Go Easy With The Photos

The Jana Baha Dya Jatra, known in Nepali as the Seto Machhindranath Jatra, is in full swing in Kathmandu. By the time this column is published, the chariot of the white deity worshipped by Buddhists and Hindus alike will have reached its final destination at Lagan. 

The Jatra is a time of great merry in the old city of Kathmandu and hundreds gather to watch the chariot be towed from one point to another, accompanied by scores of traditional musical bands and worshippers. However, they do more than just gather, they record. And this is not a trend limited to Kathmandu or the Jana Baha Dya Jatra.

This scribe takes great interest in learning about culture and festivals and tries to make it to as many festivals as he can inside and around Kathmandu Valley. And it appears to him that people are increasingly trying to capture every moment of the festivals on their phones and cameras. 

Now, this article does not seek to condemn this trend, far from it. The writer believes that photos and videos are very important for cultural preservation as they create an archive of our traditions and allow future generations to see what our traditions are like, even if we are not around to tell them. 

We also have a few examples of monuments being reconstructed and practices being revived from old photos and video recordings. They are one of the most valuable tools we have for conservation.

Also, they promote our civilisation and identity in the world and help attract tourists. Posting still and moving images of our festivals online helps make them visible to the world. This, in turn, may pique the interest of foreign nationals and encourage them to come to Nepal for their next trip. So, we should, by no means, stop documenting our culture in whatever way we can. However, we should be sensitive when doing it.

Let us come back to the Jana Baha Dya Jatra. Throughout the festival, people seeking to capture the perfect shot were seen clambering to get close to the four-wheeled carriage, disturbing the policemen and volunteers trying to ensure safety. Some with their phones stuck out appeared to be blocking the view for others behind them. 

Further still, those looking at their cameras did not seem to be looking at the street. As a result, they kept stumbling, bumping into people and almost losing their balance. 

This sounds trivial but in a situation where hundreds are pushing against each other in narrow alleys, trying to get as close to a 32-hand tall chariot as possible, such stumbling can cause chaos and tragedies.

Then, there is the potential of our actions taking us out of the very festival we seek to enjoy. A 2018 article by Vox, an American news and opinion website, showed that taking photos and videos of an occasion or event could hurt our chances of remembering it.

This is because, to remember something, we have to pay attention to it – what it looked like, what it felt like and what other things were happening around it. When we are taking photos or recording videos, we are focused on our phone and hence, are unable to take in these other inputs that enable our brains to make memories. Thus, ironically, our quest to record time causes its erasure from our minds.

Also, let us stop to think about this. Are we taking the photo or the video because the moment is priceless to us and we want to relive it again, or are we taking it out of instinct? 

It is increasingly becoming the latter. Most of us who grew up with smartphones take photos of events not because we want to but because we have a device that can (this penman is no exception). We capture images not because we want to have a piece of a joyful experience with us forever but because we need content for social media. 

Again, favouring the latter is not wrong. It is just that it is coming at the cost of our personal participation and engagement. Would it not be greater to enjoy a festival with an empty mind and take in the atmosphere with our five senses? 

Why does a screen stand between us and precious memories that last a lifetime? Why not liberate ourselves from the need to have everything we ever do on a server or a card somewhere? Why not go easy with the photos?