Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Incredible India: Gaddi Tribe

Image Copyright © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

As no emerging photographic talent from India is being promoted during the Incredible India @ 60 extravaganza in New York City, "Incredible India on TTP" is a week-long series of posts in a small effort to redress this oversight by showcasing unknown, under represented or emerging Indian photographers, as well as some of my own photographs of this amazing country.

The Gaddis reside in the Mandi, Kangra and Bilaspur districts near Dharmasala in Himachal Pradesh. Gaddis are not fully nomadic since they live in villages with stone houses. Although the origin of the Gaddis is unclear, they believe that their ancestors fled from persecution of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

The Gaddi women wear colourful dresses that are spun in their homes, and their ornaments include semi precious stones, little mirrors in their necklace and peacock feather. These two women were thrilled to pose for photographs, and proud to display their dresses and silver jewelry.

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