Mountains, Cloud, and Shiva!” captures the experience of spiritual renewal in feeling awe and wonder, brought about by appreciating the natural world and fostering a curiosity in local spiritual culture as a traveler.
I took this photo in Rishikesh, India, surrounded by mountains. A 19-year-old girl told me, “We’re surrounded by Shiva!” Shiva is a god in Hinduism who abides in the mountains. Also called “The Destroyer,” his destruction is about transformation and making space for new beginnings. Shiva isn’t just a deity but a pervasive energy that permeates the natural world.
Here, the photo was taken in the Himalayas, his spiritual home. A cloud drifting among the mist, submerging behind the hills, visualizes a manifestation of Shiva’s worldwide energy like a gentle veil that cloaks his sacred dwelling. I hope to invite viewers to not just see a mountain, but to be reminded of how we situate ourselves within our surroundings. And perhaps to even feel a sense of spiritual resonance, being surrounded by Shiva, a benevolent, divine energy—a feeling of happiness and connection.
