Travelove Series 4
Architect’s model of one of the notorious gas chambers at Auschwitz

Travelove Series is about the smiles I have gathered during my travels. I consciously look for Travelove during my travels. For a detailed account of my visit to this notorious holocaust site, visit ‘Auschwitz – Remembering the WW-II Holocaust’.

Travelove Series 4 – True Meaning of Homage

I am not a Jew. Yet my visit to Auschwitz moved me. And for Jews, a visit to Auschwitz is akin to a pilgrimage as Nazis murdered millions of their ancestors here in cold blood.

To give the visitors an understanding of the scale of WW-II holocaust, the museum-cum-memorial has exhibited an architect’s model, which graphically details out the prisoners being led into the gas chamber and their subsequent fate.

I was struggling to shoot this exhibit through the thick sheet-glass partition that separated it from the visitors. In the process, I was perhaps blocking a Jewish group’s view partially. Seeing this, their guide yelled at me in a booming voice that I needed to wait till the group has exited from that area.

I turned around with helplessness writ large on my face to notice that at least 4-5 members of the group had already raised their hands to stop the guide from interfering with what I was doing and with a hint of encouragement, gestured me to go on.

In that moment, the true meaning of homage dawned on me and I felt a deep sense of respect for the Jewish visitors who were there.

Do you look for Travelove during your travels? To read more of my Travelove series, click here.

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