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Walker on the Khuri Sands / Rajasthan / Tripolia-Exploring India-Arun Gaur’s Indian Landscape Images

October 2009

He Saw. He Came. He Conquered. He Passed.

A 350. Minolta 28mm

After running about a few days around the deer that very quickly vanished into the gold of the sand, I stood there one late afternoon, brooding over what to photograph now. I had thought to plunge after the deer. But they could hear the click of my camera hundreds of meters away and vanished—just vanished. When I was wondering what to do, then this man descended slowly the declines of the sands and I went on snapping him. He was from the Dhani ( a small village comprising very few thatched dwellings) of Ratan Singh, he told me, pointing out to the small hamlet down the mounds many kilometers away. After staying with me for a few minutes, he went down his way. His foot-marks were clearly printed on the gold of the sands.
Alt. Text for

Walker

on the Khuri Sands 1:

I saw him emerging from the horizon. He stood above the golden sand. A diminutive figure.

Walker

on the Khuri Sands 2:

From the dune to dune he plunged. He moved with a shuffling gait. Still a dark figure against the sky.

Walker

on the Khuri Sands 3:

Then he decided to come straight for me. Half of him was still in the shade. Fine grains of sands scattered like showers as his feet struck the sand.

Walker

on the Khuri Sands 4:

Then he looked at me. Who are you? He was a little curious.

Walker

on the Khuri Sands 5:

No problem. Then he laughed a hearty laugh.

Walker

on the Khuri Sands 6:

He tilted his head, looked into the sky. This blue of the sky is the scope of the sky.

Walker

on the Khuri Sands 7:

But here, I am the king of the dunes—he said. He twirled his moustaches. This is my gold, though a bit of the blue of the sky is also mine. Gold of the sand is surely mine.

Walker

on the Khuri Sands 8:

“Quickly”—he said “I cannot tarry”. He has to walk and walk on the gold of the sand dunes. His feet are tireless. They know the touch of the sand. Sand is tireless. It knows the touch of his feet.

Walker

on the Khuri Sands 9:

He then slowly passed out of my sight.