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Priest giving blessings to some female devotees

Photograph
1950s-1960s (made), 1990s (printed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This photograph shows a priest carrying a tray on which there is a flaming lamp and some flowers. Two women stand nearby. One is looking beyond the priest, probably at the shrine. The other is holding her hands out towards the priest for him to place a flower or another form of blessing from the tray into her hands.

Both the tray and the flame are known as 'arati'. The priest waves the ‘arati’ in front of the deity so that it acquires the presence of the deity. Devotees pass their hands through the flame and touch their eyelids or foreheads. This is a highly symbolic act which brings the deity and the devotee together, the fire purifying the devotee's soul.

The American photojournalist Frank Monaco (1917-2007) did not take up photography until the early 1950s. He visited India many times between 1965 and 2004 and took a series of photographs which document temples and the busy life in and around the temple sites. In his images Monaco manages to capture people worshipping and performing ritual ceremonies within the temple complex and beyond without being intrusive.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitlePriest giving blessings to some female devotees (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Black and white photograph
Brief description
'Priest giving blessings to female devotees', black and white photograph by Frank Monaco, India, 1950s-1960s, printed in 1990s
Physical description
This black and white photograph shows a priest carrying an aarti tray which has a burning flame on it and flowers. Two women stand nearby, one is looking beyond the priest, probably at the shrine, and the other is holding her hands out towards the priest for him to place a flower or another form of blessing in them.
Dimensions
  • Image height: 20cm
  • Image width: 29.2cm
  • Photographic paper height: 24cm
  • Photographic paper width: 31.4cm
Marks and inscriptions
(Name of photographer stamped on back)
Credit line
Given by Frank Monaco
Production
This print made in the 1990s. In a letter written to the museum after Frank Monaco’s death in 2007, his nephew, Oliver Morse wrote:

‘We believe that Frank visited India 16 times during the last 25 years of his life. His papers show that he went there for two weeks in February 2004, and we think that this was his final visit. From the 1950s up until about the year 2000 his camera of choice was the Leica. This remained his favourite camera, but in about 2000 he also started using a digital camera. At this time he also took with him on his trips a second separate digital camera loaded with colour film. This enabled him to photograph the same scene in colour within the same 5 minute period….’
Letter dated January 15th 2008 is in the Registered file: 1999/709

In a further letter dated 19th January 2008, his other nephew, Jonathan Morse, found a list of dates in his diary which he believes were the dates that Frank travelled to India.

The 19 dates are noted in the Registered file: 1999/709
Subjects depicted
Place depicted
Summary
This photograph shows a priest carrying a tray on which there is a flaming lamp and some flowers. Two women stand nearby. One is looking beyond the priest, probably at the shrine. The other is holding her hands out towards the priest for him to place a flower or another form of blessing from the tray into her hands.

Both the tray and the flame are known as 'arati'. The priest waves the ‘arati’ in front of the deity so that it acquires the presence of the deity. Devotees pass their hands through the flame and touch their eyelids or foreheads. This is a highly symbolic act which brings the deity and the devotee together, the fire purifying the devotee's soul.

The American photojournalist Frank Monaco (1917-2007) did not take up photography until the early 1950s. He visited India many times between 1965 and 2004 and took a series of photographs which document temples and the busy life in and around the temple sites. In his images Monaco manages to capture people worshipping and performing ritual ceremonies within the temple complex and beyond without being intrusive.
Collection
Accession number
IS.95-2006

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Record createdOctober 2, 2006
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