Mother Teresa: At prayer, tenderly cradling a baby, with leprosy sufferers, the destitute, the aged and dying. These unforgettable images were captured by India's iconic photographer Raghu Rai from the 1970s till the Mother's death in 1997. To commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of Mother Teresa, 40 of Rai's black and white photos were on display in New Delhi recently.
Says Rai nostalgically, “I was like the Mother's spoilt son.” Understandable from a photographer who was allowed to click the many facets of the otherwise reclusive Mother and her commune. And once he had begun to shoot, he couldn't put his camera down. As he points out, “Each time I went to her, it was like I almost had to establish to myself why I was back to her.”
The Mother's magnetic personality drew him on. “She was a definite inspiration for me. She radiated a certain power and energy that you could almost touch. She never fluctuated as a human being; whether she was meeting a prime minister or beggar. She was compassionate, yet very strong. She had a spiritual energy which never dimmed.”
Apparently, one of Rai's editors discovered the then unknown Mother Teresa in the 1970s. Rai landed in her office and ever since began to take photographs of “The Living Saint”.
The Mother clearly proved more than a mere subject for the avid photographer.
Source: thedailystar.net
