The Cross

EXPLORED
The portrayal of Christ bearing his cross to Calvary traditionally shows the exhausted Christ falling to Earth, supporting himself with one hand. Simon of Cyrene may be seen standing before Christ, portrayed as gray-haired, bearded and wearing a short tunic. Christ bears the Cross on his shoulders, with soldiers on foot and on horseback around him.

Christ's cross is everywhere, the burden of life itself heaver than the cross. Jesus may have carried it for one day but people still carries it everyday. For some its religion and for some it's a struggle of life.

This picture was taken in Chalk Bazar, a very busy market area in the old town Dhaka, as a part of Scott Kelby's Worldwide Photo Walk on 23/08/08. It was very hot that day but a very good day for photography since the sky was blue with white clouds and abundant light & shadow everywhere. There were 50 photographers registered for this walk and was given 2 hours of time to shoot out around the area. There is no subject or topic or any guide lines other than just to pick up a good photo. Best of the best will be picked by vote and will be sent to Scott Kelby for final selection. However this competition wasn't the main attraction, it was the meeting of other photographers from the flickr.

David organized this photowalk as a group leader very professionally. I have met many people whom I never spoken with but commented in their photostream several times. For me meeting some extraordinary talents in person was the highlight of the day. Here is a group picture of us at the end of the photo walk.

Old Dhaka is a gold mine for photography. Its very congested and has people from different parts of the country with varieties of food, clothes, shops and other establishments. However, if you were given a short period of time to find out an impressive picture along with another 49 photographers, it gets tough.

Its interesting to find out known places in a new way.

p.s. - the guy has physical problem incase if you are wondering about his limbs

p.s. - This carrying the cross is a depiction and has nothing to do with religion. Christ carried the cross and so are these people but in a different form & cause. They are not carrying a wooden object but carrying the burden of life caused by poverty. No one in the world would carry this much of load unless he is an ant or a person in desperation.

I am sure the guy in this picture is a Muslim, he probably bought that tshirt very cheap without any idea that it could be a religious symbol. Just like other day I saw an old guy wearing a tshirt which says SEX DRUGS & ROCK`N`ROLL.

My point is, I am not saying everyone in this earth is a Christian and carrying Christ’s cross. I am saying life’s burden is making some people feeling the same agony as Christ felt in his final days carrying the wooden cross to his crucifixion area.


Lens: EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
Camera: Canon EOS 5D
Location: Old Town, Dhaka, Bangladesh

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