The Living Divinely exhibition of photographs by Nick Fleming got off to a roaring start when it was inaugurated this evening with a traditional Bole So Nihal Sat Siri Akaal led by Guru Kaur and a Nihang Singhs dressed in full bana at The Nehru Centre, London. For many of those there it was a very new experience.

The theme of Guru Kaur’s opening address was that living divinely meant not being divided: not divided within ourselves, society and on the globe as a whole but being contented in community. As one guest remarked “this exhibition has made me see India in a new light. I feel privileged to have seen these images of aspects of India that we rarely hear or see. These photographs reflect the genuine love and devotion of people who uphold spiritual values.”

Over 120 people attended the opening which runs through 26th May.

Sikhnet readers may download the free screensaver which accompanies the exhibition by going to: www.nickfleming.com/sikhnet.

Living Divinely is a retrospective of Nick Fleming’s photographic experiences in India during the last 8 years. He lived and travelled with deeply spiritual people highlighting the majesty of their daily lives. Nick earned unique access to these spiritual communities whose ways of life he has meticulously recorded for posterity.

The exhibition includes images of the Vaishnavite monks of Majuli, Assam; the Guru’s soldiers, the Nihang spiritual warriors of Punjab; portraits of yogis and sadhus; and, from high up in the remote Himalayas, the Buddhist monks of Tawang.

These images which offers a glimpse into a private and sensitive world that is at times routine and ordinary, at others punctuated with arcane rituals, elaborate customs and traditions, and eye-popping practices.

Nick made every effort to let life unfold undisturbed in front of him in order to catch the natural beauty of the moment. Often he stayed many weeks, more often months, with monks, spiritual orders, yogis, sages and sadhus. They ate together, slept together, talked together and sometimes prayed together. Eventually, he was seen but not noticed.

In the 5 months leading up to the Sikh Tercentenary of 1999, Nick lived with various Nihang Singhs including those based at Harian Belan. Recently, during the winter of 2006/7 Nick has been living with the Nihang Singhs of Baba Bidi Chand Dal, based near Tarn Taran, as they meandered across Punjab. He witnessed many beautiful moments including an Amrit ceremony, riding on elephants and the peaceful serenity of being in Gurdwaras in the amrit vela.