Morning Prayer

In the homes of Brahmin (priests) living around a temple in southern India, it is the custom to draw, in prayer, the symbol of the deity worshipped in that home on the ground under the eaves every morning while dropping white powder from between the fingers. It is the job of females in India to draw this floor symbol every morning. Since the act of drawing itself is a prayer, the symbol they went to the effort of drawing ends up being swept away immediately. The figure of this deeply devout girl drawing with a meek expression, leaving in place the bright yellow flowers that have fallen from above the floor symbol, is striking.