Visiting West Bengal during monsoon season, writer and photographer Arati Kumar-Rao bears witness to all that is formed and all that is destroyed in the swell and retreat of the Ganga. Struck by the immense power of the ancient river—a deity alive and accessible, benevolent and merciless—she wonders how human activity will continue to both affect and be determined by the will of its waters. As the Ganga transforms the lay of the land, shifting modern-day political boundaries, agricultural settlements, and historical constraints on its movement, Arati considers the confluence of the sacred and the profane.
Read the essay: https://emergencemagazine.org/essay/in-the-shifting-embrace-of-the-ganga/
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In the Shifting Embrace of the Ganga – Arati Kumar-Rao

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If you enjoy this audio story, check out David’s companion practice, Playful Listening, which invites you to immerse yourself in the sonic world around you. And listen to our interview with David, “Listening and the Crisis of Inattention,” on our website.
Illustration by Daniel Liévano.
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Sanctuaries of Silence - A Listening Journey

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Read the transcript.
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Read the transcript.
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Read the essay.
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In the Shifting Embrace of the Ganga – Arati Kumar-Rao

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