It began as a maiden and unplanned trip to the sacred city of Varanasi in northern India for Sebastian Giunta earlier this year.
It has left him already yearning to return for more.
For the Sydney-based photographer and visual storyteller who spent his childhood in Argentina, the sights, smells, colours and textures of the Holy City felt unbelievably familiar, making him feel like a kid in a candy store.
Sebastian Giunta spent two weeks in Varanasi as part of the ‘Life on a River’ photography project of the National Geographic along with more than a dozen other photographers from around the world. Over innumerable cups of chai enjoyed on the ghats of the Ganges, Giunta managed to capture glimpses of life of the city regarded as the ultimate pilgrimage for Hindus.
He has come back with a collection of photographs The Ganges: Life on the River which he is exhibiting as part of the Head On Open Photo Festival Open Program from 17-23 November in Sydney’s Stirrup Gallery, 143 Addision Road, Marrickville with a special open night celebration on Thursday, 20 November at 5pm.
The collection of 13 photographs capture moments of work, worship, and rest, and intimate glimpses of a community shaped by the river’s constant flow. At its core, the exhibition is also a journey of personal discovery and self-growth guided by the faces, gestures, and rituals of living along this sacred waterway.
Describing his first-ever experience with the Indian way of life, Giunta says he is still processing the impact of it all on him – not just in terms of what his eyes and camera lens captured, but also at a much deeper and spiritual level for him.
Talking to Indian Link Giunta says, “In many ways this was a trip of self-discovery too. Of course, it has also opened my eyes to the culture and beauty of India, and I would love to go back to experience more of it.”
Describing what his lens captured, Giunta states, “What started as a project to tell the story of the water quickly metamorphosised into becoming a story of the people.” They are inseparable, after all. Sebastian Giunta
“The Ganges river is their lifeline,” he notes.
Having a local guide was a big help, Giunta admits. “He took me deep into the real city. I visited a village of farmers, as well as a fishing village, discovered street cricket, ordinary people going about their lives, to couples falling in love on the banks of the river, to families going through the final journeys of their loved ones, I saw it all. Some bits I have purposely left out as those moments are too sacred for a family to be exhibited, but they have left a profound impact on me,” he says.
Of course, the evening aarti on the Assi Ghat is a spectacle that just deserves to be captured. “It used to be absolutely packed in the evenings. I experimented with light. I managed to blend in with the crowds who were very welcoming,” he says.
“Of course, there was always chai which I couldn’t have enough of,” Giunta reveals. “And the food was always so fresh and tasty. Eating with my hands was such a joyful experience.”
Giunta expresses sadness regarding the state of the river. “The river is the lifeline of the city. I think not enough is being done regarding the pollution in it and its clean-up. I know people travel from afar for a dip in the river as it is considered holy,” he says.
He counts himself as someone who would travel back.
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