.

What you think, you become., originally uploaded by Aditya Grandhi.

Standing at about 55 feet and weighing more than 350 tons, this statue of Buddha in the middle of lake Hussainsagar in Hyderabad provides the city with its very own landmark.

Staring at this statue does provide some peace to the Hyderabadis that's very much required in these times of meaningless agitation.

Brihadishwara, originally uploaded by Christian Lagat.

Thanjavur (Tanjore) - Tamil Nadu - South India.
Brihadishwara Temple, jewel of the sacred chola architecture (10th century), dedicated to Shiva.Registred in the UN World Heritage.
The famous sandstone used in the construction of the main and the little temples come for a mountain, and was carried by boat on the canal bordering the temple.

Happy Hours :-) / Twilight Magic / Explore, originally uploaded by Fountain_Head.

I had this craze for catching streaks of light and that made me get up very early at around 6 in the morning during my vacation at Poovar to go searching for the 'elusive' streak of light. What I ended up doing was to shoot 100's of photos of the streak of lights on the streets of Poovar. A coconut grove in the early morning sun offers such superb plays of light that all that I had to do was to keep clicking.

I had found this 'spot' to be the ideal place to shoot streak of lights and hence went back to the same spot the next day to wait for the perfect composition. These three women were actively going towards their work when I shot this picture.

Band, Shimla, originally uploaded by jason staines.

A military band play marching music in the late afternoon in Shimla in Himachal Pradesh, India.

D E V O T I O N. Sonepur, originally uploaded by Claude Renault.

Pilgrims bathing in the Gandak river on Kartik Purnima day in Sonepur, the beginning of a 3 weeks animal fair in this little village of Bihar, thousands of pilgrims and visitors are gathering there.

Elephant transportation, originally uploaded by vkiran_2000.

On the way to Hampi, I got to capture a temple elephant being transported on a truck. The mahout said it was being ferried back to Chitradurga from Bangalore, where it was part of some festivities. There were no harnesses or safety gear, and I hope the elephant didnt have travel sickness !!

Home Sweet Home - Rishikesh, originally uploaded by Sanatan.

Unfortunately nobody was home when I took this photograph, but this makeshift home belonged to a local Sadhu or Holy Man living the renounced life. He is obviously like a lot of Sadhus in Rishikesh a devotee of Lord Shiva. There is a photograph left on display in the top right depicting Lord Shiva and his eternal Consort Parvati. I particularly like his Patio (Crazy Pavin').

What you can't tell from this photograph is that this shelter is overlooking the River Ganges at the foothill of the Himalayas. I was standing on the rocky and sandy riverbank taking this photo.

The Sarangi Player, originally uploaded by Atul Tater.

Sarangi is the most important instrument in the folk music of Rajasthan. Probably the ancestor of violin, this instrument has two main strings and a variable number of supporting strings, with a belly of half a coconut shell and a body of bamboo. The Sarangi serves as an echo of the singer.

And accompanying the Sarangi is the Dholak. it is a two-sided drum like structure made of wood with membranes covering the hollow structure which adds rhythm to the soul-stirring music.

Drudgery of routine, originally uploaded by ஃ முதல் அ வரை.

Compagnie 111's Plan B, created by Aurélien Bory. Bonjour-India Festival, Chennai 2009.

Plan B starts with this bit where neatly dressed men in business suits stand up on a inclined plane and slide down relentlessly for about thirty to forty times, to emphasis how life goes by as one just watches it. Later on they proceed to perform some of their innovative gravity defying bits, which were truly entertaining.

This is part of the on going Bonjour-India Festival. More info available on their webpage .

In their own words
Four acrobats sliding on a mobile plane (inclined, horizontal, vertical), a few white balls magically suspended in mid-air, a flurry of lights and music: this is Plan B for you, a show of Compagnie 111 directed by the New-Yorker Phil Soltanoff, combining the best of circus, theatre and video art. From an imaginative renewal of the experience of space and the laws of gravity, gradually emerges a poetic discourse. In Plan B, dream and farce unfold in a new poetics of space.

