A NUMBER of devout men are united in prayer at the Grande Mosquee de Strasbourg in Strasbourg, France, their heads bowed. Overlooking them from a balcony, the women offer their prayers, eyes shut in devotion. Oblivious to all, a 10-year-old girl gazes down at the men from the balcony.
Many thousand miles to the east, in Udaipur, India, a similar scene unfolds. At the Shitla Mata Temple, a woman applies vermillion in the shape of a swastika on a pillar. Standing beside her is an eight-year-old girl watching her, chewing on her pendant thoughtfully.
The two children, oceans and continents apart, seem united in their desire to partake of a lesson in faith.
Not many will notice any similarities between Strasbourg, the capital city of the Alsace region in eastern France, and Udaipur, a city in Rajasthan. But for two photographers, the cities are not much different from each other.
?The two cities have the same human values, strength of faith and a common desire to keep their culture and heritage vibrant, alive and relevant. And yet, in both cities, there is an acceptance and acknowledgement of the changing needs of the times, of development and of progress,? says Anuradha Sarup, a photographer from Udaipur.
Sarup and Albert Huber, a French photographer from Strasbourg, travelled to each other?s cities as part of an exchange programme of photographers in March-April 2013. The exchange was part of a joint cooperation programme of the Indian Heritage Cities Network Foundation, Unesco, New Delhi; Udaipur Municipal Corporation; the city of Strasbourg (Municipalite de Strasbourg), France; and Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF), Udaipur. The cooperation programme aims to preserve Udaipur?s heritage while developing international collaborations and partnerships for heritage-based projects in Udaipur. The theme of the project was ?Seeking the Sacred?.
The task was difficult. After all, Udaipur and Strasbourg are cities not just separated by geography, but by culture and tradition seeped in centuries of history as well.
On one hand was Udaipur, a sleepy little city surrounded by hills and lakes in India?s far-west state of Rajasthan. Though the city has always been known for its natural landscape and beauty, and has been a part of the Indian tourist?s itinerary for a long time, its claim to fame increased manifold when, in July 2009, Travel+Leisure voted Udaipur as the ?best city in the world to visit?, way above other cities such as Sydney and New York.
On the other hand was Strasbourg. A city seeped in history stretching back to the Roman Empire, which is today the official seat of the European Parliament. Through centuries, Strasbourg has been witness to waves of history, with the Huns, Franks and Germans leaving their mark on its architecture, culture and lifestyle. Located close to the border with Germany, the city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking, which explains the city?s Germanic name.
?Both Strasbourg and Udaipur are very distinct in their character?one being an ancient European settlement, the other a 450-year-old city built by the Maharanas of Mewar. Yet the spirit of the past is alive in both these heritage cities. It was a challenge for me to capture the ?sacred? through the historical, cultural and religious identities of its people. Like Udaipur, Strasbourg has a ?living heritage?. The city and its people have adapted beautifully to changing times,? says Sarup, whose work spans across genres with a special focus on the urban?cities, monuments, museums, city life, markets and people.
The two photographers spent around 10-12 days in the two cities, travelling all over, seeking and capturing different ?sacred? facets and elements of the cities through their lenses. The result is a selection of 40 photographs that were exhibited at the recently-concluded 2nd World Living Heritage Festival in Udaipur organised jointly by Unesco, New Delhi, and the MMCF.
Sarup says it was essential for her to capture the emotions of the people and also the spirit of the place in each shot. ?Bring back the essence of Strasbourg for the people of Udaipur to experience? was her aim, she says.
Through their lenses, the photographers discovered that the sacred was to be found in churches and temples, mosques and graveyards, festivals and ceremonies, on the streets and in the hearts of the people. Strasbourg and Udaipur, separated by oceans and continents, are distinctly different and yet, as the photographers found, there are commonalities and similarities at every step. The festivals may have been radically different, but the spirit and energy of devotion were quite the same. The places where men and women gathered to pray and work may have been different, but the passion and compassion of the people were the same.
?These 40 photographs on display are examples of how we are united by our sacred geography. My photographic eye, mind and soul were captured by the sights and sounds of Udaipur,? says Huber, a veteran photographer, who has dedicated 50 years to capturing humanity across European countries, North Africa, the US and the Pacific Islands. Huber, who can only speak French, stayed in Udaipur for 13 days and says he was fascinated by India and its sacred history.
Though both the cities have a rich culture, Udaipur, unlike Strasbourg, Huber says, is imbued with something sacred at every corner.
Sarup visited Strasbourg for 10 days and says the assignment was ?a dream come true for her?. ?I responded to the assignment at every level. As a person, I have an almost essential need to travel and to capture what I see through photographs. Urban centres are my subject of choice. What makes people different and what makes all people across the world similar are constant subjects I am drawn to,? says Sarup.
The only hitch? The weather of Strasbourg. ?The weather was, unfortunately, very cold and grey. I missed the blue skies and strong sunshine of Udaipur that make all the colours vibrant and a photographer?s delight,? says Sarup. Unsurprisingly, Huber had no such complaints.
