bhakti - love, devotion. one of the most common forms of yoga.
these photographs are part of a series taken during a big puja at the dharmikam ashram and hanuman temple in trivandrum, kerala, india in november 2007. the celebration was to commemorate the installation of legendary floating stones of rama sethué, considered holy relics by hindus. this is one of only 3 temples in india to have received such magic stones.
according to the ramayana, rama sethu is the bridge built by the vanara (monkey tribe) army of lord sri rama, which he used to to cross over from rameshwaram (india) to sri lanka and rescue his consort sita who was abducted by the rakshasa king, ravana. the legend says that when the name of lord sri rama was written on the stones used to build the bridge they would float.
the ashram's guru, sri balachandran nair (guru hanuman das) is one of the few surviving great masters of kalaripayyatt, an ancient indian martial arts system that predates chinese kung-fu, and kalarichikilsa, a body of knowledge with its roots in siddha medicine. the siddha system of medicine also known as siddha vaidya in india, is the oldest among the indian medical systems—namely ayurveda, siddha and unani. it is also the oldest medical system in the world.
sri balachandran nair, the warrior sage of dharmikam, the lion of kerala is also a hanuman devotee, a sannyasin, and the founder and director of the dharmikam ashram. he is a fierce man of wisdom, honor, duty, conviction, discipline, devotion, love and compassion.
visitors to the small, seven-room ashram come from all over india and the world for either the famous kalarichikilsa healing treatments, the kalaripayyatt training, to participate in the ashram activities (karma yoga), or to just relax and rejuvenate in the beauty and hospitality of the ashram and verdant keralan countryside. funds generated by the ashram, primarily from western visitors, go to help support the surrounding community, sustain all the members of the ashram staff and their families, and ensure the legacy of learning and service established by swamiji. in this way, the ashram helps thousands of kerala's poor who would otherwise have little or no means. swamiji doesn't turn away anyone and is often approached for worldly advice and counsel by members of the community as well as for healing sickness, injuries and disease.
the artist/photographer barry fleming lives in manhattan with his girlfriend dana and their beloved english bulldog, lefty. he wishes to thank all his teachers past, present and future—especially barbara verrochi and kristin leigh, abdi assadi, darlene van de grift, tim miller, rolf gates, and swamiji balachandran nair (master).