Artistic movements of the 20’s such as constructivism; the Bauhaus have greatly influenced the creations of Compagnie 111. Other artistic forms present on stage, namely lights, sound, live electronic music, video, dance, design, magic and shadow play, are all laced into one unique creation. Plan B is not only full of creativity, humour and poetry, but also represents a mind-boggling example of technical perfection. Their mastery of the circus arts leads the four men to defy the universal laws of space and gravity. What remains is slow motion, energy, buoyancy.

Performers:
Olivier Alenda, Aurélien Bory, Pierre Cartonnet, Loic Praud
with Sylvian Lafourcade, Stéphane Ley, Arnaud Veyrat

Jaggery factory2, originally uploaded by equilibriumart.

This is a traditional Indian jaggery factory, They are all outdoors and very, very rustic. They boil freshly extracted sugar cane juice in a huge vat, with a massive fire under the ground, in a kind of furnace. Then they hang it in large pouches to clean, and let the pure sugar drip through. Finally they cool it in a very wide flat pool where they stir it so it thickens, then lift out slabs to cool on a tarpaulin on the ground. If you eat it at this stage it is the best, then it hardens as it cools more. This photo captures the late afternoon sun through the steam coming off the vat - it was very atmospheric. Near Baraut, UP, India.

Meal time, originally uploaded by bhatto.

An informal thirsty elelphant getting water near a forest on the Dibrugarh (Assam) - Deomali (Arunachal) border in NE India.

Tempa, originally uploaded by goddessofxanadu.

Tempa has never seen her homeland, Tibet. She was born in India and can only dream of her Tibetan homeland....and she makes paintings, sitting by the Bagsu road all day, traditional Tibetan religious thankas of incredible depth and detail, as if by doing so she can invoke some missing part of herself that she cannot retrieve in any other way.

Fishing, Hampi, originally uploaded by s i a m.

Children fishing in Tungabhadra river, Hampi, Karnataka, India.

The Tungabhadra River is a sacred river in southern India that flows through the state of Karnataka to Andhra Pradesh, where it serves as the chief tributary of the Krishna River. In the epic Ramayana, the Tungabhadra river was known by the name of Pampa (another sacred river in Kerala also bears the name Pampa.)

vent debout, originally uploaded by >> Anne (out).

In Ladakh every field is surrounded by a wall mounted in a hurry to prevent the animals enter. In general there is no door ... should therefore scale the wall to enter or exit. This woman of a certain age, and despite the pain in his back, climbed the walls like a "cabris"! impressive!

Carry home the Devi, originally uploaded by Biju - Back on Track!!! Not that easy afterall.

This is a usual scenario in Kumartoli just before the West Bengal biggest festival, the Durga Puja. Kumartoli is the place where all these idols are manufactured and sold. People from all over the state come and buys the idols.

Bhagat Saangil-Narrative theatre, originally uploaded by ramesh_lalwani.

Braj (Hindi/Braj Bhasha: ब्रज) (also known as Brij or Brajbhoomi) is a region in Uttar Pradesh of India, around Mathura-Vrindavan. Braj, though never a clearly defined political region in India but is very well demarcated culturally, is considered to be the land of Krishna and is derived from the Sanskrit word vraja. The main city in the region is Mathura.

Om Mani Padme Houng, originally uploaded by >> Anne (out).

Each year in July in the village of Karsha of 28 ° to 29 ° day of the sixth Tibetan month the Gustor festival takes place.
Gustor means "sacrifice of 29 ° days".
Karsha, Zanskar.

My Rental Agreement Says the Lesser should not allocate another family... but, originally uploaded by kichus.in.

they took over my work area, emptied a broom nicely to built their home... wakes me up at 4:00 AM everyday @#$@#$@.. and now the family is grown to 2+... from next month 'm gonna ask my rental share.. Grrr....

:) I was not sure whether to take a photo as I don't want to panic the busy husband and wife... they are working overtime it seems to feed their newborns... :) Wish all the very best to them.. Happy to be the host...

School Bus, Delhi Style!, originally uploaded by easton2223.

