Giovanna Aryafara | SADHUS

SADHUS
Between Earth and Spirit
By Giovanna Aryafara

Sadhus of Kathmandu and Varanasi

“Who was this man before he became a sadhu? It is a question I often ask myself when photographing in Kathmandu and Varanasi. Was he once a husband or a father? What led him to leave that life and follow a spiritual path? I rarely know the answers, but the questions change the way I approach each portrait.
This collection brings together fifteen black-and-white photographs made in both cities. Some sadhus travel between Nepal and India, yet their beliefs, practices, and paths are deeply individual. Among the men I have photographed are ash-covered Naga sadhus, men with long, matted jata, and an Aghori carrying a skull. The skull can be confronting to an outsider, but within Aghori practice, it connects to a spiritual engagement with death and impermanence.”

Sadhus in these places are accustomed to cameras. Before lifting mine, I try to talk with each man or spend a little time sitting with him. Some welcome the conversation; others remain guarded. Those differences matter to me as much as the visible signs of their traditions.

I chose black and white because it keeps my attention on the person: the detail of a face, the posture of a body, the way someone meets the camera. These photographs cannot tell the whole story of any one man. Together, they are a record of fifteen encounters—and my continuing curiosity about the lives behind the faces. “

• Giovanna Aryafara

In her photographs of the Sadhus of Kathmandu and Varanasi, Giovanna Aryafara turns her attentive gaze toward India’s and Nepal’s deeply spiritual traditions.
Working with natural light and an unobtrusive approach, she captures the distinctive presence of the Sadhus while allowing their surroundings, expressions, and moments of contemplation to become part of the story. Her photographs invite us beyond the visual symbolism of these figures, offering glimpses into a spiritual culture shaped by devotion, ritual, and an enduring relationship with tradition.

In the ancient streets and sacred spaces of Kathmandu, I was drawn to the Sadhus, Hindu holy men who have chosen a life removed from material possessions and conventional society.
This black-and-white series is less about documenting their appearance and more about the quiet intensity of their presence. Their weathered faces, gestures, and moments of stillness speak of devotion, solitude, and a life shaped by faith.

I photographed them in natural light, letting each portrait unfold without elaborate staging. By removing color, I wanted to strip the images back to what interested me most: expression, texture, light, and the individual behind the familiar robes and painted faces.
For me, these portraits are about presence, the faces, the silence and the strength of people who have chosen a very different way of life.

“In the ancient streets and sacred spaces of Kathmandu, I was drawn to the Sadhus, Hindu holy men who have chosen a life removed from material possessions and conventional society.”

Giovanna Aryafara

Giovanna Aryafara is an Australian photographer based in Bali whose passion for photography began more than 40 years ago. Her work is deeply connected to people, cultural traditions, and the quiet moments that reveal something of everyday life. She works primarily across Africa and Asia, with a particular focus on Ethiopia, while Bali has been her home for the past two decades. Her photography explores human connection, cultural resilience, and the beauty of traditions that continue to shape communities worldwide.
Working almost entirely with natural light, Aryafara avoids flash and carries minimal equipment, allowing her to move freely and photograph people in a relaxed and unobtrusive way. She takes time to observe her surroundings, understand the light, and connect with the people she photographs before raising her camera. This approach has become an important part of her visual language, resulting in intimate portraits and environmental images that feel spontaneous and authentic.
Giovanna’s photographic journeys have taken her across some of the world’s most culturally distinctive regions, from Ethiopia’s Omo Valley to the villages of Bali and the streets of Kathmandu and Varanasi. Throughout her work, Aryafara is drawn to traditions, spiritual practices, and the intimate human stories found within them, approaching each subject with patience, respect, and a desire to understand the world beyond the surface.

Her photographs have been exhibited internationally, including at the Africa Photo Festival in New York, the Atlas of Humanity in Paris and Milan, and exhibitions across Australia, Bali, Brazil, Thailand, Mexico, Montenegro, and Africa. She was the winner of the Culture and Communities category of the Africa in Focus competition in 2020, was a finalist in the Travel Photographer of the Year Awards, and has received further international recognition, including the Wilderness Safaris Photographer of the Year in 2022 and an Honorable Mention at the International Photography Awards in 2024. Her work has also appeared in National Geographic Italia and National Geographic India.

When she is not traveling, Aryafara works from her Photography Gallery & Coffee House in Bali, which she runs alongside her other creative and lifestyle ventures. Through her photography, she continues to seek moments that reveal the diversity of human experience, creating images that invite viewers to look more closely at the people, cultures, and traditions she encounters.

Instagram: @giovannaphotography | Website: giovannaphotography.com