The Indian village of Vrindavan is believed by many Hindus to be the physical manifestation of heaven as well as the place in which the deity Krishna assumed human form thousands of years ago and lived a single life as a man. The Hindi word vrinda translates to “a devotion to spiritual purity.” To Krishna devotees, the village and the miles of hills surrounding it are extremely sacred.

This selection of photographs comes from a larger body of Shane Lavalette’s work created during a short time he spent living in Vrindavan. While there, he observed “in the people a spiritual richness that transcended their material lives. Made during the early morning hours, as the sun rises and the village wakes, these photographs capture the quiet of the place as daily rituals commence.”

Shane Lavalette (b. 1987, Burlington, VT) currently lives and works in Somerville, MA. He received his BFA from Tufts University in partnership with The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Lavalette’s photographs have been exhibited widely and published in the New York Times Magazine, Vice Magazine, Slash, and PIG. His work was recently featured in Humble Arts Foundation’s book The Collector’s Guide to Emerging Art Photography and his project “Slí na Boirne” was selected as a winner of the Yousuf Karsh Prize in Photography.