Prayer - A Montage on Kali Worship in Kathmandu

In 2009 I returned to Nepal to complete my sacred SEEING RED pilgrimage that started at the foot of Mt. Kailas in Tibet in 1999. I went to feel into one of the places on the planet I have felt most at home in my soul and to pay tribute to the great goddess Kali. I am no particular worshipper, but she entered my life as a fierce role model of sorts, and in no gentle way did she help me destroy "everything" in the name of true liberation. You can read more about my journey with Kali in my book, Seeing Red.

Today she's venerated in Kathmandu and all buddhist and hindu cultures as part of the annual Dashain festival. This is a montage in images and sounds I recorded from the Kali temple and shrines of Kathmandu. May it transport you there. Jai Kali Ma. Enjoy! 

 

Movie montage from Kali worship at her temples and shrines in Kathmandu during the Dashain festival September 2009. Images and original soundscape by Lone Mørch Music by David Battenfield

Lone Morch
Lone Mørch is an award-winning author, photographer. speaker and teacher. Born in Denmark, she's traveled the world, living and working in Europe, Asia and America—a path that has given her a profound sense of freedom and understanding of the influence of culture on female identity. Themes of female symbolism, archetypes and autonomy are central in her work as as she explores the crossroads between veils, words, art, politics, body and self. The founder of Lolo’s Boudoir, she's photographed hundreds of women since 2004, helping them transform their self-images and reconnect to their bodies and personal power. Lone has been featured in InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Photographers Magazine, San Francisco Chronicle, The Examiner Modern Love, East Bay Express, 7x7 Magazine and in Danish magazines such as Femina, Nova, Kiwi, B.T and Q. Her own writing has been featured in The San Francisco Chronicle, The Huffington Post, Magical Blend Magazine, Nepal Expat Magazine, Nyt Aspect, Nova, Samvirke and anthologies such as To Nepal With Love (2013) and Nothing But the Truth, So Help Me God (2012). Her memoir, Seeing Red, tells the story of her spiritual quest sparked at the sacred Mt. Kailas in the Himalayas, and her subsequent decade in America––as wife, woman and creative spirit–trying to make sense of her own relationship to the sacred, to personal power and the sacrifices required to live an honest life attuned to one’s soul and core values. It has won the Tanenbaum Literary Award, Honorary Mention at the San Francisco Book Festival, and the Bronze Medal in the 2013 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards. Unveiled (working title) is her second book. Based upon the past decade of photographing women, this chronicle of women's voices and images tells what the photographs alone cannot—that undressing is an act of shedding stories of doubt and shame to stand as a sovereign woman, free in body and spirit. In her prior lives, she holds a Masters Degree from Aalborg University in Political Science and Change, has worked as development associate with Care Nepal, team manager for the Kaospilot University and media producer at Ideagarden productions in San Francisco. She splits her time between USA and Europe. Learn more about her work here: lonemorch.com
www.lonemorch.com
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