The nationwide oxygen and bed shortages that occurred during India’s second Covid wave in April 2021, according to Prarthna Singh, were a “traumatic time for everyone.” From city to city, people were transporting their loved ones. Each of us felt powerless.
The photographer was residing with her parents in Jaipur, also known as the “pink city,” in Rajasthan at the time. In order to welcome the Prince of Wales in 1876, the maharajah had the majority of his buildings painted this color, which symbolizes hospitality. This history is reflected in Singh’s portrait of her mother stretching and meditating in her garden.
Singh says, “The flowers from the lovely gulmohar tree, as well as the tiles to the left and the exterior wall of the home, complemented my mother’s dress.” “I hung out of the balcony so I could shoot directly above her,” I said. “My dad was holding my dress.” An appropriate metaphor for Singh’s father’s physical support of his daughter is the fight for women’s rights and equal access to education in India.
The picture was taken at dusk, when shadows were being cast across the ground by the light from the sky and a neighbor’s house. Singh can now see the weariness on her mother’s face. Being a woman in India comes with a lot of pressures and demands, and there are many different ways you’re expected to support your home and family, particularly during difficult times. However, I can also see peace and beauty because she was here practicing self-care.
