By Riya Matharu
In a world full of AI and fake news, I think there are very few things that are real left in today’s day and age. Initially, I thought to present an image of my family or a portrait I’ve taken. After reflecting on some of my working images from the project, I came across the shoot from Punjab, India.
This image was taken in Anandpur Sahib. Anandpur Sahib is a Gurdwara (Sikh temple) in Punjab, where Guru Gobind Singh ji created the Khalsa. The Khalsa is a key part of our religion to this day.
This leads onto the initial question of what is real to me? ‘To me.’ That is the most important part of the question because other people may have different beliefs or opinions to me. My faith. My religion. I believe that without it, there is no way to prove my existence or my purpose.
The Guru Granth Sahib ji states that we were put on this world to end the cycle of reincarnation and reach mukti – reconnect with God, with Waheguru. In order to do this, we must join the Sangat (Sikh congregation) and do Naam Jaap (chant on the name of God).
I felt that this image was the perfect image to explain why my religion is real to me because the layers in the image represent the layers of life. The complexity of life is so overwhelming when in reality all we want to do is be one with God again. All these layers are just to pull the wool over our eyes – things like our ego and greed – make us stray off the path.
The winding road towards being connected to God, like the one in the image, is long and difficult but we must always remember the reason we are travelling on this path.
This also links very similarly to photography with how we must remind ourselves of what we are taking images of, why, and who it’s for.
Sikhi is real to me. God is real to me. Waheguru.