This was one of my favorite days of the trip. Chandni Chowk was a really busy, hustling market place that was maybe a bit sketchy at best. One of the only market places that our driver Ram demanded to walk with us. This 'school bus' was so hand made and interesting and i loved the colors. I only got one snap at this, and all these girls were so excited to get their picture taken. Wish i had a wide angle on at the time, but having the 50 changed the subject from bus to school girls. There were 3 more buses like this full of these kids in their school uniforms, and everyone was very very happy. That really made my day!

Kathak Performance at old fort, originally uploaded by ramesh_lalwani.

Purana Qila(Old Fort) in Delhi has become venue for many cultural events.The flood ruins of the fort provide beautiful backdrop.

dancing eunuch IV, originally uploaded by Samir D.

dacing of eunuch or "hijra" is very common phenomenon of "chhaht-puja"..In hindu contexts, hijras belong to a special caste. They are usually devotees of the mother goddess Bahuchara Mata, and/or Shiva.

Thikse gompa, originally uploaded by s i a m.

Thikse Gompa (also transliterated from Ladakhi as 'Tikse', 'Tiksey' or 'Thiksey') is a Yellow Hat (Gelugpa) Buddhist monastery in the Indus Valley, 25 km east of Leh, the capital of Ladakh. It is noted for its resemblance to the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet.

'Amar Jawan Jyoti' (Flame of the Immortal Warrior) India Gate in Delhi, India., originally uploaded by Aksveer.

In memory of all the innocent victims and our brave soldiers who lost their lives on 26/11/08.

Burning as a shrine under the arch of India Gate since 1971 is the Amar Jawan Jyoti (the flame of the immortal warrior), which marks the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The shrine itself is a black marble cenotaph. Each face of the cenotaph has inscribed in gold the words "Amar Jawan" (Immortal Warrior) and is placed on an edifice which has on its four corners four torches of which at least one is perpetually kept alive. It was unveiled on January 26, 1972 by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, in the wake of the 1971 Indo-Pak War. Today, it is customary for the President and the Prime Minister, as well as visiting Guests of State, to pay homage at the site on occasions of State ceremonies.

Mother working and Son playing, Brihadeshvara Temple, Tanjore, Tamil Nadu, originally uploaded by Sekitar.

Mother working and Son playing. A shot from Brihadeshvara Temple, Tanjore, Tamil Nadu

India #16: Rickshaw driver, originally uploaded by zane&inzane.

Rickshaws and tu-tus are still one of the major public transports in India. This guy was sitting on the roadside, waiting for customers.

First photo was taken without asking. Then I walked closer and waved at him with my camera. I knew he didn't mind and I quickly took a few more headshots of him wanting to form a more complete story. It would be nice if I had the time to do a few more shots of this handsome rickshaw driver!

@Jaipur (Pink City), Rajasthan, India

sindur, originally uploaded by Samir D.

Sindur (vermilion) blood-red powder, usually smeared on the forehead and at the parting of the hair (sithi) of Hindu married women. This is part of the marriage ritual and is inherited from ancient tribal cultures... during "chhat-puja" all married women has covered their forehead to bottom of their nose with this symbolic powder...

This madness can happen, originally uploaded by Bindaas Madhavi.

only here in India I suppose!!

Ramlila -- a street stage play of the mythology Ramayana. Primary characters mostly enacted by kids who barely have their mustaches growing out. Sponsored by the Maharaja of Kashi this play takes momentum for almost a month. The final day culminates with an Aarti by the Maharaja at the first break of the dawn.
So what madness to do with this?
Well to watch this event people gather at the grounds by around 3am prettymuch sleep out in the grounds to get the prime viewing spot. The character in their full costume were ready on the stage by 3am. The dawn broke at 6am by then the place entire place was so packed that even if one moved then there was a wave effect among the crowd.
All this for a glimpse of the Kashi Naresh, a 5 minute Aarti
if this is not madness wonder what it takes for that !!

So far from home, originally uploaded by Free As I Can Be.

Took this on a morning walk. He had spent that night guarding this property. The air was thick and his mood was low on being so far from home and lonely. He was wondering what he was doing in a place that was completely strange to him.

Holika, originally uploaded by Studiofunc..

