Nature-loving lensman Paul's ashes strewn in forest

Photographer S Paul's love for nature was so deep that he did not want his ashes to be immersed in a river. Instead, he wanted them scattered in a forested area.
Speaking at a memorial for the 88-year-old iconic photographer who died late last week, his son, Dheeraj Paul, recalled how his father did not want to be cremated in a wood pyre either.
"My father loved nature so much that he wanted to be cremated in an electric crematorium to save trees. He also did not want his ashes to be consigned to the Ganga or the Yamuna because they would get more polluted," Dheeraj said.

As homage to Paul, who "didn't believe in rituals", the ashes were strewn in one of Delhi's forested areas.
A low-key affair, as Paul had desired, the memorial at the Gurdwara Singh Sahib here yesterday was attended by a vast number of people. Among them were several photographers, including T Narayan and Rajesh Bedi.
Paul, revered as a mentor by generations of photographers, was born on World Photography Day on August 19 in 1929.

His love for his cameras, friends and family recall, was unparallelled.
The photographer's former student Ashok Dhawan said Paul used to sleep with his camera by his side. Not surprisingly, his family put a camera on his chest at the cremation.

"A self-taught photographer, he used to wear his camera like we wear watches or carry mobile phones," Dheeraj added.
But mobile photography was not something he encouraged, though that did not mean he resisted change.
"His foresightedness could be gauged from the fact that he was quick to adapt to digital technology at a time when his compatriots were reluctant to let go of nostalgia," Dheeraj added.
The lensman's fondness for the zoo was well known, too.
"People used to go looking for him at the zoo in Delhi if they did not find him in his office," Dheeraj said.

The ghazals of Ghulam Ali and Mehdi Hassan and the poetry of Mirza Ghalib and Gulzar were Paul's favourites. He was also a "die-hard" fan of Madhubala.
One of his favourite couplets that Dheeraj recited at the memorial was, "Khaak ho jayenge hum, tumko khabar hone tak (I will burn to ashes before you know of it)".