Photo Single: Gods Within Gods Without, by Wenson Tsai

Title: Gods Within Gods Without

It’s near impossible to consider life in Nepal without a consciousness of the gods all around us. From the holy cows walking the outer streets eating trash to the temples that dot the daily corners and squares, the gods know and see all. Though by monetary standards, Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world, they are supremely wealthy in a fervent spirituality that rises up through its people and out into the world as warmth, honesty, and dedication. Some gods offer salvation, while others ask you to pay a price. Some remain calm and silent, residing within, while others request you make noises to be heard outside. Whatever the case, the worlds of both spirit and man are so intimately intertwined that little remains without the mark of the gods.

Photographer: Wenson Tsai
Website: www.flickr.com/photos/itswenson
Camera: Leica M5/ Summitar 50mm F/2.0

Comments 9

Robert Godden

27/02/2011 at 2:18 pm

Always good to see photos of Nepal and this is a nice shot. But why this focus? There is a huge deficit of images of contemporary Nepal – especially the major urban areas such as Kathmandu. Instead, the majority of photographers focus on ‘traditional’ images, particularly those related to Hinduism or Buddhism, or romanticised rural life. These are beguiling to those making an initial visit but how many of these images do we need? And what image does it project of Nepal to those who have never been? I have lived in Nepal for two years and although I take photos of temples etc. occasionally they strike me as all-to-easy subject matter. Please, all those considering of taking photos of Nepal, look at what is happening now in the country – the commercialism, the injection of new technology, the faltering infrastructure, the advent of modernity etc. No more Sadhus and temples please!