Holika was a demoness in Hindu mythology who was burnt to death with help of God Brahma by Prahlad.
The story of Holika's conflict signifies the triumph of good over evil, and death of Holika is celebrated as Holi Festival in India

Mounted Guards-1, originally uploaded by ramesh_lalwani.

The President's Bodyguard is an elite household cavalry regiment of the Indian Army. Its primary role is to escort and protect the President of India and is based in the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi, India. It is a mounted unit, with horses for ceremonies at the presidential palace and BTR-60 vehicles for use in combat.
The regiments history dates back to 30 September 1773. It was created during the Company rule in India as a personal bodyguard for the Governor General of India and was then known as the Troop of Moghuls. It was later renamed to the Viceroy's Bodyguard in 1858 when the Indian Empire was officially established. It changed its name again to the Governor General's Bodyguard when India became a Commonwealth Dominion in 1947. It took on its modern name when India became a full republic in 1950.
In 2003, it had 7 officers, 15 NCOs, and 140 enlisted men, for a total strength of 180 men. Throughout its history, the Bodyguard has varied in size from 50 men when first raised, to 1,929 men in 1845. However, it was usually around squadron size, or about 130 men. The current commanding officer is Brigadier Charanjit Singh Virk. By tradition, the CO has always been of Brigadier or Colonel rank. He is assisted by Majors, Captains, Risaldars and Daffadars. Ordinary soldiers hold the ranks of Sowar or Naik.

Every Saturday at 8AM Change of Guards ceremony takes place on foregrounds of Presidents House Delhi.Here are some photos taken on this occasion.

Paani puri vendors- Manali, originally uploaded by Sai A.

Also called as Gol gappa. It is a popular snack in India and is available with road side vendor through out India. Paani puri is served with spiced water in a crisp bread (of sort). People stand and eat it when served in a small plate.

breathless, originally uploaded by Sayantan Bera.

25 years of the Bhopal Gas Disaster. 26 thousand dead over the years. Life, short of breath, around the decrepit union carbide factory.

On assignment. Bhopal, November 2009.

Art is God, and God is light, originally uploaded by harimenon4u.

Ottan thullal artist praying before entering stage, Ottan thullal is a traditional art form of Kerala

The Paths of Life, originally uploaded by Lynn Morag.

Jiddu Krishnamurti was a renowned writer and speaker on philosophical and spiritual subjects. His subject matter included: psychological revolution, the nature of the mind, meditation, human relationships, and bringing about positive change in society. He constantly stressed the need for a revolution in the psyche of every human being and emphasized that such revolution cannot be brought about by any external entity, be it religious, political, or social.
~ Wikipedia

"Is there an arriving? To arrive is to be in sorrow and within the shadow of fear. Is there an arriving inwardly, a goal to be reached, an end to be gained? Thought has fixed an end, God, bliss, success, virtue and so on. But thought is only a reaction, a response of memory and thought breeds time to cover the space between what is and what should be. The what should be, the ideal, is verbal, theoretical; it has no reality. The actual has no time; it has no end to achieve, no distance to travel. The fact is and everything else is not."

"Belief is so unnecessary, as are ideals. Both dissipate energy which is needed to follow the unfolding of the fact, the what is. Beliefs like ideals are escapes from the fact and in escapes there is no end to sorrow. The ending of sorrow is the understanding of the fact from moment to moment. There is no system or method which will give understanding but only a choiceless awareness of a fact. Meditation according to a system is the avoidance of fact of what you are; it is far more important to understand yourself, the constant changing of the facts about yourself, than to meditate in order to find god, have visions, sensations and other forms of entertainment."

"All existence is choice; only in aloneness there is no choice. Choice, in every form, is conflict. Contradiction is inevitable in choice; this contradiction, inner and outer breeds confusion and misery. To escape from this misery, gods, beliefs, nationalism, commitment to various patterns of activities become compulsive necessities. Having escaped, they become all important and escape is the way of illusion; then fear and anxiety set in."

I guess his writing has surprised me....and I know many people who would disagree with elements of these excerpts.

They were taken from "Krishnamurti's Notebook" by J Krishnamurti, KFI 2004

_MG_8351, originally uploaded by ramesh_lalwani.

