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Light a Candle


Light a Candle
Photo Information
Copyright: Atousa Taghavi (Atousa) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 459 W: 14 N: 554] (1747)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-03-20
Categories: Ceremony
Exposure: f/3.5, 1/5 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-09-01 5:20
Viewed: 1340
Points: 42
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
It is the most sacred of the Zoroastrian mountain shrines. Located near the city of Ardakan in Yazd province, Chak Chak( also known as Pir-e-Sabz) serves as a pilgrimage point for pious Zoroastrians. Each year from June 14-18 many thousands of Zoroastrians from Iran, India and other countries flock to the fire temple of Pir-e Sabz. Tradition has it that pilgrims are to stop the moment they see the sight of the temple and continue their journey on foot the rest of the way.

Meaning “drip-drip” in Persian (as in drips of water), Chak Chak is where Nikbanou, second daughter of the last pre-Islamic Persian ruler, the Sassanian Emperor Yazdegerd III of Persia, was cornered by the invading Arab army in 640 CE. Fearing capture Nikbanou prayed to Ahura Mazda to protect her from her enemies. In response to Nikbanou's pleadings, the mountain miraculously opened up and sheltered her from the invaders.

Notable features of Chak Chak include the ever dripping spring located at the mountain. Legend has it that these drops are tears of grief that the mountain sheds in remembrance of Nikbanou. Growing beside the holy spring is an immense and ancient tree said to be Nikbanou's cane. Legend also has it that a petrified colorful cloth from Nikbanou was also visible in the rocks although pilgrims have since taken this.

The actual temple of Chak Chak is a man-made grotto sheltered by two large bronze doors. The shrine enclosure is floored with marble and its walls are darkened by fires kept eternally burning in the sanctuary. In the cliffs below the shrine are several roofed pavilions constructed to accommodate pilgrims.

From Wikipedia
___
In this shot you can see inside the grotto .
mammad, kiwi_explorer, jmcl, siolaw, daddo, Charo, llimone, adores, Leo71538, jean11-3, stego, ls7902, noborders, salvator, gervaso, sayat, auldal has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To sayat: ThanksAtousa 1 11-01 12:05
To stego: monotheismAtousa 1 09-10 02:23
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Atousa! Very original picture!

Dear Atousa,
Great shot with an impressive note .I like your pov and light play.Looking forward to more great shots from u.
Ghorbanat Mammad.

Hi Atousa,
Nice repeating patterns for your foreground. Good inclusion of the solitary candle to add perspective to the photo. Well captured and composed. Well done! tfs
Cheers,
Renier

Ciao Atousa,
nice shot , the solitary candle is fantastic, very great management of light .
well done
Giorgio

  • Great 
  • jmcl Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2589 W: 146 N: 3421] (11904)
  • [2007-09-02 19:49]

Hi Atousa,

Wonderful work in what had to be difficult light.
Great composition with the silver, stone, and flame ..
Evocative image of a thoughtful place.

take care,

John

  • Great 
  • siolaw Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3995 W: 403 N: 6683] (22721)
  • [2007-09-02 22:29]

Salam Atousa,
A very interesting docu picture of the Zoroastrian shrine, good POV and vertical framing... Colrs and textures are fine too
Greetings
Laurent

  • Great 
  • daddo Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1706 W: 29 N: 1783] (8045)
  • [2007-09-03 0:52]

Salam Atousa. Just last month i saw a documentary on the Zoroastrians on our television here in Melbourne. Iran definitely has a rich past, the original place where monotheism was born. It is quite moving to see this shrine from a people who started the worship of one supreme being. Regards. Klaudio.

Hola Atousa.
Magnifica fotografia con una buena definicion y bonitos colores. Buen encuadre.
Un saludo.
Ricardo

  • Great 
  • toto Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2468 W: 107 N: 2700] (14251)
  • [2007-09-04 0:35]

Belle photo de ces porte chandelle dans une sorte de grotte,bel prise bien nette, couleurs de la roche use bien restitue.Bonne prise. Amitis Thomas
je reviens

  • Great 
  • Charo Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2574 W: 22 N: 4912] (18890)
  • [2007-09-04 2:51]

Hola Atousa,
Magnfica toma con estupenda luz y detalles. Excelente encuadre y colores.
Buen trabajo.
Cordialmente
Charo

  • Great 
  • adores Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2795 W: 53 N: 3957] (12627)
  • [2007-09-05 19:02]

Hi Atousa!
Good shot! I like the format and the composition with the candels in the foreground and then the walls. I like the texture of the walls and the combination with the silver.Good light also!

Verynice capture & good note. Thank you for depicting such a place. My last photo is also about the Zoroastrian fire. See it here:
http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Middle_East/Iran/photo728850.htm

Hi Atousa,
nice shot from Chak Chak, composition and light management is nice. note is great too.
I would like to see a general view from this temple.

thnaks for sharing
Mohammad

Hello Atousa, I like the narrow range of colours in this shot.The single lit candle is a good focal point.
It is an interesting picture with good relevant notes,tfs, regards Jean.

  • Great 
  • stego Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3749 W: 632 N: 5023] (15280)
  • [2007-09-09 18:37]
  • [+]

Salam Atousa,

It's doubly interesting: it's a nice photo and a valuable documentary of a place sacred to one of the leat known (an oldest?) religions of the world.

You did a beautiful compo and achieved getting it reasonably sharp and well coloured, something that we don't expect to be easy inside a grotte. It was preferable that the DOF covered the fg, but that was probably impossible because of the light.

This may sound non-sense and denote a total (assumed) ignorance on the reality of Iran, but I find curious that such religious places and groups are still active (and I guess not persecuted) in a country where Islam is so powerful politically.

Regards, Jos.

  • Great 
  • ls7902 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 935 W: 205 N: 1202] (4745)
  • [2007-09-10 21:15]

Hello Atousa,
Interesting notes. Nice POV & capture with available lighting. Salam. Latiff.

Salam Atousa,
Now that I see you photo, I regret not to have visited Chak Chak when I was spending over a week in Yazd some years ago... it seems very atmospheric and this is an interesting post !
TFS, best regards,
Cath.

Dear Atousa,
Great subject, great shot, great idea, great location. Weldone

Would be nicer if you focused on the candle and give a little more depth of field.
Cheers
BehnaM

Hi Atousa,
Wonderful pov and nice details and colors. Effective use of light too. Best regards. Salvator.

Good composition! The shot is excellent, even with an illumination that seems to be a little difficult to get! Good job!

  • Great 
  • sayat Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 560 W: 4 N: 301] (2591)
  • [2007-10-30 12:14]
  • [+]

Dear Atousha,
This is very rare and gret shot in conveying us the Zoroastrian atmosphere. Amazing info, I really like to visit those places one day. Does the immense tree mentioned in the note still exist? If yes, it would be nice to see a picture of the tree as well.
Thanks for sharing,
Sayat

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