Tag: stupas

Stupas

As is typical of a Buddhist area, Upper Mustang is full of stupas—monuments that contain Buddhist relics and religious items, or just the remains of individuals (whether of note or not).

Some are very simple, while others are more ornate.

More detail from the one on the right:

Generally, there is no information to tell passers-by who is buried in the stupas or what is stored there.

A set of funerary stupas: the red color symbolizes blood, the white symbolizes bone, and the dirt symbolizes ash.

We came across another group of stupas outside the village of Dhakmar. The stupas are located at the foot of hills that are, according to legend, stained red with the blood of demons that Guru Rinpoche had to slay in order to build a monastery.

A different type of stupa: these stupas likely store valuables and religious items rather than human remains. They were restored with U.S. funding from the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation. Nepal is one of the largest recipients of AFCP funding in the world.

Finally—we came across an unassuming stupa, except for the design which included an opening. I decided to poke my head inside, and was very glad I did. We were able to see the type of painting that usually is only found inside monastery sanctuaries, where photography is not permitted.

Next: monasteries

Misadventures in Film Photography (one of a series)

I love film photography. An analog, all metal camera just feels different in the hands. The loading of the film is like a little dance. The shutter’s click tells you that you’ve captured an image, with no way to erase it, and the film winder tells you that you’re ready to do it again.

The downside, of course, is that you don’t know what you’ve captured; and once you’re done, you are at the mercy of the film processor. That’s when you discover whether your lenses are really sharp at the corners; whether you’ve stored your film properly all this time to maintain its quality; and whether the processor’s chemicals and equipment are all they should be. If any of these go wrong, you can try to “fix it in post,” but that will only get you so far.

Recently, I went shooting with my Nikon FM2 (not my D700) at Boudhanath, an enormous stupa dating from the 8th century. With my iPhone camera, it looked like this:

Out of my Nikon FM2, however, it looked like this:

  • As seen from the neighborhood.
  • The sky briefly cleared.
  • Lots of pigeons.
  • A worshipper spinning the prayer wheels at the stupa’s base.

The images have character, sure, but I can’t say that I’m going to stick with film for the next three years.

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