings. |
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Gatore Ki Chhatriyan portraiture
Surrounded by green hills, the Gatore Ki Chhatriyan is a complex of temples and tombs in the foothills of the Nahargarh, which means 'Tiger Fort'. It was the royal crematorium for the majestic rulers of Rajasthan. The beautiful edifice also has a cenotaph for each of the more famous maharajas cremated there. Engraved with beautiful Rajasthani carvings, the cenotaphs are one of the major attractions of the place. The cenotaphs are shaped like umbrellas called 'Chhatris' and hence the place is called Gatore Ki Chhatriyan.
What is 'Chhatri'?
'Chhatri' are elevated, dome-shaped pavilions used as an element in Indo-Islamic architecture and Indian architecture. Originating as a canopy above tombs, it served as a decorative element. |
Cremation place of the Maharajas of Jaipur
Located at 15 kilometers far from Jaipur city, on Jaipur-Amber street, Gatore is the royal cremation place of the Maharajas of Jaipur. For every Maharaja, there is a cenotaph, constructed in his honor. Gaitore is basically be the mispronounced form of a Hindi phrase 'Gaye ka Thor' which means 'resting place of the departed souls'. The only Maharaja whose chhatri is not present here is Maharaja Sawai Ishwari Singh. The reason being his funeral took place outside of the Jai Niwas Gardens behind the Chandra Mahal in the City Palace complex. His 'Chhatri' is also built there.
The most popular 'Chhatri' of the place is the 'Chhatri' of Sawai Jai Singh II. It is specially popular for the white marble decorated with peacocks, beautiful carvings and lovely shapes on it. From 1733, the cremation of each Kachhwaha ruler was carried out here. Gatore is a unique place with its own beauty and charm that reflects the royal past of Jaipur and its royal Maharajas. With its beautiful carvings and rich history, this place attracts tourists from all over the world.
"This place has numerous cenotaphs for every Maharaja of Jaipur and these royal 'Chhatris' are decorated with amazing Rajasthani carvings. The beautiful combination of Islamic or Mughal tomb architecture and Hindu temple building design has been used to construct these royal cenotaphs"
The taste of the Maharaja
Red stones and marbles are carved in such a way that every 'Chhatri' looks somewhat different from others. The unique design of every 'Chhatri' represents the taste of the Maharaja in whose memory it has been built. Beautiful garden around the 'Chhatris' give the perfect picture to this place. These beautifully carved 'Chhatris' represent the luxurious lifestyle of Royal Maharajas. There are several 'Chhatris' here, but the most popular ones are the 'Chhatris' of Sawai Madho Singh, Sawai Jai Singh and the Sawai Ram Singh. Among these three, the most beautiful one is of Sawai Jai Singh which has outstanding carvings, designs which will leave you stunned. All these things make this place one of the best tourist destination in Jaipur.
Photographing in India
As a photographer and traveler in India he has seen that many photographic motifs and opportunities as they offer in India are hardly to be found in any other country, everything is new and different. In India you can take excellent pictures. Not only the legendary sights, but above all the faces of the people and the many colors in the country are outstanding motifs.
On all his journeys through India he was almost never bothered with taking photographs. On the contrary, the Indians are a very photogenic people. Again and again it happened to him that people stopped and asked him to take a picture of them. Often a short conversation is followed by an invitation to a spectacular wedding. and the photographer is recommending to go out, walk a little through the streets, take a chai at the tea room, look around. Let India come into your camera. A cow that sits in the middle of the crossroads and lures the entire traffic, a religious procession with decorated elephants, festivals and events that are colorful and loud.
See this video about the Gatore Ki Chhatriyan made by The Deshi Indian.
"- Why always India?" I've often heard the question. Yes, I now come to my so far two India trips. On the second trip the money played a role. My goal was to be with the backpack and narrow wallet as long as possible. Accommodation that was cheap, food for a few cents and sun, chaos, adventure for free. This is by no means the case. On the one hand, the travel agency is not so small and on the other hand, there are enough exciting countries to explore, in which one can be cheap on the road. But no country I have visited so far is as interesting to photograph as India. Whether I'm photographing nature, landscape, culture, religion, history, architecture, people, portraits, street photography or whatever else, India has it. The colorful temples is of a completely different mankind. And in between everything is full, with motifs that make every photographer's heart beat faster", the Photographer says.
Read also: Holy cows of India
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India is a land full of stories. On every street, on every corner and in the many places in India, life is rushing by you as a photographer with millions of stories to be told. In the archive story above, you hopefully had a readable insight in the story that was behind the photo of an Indian man in Jaipur. On this website of Kristian Bertel | Photography you can find numerous travel pictures from the photographer. Stories and moments that tell the travel stories of how the photographer captured the specific scene that you see in the picture. The photographer's images have a story behind them, images that all are taken from around India throughout his photo journeys. The archive stories delve into Kristian's personal archive to reveal never-before-seen, including portraits and landscapes beautifully produced snapshots from various travel assignments. The archive is so-far organized into photo stories, this one included, each brought to life by narrative text and full-color photos. Together, these fascinating stories tell a story about the life in India. India, the motherland to many people around the world, a land of unforgetable travel moments. The archive takes viewers on a spectacular visual journey through some of the most stunning photographs to be found in the photographer's archive collection. The photographer culled the images to reflect the many variations on the universal theme of beauty and everyday life in India. By adding these back stories the photographer's work might immensely enhanced the understanding of the photographs.
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