The mother with the big earrings was smiling bitterly
As I wandered through the backstreets of Mumbai, I came across a mother sitting by the roadside with her baby on her lap. A bindi shimmered on her forehead, and large earrings swayed gently as she smiled serenely. What struck me most was the baby’s eyes, outlined with a dark ring. This was not mere decoration but kajal—a soot-like eyeliner traditionally applied in India to ward off evil spirits and protect a child’s health. In Mumbai, babies with kajal-rimmed eyes are a common sight, though to foreign travelers they often appear as a touch of exotic charm.
Just as I raised my camera to capture the mother and child, two boys suddenly leapt into view. It seemed they were insisting, without words, “Photograph us too!”—elbowing their way into the narrow frame with no hesitation. Indian boys, I had already noticed, are strikingly outgoing and treat being photographed as a kind of game. True to form, these two lined up uninvited and beamed proudly into the lens. The mother gave a weary smile of resignation, while the baby, still perched on her lap, gazed on blankly, too young to grasp the intrusion.
| Mar 2011 INDIA PEOPLE | |
| BABY BINDI BOY EARRING KAJAL MOTHER MUMBAI NOSTRIL PIERCING PARENT AND CHILD QUARTET |
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PHOTO DATA
No
5249
Shooting Date
Sep 2010
Posted On
March 2, 2011
Modified On
September 9, 2025
Place
Mumbai, India
Genre
Portrait Photography
Camera
CANON EOS 1V
Lens
EF85MM F1.2L II USM