Koodiyattam or Kutiyattam is a form of Sanskrit theatretraditionally performed in the state of Kerala, India. Performed in the Sanskrit language in Hindu temples, it is believed to be 2000 years old. It is officially recognised byUNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
Koodiyattam [kutiyattam], meaning "combined acting," signifies Sanskrit drama presented in the traditional style in temple theatres of Kerala and is the only surviving specimen of the ancient Sanskrit theatre. It has an attested history of a thousand years in Kerala, but its origin and evolution are shrouded in mystery. It seems that Kutiyattam is an amalgam of the classical Sanskrit theatre of ancient India and the regional theatre of Kerala. It is believed that Kulasekhara Varman Cheraman Perumal, an ancient king of Kerala, who ruled from Mahodayapuram (modern Kodungallur) reformed Koodiyattam, introducing the local language for Vidusaka and structuring presentation of the play to well defined units. He himself wrote two plays, Subhadraharana and Tapatisamvarana and made arrangements for their presentation on stage with the help of a Brahmin friend of him called Tolan. These plays are still presented on stage. Apart from these, the plays traditionally presented include Ascaryacudamani of Saktibhadra, Kalyanasaugandhika of Nilakantha, Bhagavadajjuka of Bodhayana, Nagananda of Harsa, and many plays ascribed to Bhasa including Abhiseka and Pratima. The Kutiyattam performance was confined to the temple precincts of Kerala in specially constructed theatres called Kutampalams.(Source Wikipedia)
Ms Kapila Nangiar and her group presented “Sita Parityagam” (Abondning of Sita) at IIT Delhi.Here are some of photos I want to share.

kalipuja-lights, originally uploaded by Samir D.

Kali Puja is performed on a new moon night. As Kali is associated with dark rites and demon worship, the rituals performed are austere and offered with great devotion and thousands of lights are illuminated across the nation to eliminate the dark rituals.A shot from Kolkata, West Bengal.

Carrom, originally uploaded by 3_second_memory.

A late night game of Carrom - the light is taken from the battery of the Ambassador. A street shot from Kolkata, West Bengal.

1984 anti-sikh riot victims- With parents portrait, New Delhi, originally uploaded by sanjayausta.

Davinder Singh was a Major in the Army and on 31 October he was riding his scooter in central delhi when he was chased by an anti-sikh mob. He managed to reach the army cantonment. From here he sent an army truck to fetch his mother, his wife and two daughters and few other sikhs seeking shelter from the murderous mob.

1984 anti-sikh riot victims- Three generations in the family, New Delhi, originally uploaded by sanjayausta.

Geetika's mother Sunila Singh did not in her wildest dreams imagine the mob could think of harming anyone least of all their family. Theirs was a secular family, not very religious- Sunila had short hair- but for the first time they were forced to think they were not Indians but Sikhs. Till the last moment she did not believe the mob was capable of plunder and murder. She along with her mother -in-law and two daughters including Geetika sought refuge in her neighbors house.

Wating for the time to come, originally uploaded by Bindaas Madhavi.

It is amazing how many of these older folks perceive death. They come from far away places just live their last years here and die here. While they are here they manage to live with whatever little they have and wait for their turn to join the abode of Lord. Sad or Philosophical its in the eyes of beholder.

Happy Diwali, originally uploaded by "சிலம்பொலி" ARUN.

Happy Diwali to all.

Diwali or Deepavali (Hindi: दीपावली, दिवाली; Kannada: ದೀಪಾವಳಿ; Urdu: دیوالی; Tamil: தீபாவளி; Telugu: దీపావళి; Marathi and Konkani:दिवाळी) is a significant festival in Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism, and an official holiday in India.

Adherents of these religions celebrate Diwali as the Festival of Lights. They light diyas—cotton string wicks inserted in small clay pots filled with oil—to signify victory of good over the evil within an individual.

Firecrackers and fireworks are popular on the eve of Diwali.
source; wikipedia

dance with the monks, originally uploaded by >> Anne.

The monks of the monastery Lingshed are preparing the visit of the Dalai Lama.
The helicopter has bring some useful food for the reception. A joy, almost childlike, reads on their faces ... Throughout our journey and village to village, we met this joy and calm excitement that preceded the arrival of the Dalai Lama.

