Silent ritual

[AntonioCorreia]

From above, what caught my eye was that small circle of light on the rough courtyard floor. Four people were gathered around a mandala made of coloured powders — the traditional rangoli that marks the beginning of Diwali, the festival of lights in India.

The street lighting is dim, but the strong beam of a torch sharply defines the space where the action unfolds, while the rest of the scene remains bathed in a warm, almost reverent half-light. There’s something intimate about this ritual celebration.
It is a moment of devotion, but also of collective gesture, carried out slowly and with care. The setting is one of real, everyday life — stacked tiles, pots, motorbikes — and perhaps because of that, and the concentrated light, this image becomes all the more compelling.

[escape]

Interesting image, Antonio. I like the lighting and the mystery of what is going on. I would crop to lose some of the house and some of the view on the other side of the wall.

[AntonioCorreia]

Thank you, Daniel, for your comment.

I fear that a tighter crop might somehow decontextualise the action unfolding there in the house courtyard, not allowing for a correct perception of the ritual that was taking place in that location.
After all, that place is nothing more than the courtyard of a family home, perhaps more than one...

Even before nightfall, I saw that care had been taken to paint the surrounding walls, but I didn't have enough presence of mind to take the initiative to take a few photos.

[selig1656]

Interesting