I was born and raised in Calicut, southern India into a working class family—a young woman trying to define myself within multiple versions of India and the complexities of small town life. The idea of the family, religion, and caste are deep rooted on the subcontinent; what may seem insignificant to so many of us can play defining roles in an individual life. 

Today, I am on a journey to revisit the memories of my childhood excursions to temples across the state. By delving into my past, I immerse myself in the recollections of these trips my mother would take me on. As I retrace the steps she once walked with me when I was a child, I reflect on the multiple versions that exist within each of us. I am the young girl waiting. As I catch sight of the flowers adorning that girl’s hair, they remind me of my mother in another life. 

The relationship with my mother has not always been close, but I am keenly aware of her unwavering faith in god. For her, these rituals are not mere acts of devotion; they hold the essence of her very being. Seeing her amidst the palm trees and beaches, enjoying our leisurely walks together, I observed a side of her that transcends the ordinary. Together, we created harmonies of old Malayalam songs, resonating with the essence of our surroundings. 

The unwavering faith people bestow upon the divine is an indescribable phenomenon—my mother represents just one of countless individuals who have a deep-rooted belief. I am captivated by the transformative power of such rituals: People tying bangles onto trees in the hope of a prosperous marriage; their faces lighting up as a parrot reveals their fortunes. The version of myself amidst the daily routine of a city life is distinct from the one that emerges within this space. Here, I become an integral part of the space, the community, and a participant in the collective beliefs that bind us all together. 

In my photo series, Joy of Small Things, I pay homage to Arundhati Roy’s seminal debut novel The God of Small Things—a novel that explores how small, seemingly insignificant things shape people’s behavior and their lives.