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22nd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
Fragments of Faith

Birnagar lies ravaged by Ganga's wrath, humanity swept away. On the battered shore, faith clings tight - the last masjid hangs, a testament to worship's endurance. Ajahar Sheikh stands amidst the ruins. Fatigue, financial and mental, cannot dim his prayers within the masjid's walls. But fear gnaws at him. The next monsoon, another flood, unleashed by climate change and the Farakka Barrage, will find his people shelterless, hopeless, their humanity eroded like the earth beneath their feet.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 06.2023
Date Uploaded: 12.2024
Photo Location: Malda, India
Camera: ILCE-7M3
Copyright: © Pubarun Basu