Sleeping City

Mumbai, India

September, 2008

I’d describe Mumbai as a city that never sleeps. Particularly during festivals like the Ganesh Chaturthi, and Ramadan, there are always things happening at night. In the case of Ganesh Chaturthi you have music and dancing late into the night by Hindus, and for Muslims who are fasting for Ramadan, it’s really at night that their day begins, with noisy and vibrant night markets, and eateries open until the early hours. Both of these religious festivals coincided, so the nights were full of colour and atmosphere.

However, it’s impossible to miss the people lying by roadsides, and asleep on the streets.

Some of these people might be homeless drunkards, but others are families, who are forced to sleep on the street out of poverty. It’s a very common sight, and these pictures aren’t designed to depict Mumbai as a city of beggars. I know it’s a cliche to take pictures of poverty and I’ve had this told to me a number of times, but for those of you who follow my work, you’ll know I photograph anything that’s different to what I’m used to, whether it’s lively Hindu worshippers, or beggars by roadsides.

Some random b&w