The women embellish this rustic environment dominated by misery by painting and decorating the houses, by drawing on the ground. They indulge in this free and ephemeral art because it is subject to the merciless climate.

The first time Hans Silvester went to India, it was not a great success. Attacked by the misery, the overcrowded and grey cities, he swore he would never return. In the mid-1970s, he broke his promise and discovered the Thar Desert in Rajasthan. He went there about ten times in 3 years to better understand this modest people. It is thanks to his empathy, his patience and his emotional intelligence that he gained the trust of these "princesses of the desert" and was able to tame the light of this country.

Retour De Voyage selected this photograph for its bright colors that contrast with the aridity of the environment.