Kerala: Of Gods and Men

The extraordinary photographs of Johnathan Watts allow us to witness the richness of the Hindu rituals of Kerala, and perfectly portray the diversity of peoples and customs in this colourful southern Indian state. The contrasts here are many: light and dark, good and evil, beauty and ugliness, fire and water, high and low castes in attendance. All reflect the delicate balance between a modern and traditional world, and the earthly and spiritual needs of a culture in permanent evolution. The annual temple festivals help to consolidate village society by acknowledging collective as well as individual concerns: plentiful harvests, the danger of epidemics, or more personal financial or fertility problems. Many of the photographs were taken during ethnographic missions, with the help of a local friend who introduced Watts to these annual ceremonies where upper and lower castes mingle. In these moments of great celebration and joy the villagers, encompassed by music and dance, make-up and...