Lord Ganesha – Photographic Expression

Case Study: India Photos

For the Research Report, we agreed to select a small number of images and to add comments. To do this I selected some of the images that the children often went back to look at and those talked most about. Where I could, I added some of the children's comments, from the conversations they had with me and from the individual interviews that Shoba did with each child, and (in italics) some words of explanation from me and from Shoba were this helps to understand the picture. It was not easy to make the selections as part of the impact of the project comes from the accumulation and sequencing of the photos. Selecting a small number and giving them a starring role shifts and changes their meaning a little. It gives them greater significance (and perhaps greater meaning) but also isolates them from their context and the flow of events.

Case Studies: a child's comment

Mother said we should start with Lord Ganesha (the middle picture on the wall behind) because this God is always the place to begin something new.

My mother has taught me to pray to Lord Ganesha every day at least twice. After the bath in the morning and before going to bed in the night. I feel that Lord Ganesha will help me the whole day to be out of difficulties. All such manners are taught me by my mother, so I am very happy & also feel good when I pray to the God every time.

All these photographs and text come from research conducted by SOS Children’s Village Hermann Gmeiner Academy. Copyright is reserved and no unauthorized use permitted. Use for non-commercial purposes may be requested. The photographs formed part of a study in children’s photograph expression, using children living in SOS Children’s communities worldwide.