Shambhu Bharti Baba, traditionally naked Naga Sadhu in sandy basement porch-shelter under Pilgrims' Guest-house above ancient Manikarnika Ghat burning-grounds at Ganges waterside in Benares, oldest cintinuously inhabited city on Earth. During six-months stay a few alleys down-river, I visited occasionally to smoke chilams, clay pipes as at edge of fire-pit, packed with ganja-tobacco mix & share Baba's silence vow along with small circle of his friends, devotees, local schoolteachers & clerks. One morning I brought camera, he invited me to take pictures rising to disrobe loin-cloth & G-string, stood nude beside Naga spear, brass waterpot & Shiva Trident. See _Indian Journals_, 1970, p.130. December 18, 1962, 10:30 AM.

Provenance

Allen Ginsberg Estate; Ellen and Gary Davis, Greenwich, CT (through Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York); gift to NGA, 2008.

Shambhu Bharti Baba, traditionally naked Naga Sadhu in sandy basement porch-shelter under Pilgrims' Guest-house above ancient Manikarnika Ghat burning-grounds at Ganges waterside in Benares, oldest cintinuously inhabited city on Earth. During six-months stay a few alleys down-river, I visited occasionally to smoke chilams, clay pipes as at edge of fire-pit, packed with ganja-tobacco mix & share Baba's silence vow along with small circle of his friends, devotees, local schoolteachers & clerks. One morning I brought camera, he invited me to take pictures rising to disrobe loin-cloth & G-string, stood nude beside Naga spear, brass waterpot & Shiva Trident. See _Indian Journals_, 1970, p.130. December 18, 1962, 10:30 AM.

Ginsberg, Allen

1962, printed 1995

Accession Number

2008.131.16

Medium

gelatin silver print

Dimensions

image: 36.2 x 25.8 cm (14 1/4 x 10 3/16 in.) | sheet: 50.4 x 40.7 cm (19 13/16 x 16 in.)

Classification

Photograph

Museum

National Gallery of Art

Washington, D.C., United States

Credit Line

Gift of Gary S. Davis

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Ginsberg, Allen