Rice Harvesting, originally uploaded by Ashwani Verma.

They are extracting rice from dry plants and after that basmati will be taken out it with machines. A shot from zirakpur , Panjab.

His room, originally uploaded by bag_lady.

His famous spinning-wheel and writing desk. Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

What is this life if, full of care, we have no time to sit and stare...., originally uploaded by Fountain_Head (On vacation!!!).

I was shooting the sunrise when this person slowly came into the frame and sat in the boat near the shore. He was so oblivious to his surroundings and was not even aware of me clicking photos there. He did not seem lost but was surely not enjoying the beautiful sunrise as well. It seemed to me that he just wanted to get away from it all: his worries, his thoughts, his pains, his happiness.

LORD HANUMAN, originally uploaded by manumint-(BUSY).

One of main attraction of annual Dussehra festival here in my home town are these actors who play role of Hindu God-HANUMAN from the most famous Indian epic of Ramayana.

Actors dress up like this and wear heavily decorated mask which they have to support while dancing their way through streets and roads. Also their body is painted with saffron color(which is fav color of Lord Hanuman). For playing role of Hanuman these actors follow tough religious rules and regulations such as -fasting, sleeping on the rough ground,to remain barefoot, praying 3 times a day, eating food which mostly consist of fruits and milk only). These actors start following these rules and regulations a month before start of Dussehra.

Years ago there used to be only 3 or 4 actors who were playing role of Hanuman in Dussehra here but with change in time many more actors started playing this role and this year we had 150 actors playing role of Hanuman in the Dussehra festival.

Those who are familiar with Hinduism and epic Ramayana know Hanuman very well. He is considered to be the greatest devotee ever born on earth as per Ramayana. He is one of the main characters of the epic Ramayana, who played a crucial role in the liberation of Sita(wife of Lord Rama),by leading an army of monkeys to fight the demon king Ravana.

Golden Temple, originally uploaded by Serhan Keser.

The holy Golden Temple (a.k.a Harmandir Sahib) is an a m a z i n g place. The glamorous and captivating atmosphere inside is something every one should experience at least 'once' in a life time.

Anyone who wants to enter the Harmandir Sahib may do so, irrespective of religion, color, creed or sex. The only restrictions are that the person must not drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes in the shrine. Visitors are, as well, expected to dress appropriately and everyone must cover their heads as a sign of respect, leave their shoes and socks in the cloak-room outside and enter the temple 'barefooted'. Visitors must wash their feet in the small pool of water as they enter the Harmandir Sahib premises.

Shot in Golden Temple, Amritsar (Majha region of Punjab, India.)

may lord help us, originally uploaded by Sayantan Bera.

avjivan (or new life) camp in govindpuri, south delhi. 500 families without any regular supply of water or sanitation facilities. the delhi jal board sends one or two water tankers of 15,000 litres each every day. on sundays and national holidays the water tanker doesn't come. residents use the water for drinking, bathing, washing clothes and utensils. life in this small colony revolves around water, or the paucity of it: in the 10 by 12 feet rooms that an average family stays, buckets occupy a quarter of the space; morning onwards people prepare themselves for the tanker which empties in no more than 6 minutes... kids barely 7 or 8 years old move around draped in colorful containers and winding pipes ready for the water express; water spilling out of the tanker makes for a quick bath with clothes on, peace descends once the tanker leaves all and sundry soaked ... a near surreal experience.

the kid in the foreground has on a mask of the invincible monkey god who according to myth, once moved mountains !!!

Inside artist home, originally uploaded by ramesh_lalwani.

West Bengal was theme for annual craft mela at Surajkund in Hrayana close to Delhi .A village scene of rural Bengal was created here.This is photo of interior of artist's home

tarpana III, originally uploaded by Samir D.

One important ritual of Hinduism is tarpana. Tarpana means “satisfying” or “satiating”. One acknowledges the debt one has to devas (gods), rishis (sages) and pitris
(ancestral manes) and tries to satisfy them using this ritual.Just as gods are invoked in fire in a homam, pitris are invoked in water in this ritual, then held in the palm and released in a specific way conducive to freeing them.