The Indus — India's life-giving civilizational river is youthful, turbulent, loud and yet mesmerising as it tears through the lofty cliffs of the mighty Karakoram range in Ladakh.

Well known photographer Isaac Tsetan Gergan captures the wildly beautiful moods of the upper Indus in the ongoing virtual photo exhibition “Two Banks Of A River: The Indus In Ladakh”. The show is being put up by India International Centre in collaboration with Living Waters Museum.

What makes viewing of these beautiful and aesthetic pictures more engaging and interesting is the text by Gergan. Lucidly written, they bring out several nuances of the river, region, people and culture. “I feel it (the text) is the thread that weaves it together, keeps it together. It allows entry points and highlights areas that otherwise may be missed,” he explains.

A raging Indus, dropping in elevation, under apricot blossoms at Garkhon, Kargil

With more than 40 photographs the show brings to the fore myriad aspects of river Indus and Ladakh region where it flows. There are images of the river flowing gently in its pristine glory, helping humankind to farm and produce food for their survival, joining other rivers, dropping from a height showing its rage, forming scenic views while cutting its way through mountains, rocks and plains.

Sharing his thoughts about Indus and Ladakh with India Narrative Gergan said: “The narratives formed around the Indus are immediate, in the way that it talks about the grandeur of the river, its impacts locally and geo politically and the impacts to the environment along its course.”

Poplar and willow trees wear their autumnal change a few weeks left before the cold winter

Looking at the various exhibits one realises how important rivers are as lifelines of civilisations, ancient or present, cultures and humankind’s very existence.

Concurring with this, Gergan observed: “Indeed! As is shown in the images of the Indus flowing past fields and waterways through wooded areas, we see this across Ladakh very distinctly. In the barren landscape the green patches signify life. That is what water and the rivers do to an otherwise barren landscape. It is in fact what makes life possible, without it a history can be erased.” This is vivid in the pictures like “Cultivated fields around the village of Bogdang, Nubra”; “The Indus Flows Past Fields In Spituk”, “Fields in Saboo” and “A View Of The Fields in Lower Bogdang”.

The Indus flows past fields in Spituk

The photographer also depicts the prime importance people give to rivers and water in our daily life. “We see water being celebrated and honoured, be it the utensils in the kitchen that hold this water to the traditions of prayer and anointing of water. As we develop, such practices remind us to keep the waters clean and protect them in every way we are able.” The black and white picture of utensils in the Balti Heritage Home in Farol-Turuk, Ladakh is suffused with spiritual and pious elements.

A display of utensils for liquids showcased in the Balti Heritage Home in Farol – Turuk, Ladakh

Water’s prime position in our daily life comes out also in the black and white image of man pushing the cart with a reusable barrel full of water, highlighting the pain and effort one is willing to bear and exert, in order to get those few drops of water!

A man pushes a reusable barrel full of water in Leh. Many households, especially in the older parts of Leh town rely on carts pushed for their water supply

Yet, there is more to the pictures than just the celebration of the river. Agreeing, Gergan, said: “It is a great opportunity for me to celebrate the river but also raise important concerns for Ladakh, especially concerning the fragile environment.” Thus we have the picture showing the devastation in the wake of the flash floods of August 2010.

Gergan feels that balancing development of a region while conserving the environment is “not a huge challenge”. “If we don't take the right conscious action, the consequences will be our own doing. Respecting the land is first and foremost a value passed down for generations. If we are able to do that, our actions will immediately come in line. As we forget these values, we start digging and constructing in places where we aren't supposed to, use our machines to over cultivate or extract beyond what is safe, use resources without care. This as we have seen has impacts small to devastating.” He feels self-regulation is the key. “Policies have to come into place to guide development, but largely I believe it will be the people of the region who will have to dig back to their values to inform the future.”

The photographer and author of the exhibition Isaac Tsetan Gergan

The need to safeguard Indus also stems from keeping our history and culture intact. “Indus is a significant river, contributing directly to the livelihoods of millions. From our country's name having its origins in the river's name to the great stories in the region giving it its due. The stories, songs and cultural connotations to it are mere appraisals of its grandeur. The river has formed the cultures and histories of hundreds of communities, and of multiple nations,” remarked Gergan.

We need to conserve our water bodies, especially the rivers that are a part and parcel of our life and social fabric.

(The exhibition is available on https://iicdelhi.in/online-gallery/two-banks-river-indus-ladakh till July 11)