Around the world, over millennia, rivers have provided wondrous gifts – nourishment, mobility, irrigation, natural beauty.

In acknowledgement of those gifts, some cultures consider the rivers of their realms to be sacred – beseeching them with prayers, partaking of their waters for joyous and somber rituals.

Today, even as these rivers remain an object of devotion, some face dire threats – severe pollution, diminution of their flow, hydroelectric projects.

The Associated Press explored the challenges facing sacred rivers on several continents. In this month’s installment of The Shot, photographers on three continents traveled significant distances or, in one case, stayed put at home, to tell a river’s story, below its surface to the spiritual.

The Shot is a monthly series showcasing top photojournalism from staff photographers at The Associated Press. Each month, AP photographers will share the stories behind some of their iconic imagery.

Produced by AP News staff. The sponsor was not involved in the creation of this content.

Jessie Wardarski

THE COLUMBIA

The Columbia has sustained Indigenous people in the Pacific Northwest for millennia. The river’s salmon and the roots and berries that grow nearby are known as “first foods” because of the belief that they volunteered to sacrifice themselves for the benefit of humans. Today, the foods and the river are threatened by industrialization, climate change and pollution.

Niranjan Shrestha

THE BAGMATI

Nepal’s most sacred river is also its most polluted. In the capital, Kathmandu, raw sewage is dumped directly into the Bagmati, and heaps of garbage are tossed in from the banks. Once sparkling and clear, the river’s waters are black and sludgy, undrinkable and unsuitable for even cleaning.

Hi My name is Niranjan Shrestha, AP photojournalist based in Nepal. For the Scared River series, I covered the journey of Nepal’s Bagmati river from its source into and out of the Kathmandu valley.

Throughout my childhood, I was told historical and mythical stories that often revolved around the river.  As I began to shoot this project, I was saddened by the current state of the holy Bagmati river. I could not help but reminisce about my previous encounters with this river. 

The journey to tell this story started at its source at Baagdwar, with a Tiger Sculpted stone sprout where crystal clear water flows. Here I used 70-200mm capture the brilliance of the water and the Sony A1 was a perfect light-weight companion for the trek.

As it flows downhill for a mile, it takes up more and more space, expanding into streams and waterfalls where hundreds of people visit to calm and refresh themselves with a splash. Along the way Bagmati’s waters feed into agricultural land, drinking sprouts and village cores until it reaches the densely populated city of Kathmandu - now often flowing dark in color, carrying domestic and industrial waste, and releasing a stench of rot.

In these same waters, I remember swimming and bathing while getting a warning scold by my mother that the currents would sweep me away. Today, we wear masks to filter the stench when driving past. 

I captured images over the changing seasons in various locations and in various part of the day,  From dry to wet. From low water to high water. The pollution is evident.

I found the 24-105mm lens for this assignment to be most handy. The majority of photos were shot in the morning with varying natural light, using F stops from 2.8 up to F22 allowing sharpness, clarity and detail of the water conditions. 

The Bagmati river holds an important space in our culture, especially for those of us born and brought up in Kathmandu before it experienced its unplanned influx of new residents. As my own grandmother would say at every spiritual ritual, and after mourning the death of a loved one, we bathe in the Bagmati river.

Rodrigo Abd

THE TRUFUL TRUFUL

For the Mapuche, Chile’s largest Indigenous group, a pristine river like the Truful Truful, flowing from a lava field under an Andean volcano, is the home of a spiritual force to revere, not a natural resource to exploit. Thus, many Mapuche communities across the country’s water-rich south are fighting hydroelectric plants that they see as desecrating nature.

I understand much more when I have an intense life experience. 

The Mapuches, Chile’s largest Indigenous group, taught me how sacred rivers are for their communities, but also for the entire world. 

Telling their life stories, the deep conflict that exists between many Mapuche communities with hydroelectric projects that they say alter the course of the rivers and pollute their waters, was an extraordinary experience for me as a photojournalist. 

The rivers not only irrigate their fields, feed their families, but also provide the water they use daily to hydrate and cook their meals.

The slopes of the rivers grow native plants that are used as natural medicines to cure all types of diseases.  Ancient wisdom passes from generation to generation and natural treatments are carried out in indigenous villages near rivers, far from urban centers.

In the Mapuche worldview, the souls of the deceased are transported underground from the cemeteries to the rivers, and it is there where their waters transport the spirits throughout the entire territory.

For this reason, they believe they live with their ancestors, with their deceased loved ones and who live through the natural world of trees, flowers, earth, stones and much more. 

To tell such an intimate story, using the silent mode of Sony cameras was very helpful. I was able to discreetly photograph and document the ceremonies of the communities without disturbing or altering the activities of the subjects.

The Sacred Rivers project was produced by AP’s religion team, which receives funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. via a collaboration with The Conversation US.

Spotlight is the blog of AP Images, the world’s largest collection of historical and contemporary photos.

Produced by AP News staff. The sponsor was not involved in the creation of this content.

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