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DSC02030 - Tiny Tots, Assembled for Convocation, originally uploaded by sunciti_sundaram. For variety and versatility.

Nowadays, it has become a fad. Educational institutions for young children arrange Graduation and Convocation Ceremony. Is it not Exaggerated Achievement and Inflated Ego in this tender age.

My Grand Daughter, Nandhitha, 5+ years has passed out Kinder Garten meritoriously. She is somewhere amidst the tiny tots. Look at the varied expression in the faces. Shot from Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

Kawarias, originally uploaded by ramesh_lalwani.

Shiva devotees carry water from Hardwar on foot to their village temple.They were in news for wrong reasons yesterday as due accident three of them got killed near delhi. Others went on rampage damaging buses and blocking highway.

Ladakh festival - The grand old man..., originally uploaded by Shirish Prabhudesai.

This wonderful old man caught my eye at the very beginning of the parade to the polo ground in Leh where different troupes join to celebrate the Ladakh festival...
He was a tall, swarthy guy - absolutely polite and warm and genial.. He was happy to have his picture taken, thankfully !

The coin collector, originally uploaded by mohán.

He comes to the beach early morning waiting for the coins that are thrown into the sea during the last rites performed to wash up to the shore. Picking up the coins is his job, he makes the living out of it.. and this has been his job for long.

He waits in the scorching heat.. waits and waits for hours expecting a coin

Taken at Varkala Beach, Kollam, Kerala during Koottam flickr meet

The transition that's troublesome, originally uploaded by cybershots.

Make-up is a highly reckoning factor in Kathakali. Elaborated, colourful and thoughtful make-up process lasts for over three hours. It helps in giving a super human look to the actors.

Each color in make-up denotes each particular quality. Red denotes turmoil, Black denotes evil, Yellow denotes combination of godliness & turmoil so on...

This is a demon character in transition, shot at Thrippoonithura temple, with my friend Abilash (LightSync)

Feeding the world.., originally uploaded by AnRb.

This picture was taken in a village near Kalpaakam, Tamil Nadu-India. The woman in the picture with couple of old men dry the hay stacks on the village roads every morning and later in the day remove the stacks and sweep the rice grains that settles at the bottom. Then toss those grains on the air to remove the hay left out. Then fill the bags with the grains and ship to the rice mill where rice is separated and polished, which then switches lot more hands before finally ending up in the plate as nice cooked food.

These people are paid a very meager amount to stand in the scorching sun entire day and separate the grains. Even though large machines have replaced these works recently in large scale harvesting , there are so many people who still continue to do this just to run their day to day life.

Being so fortunate to have our food cooked and served ready on our plates, we should make sure it is never wasted. I feel bad when some people complain a little extra or less salt or spice in their food and throwing them without realizing that it takes lot of people's hard work, their sweat and blood to get it to the plate.

child labour3356, originally uploaded by Trinitas Imaging / Udit Kulshrestha.

Child Labour is a crime per the Indian Judicial System.

However, a certain strata of Indians lack the basis amenities to sustain themselves. The Government while punishes the employer of minor children upto 7 years of rigourous imprisonment, it does not ensure - food, clothing and shelter to these kids. Nor does it ensure education or skill to any of these children. Hence, they fall prey to crime or get exploited, taking away the joy of childhood and their innocence.

"Innocence" is a statement to wake up the Indian Judiciary and to make the Government realise the impact of thier carelessness that will shape up a future India.

“Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars.”, originally uploaded by Dreamzzzz.....

It is summer time in India and the schools are closed and the school children have holidays these days so we get to see lot of them working to earn the extra money to support thier family.

This Saturday I had a chance to visit Mir-Alam Mandi which is the wholesale/retail vegetable market in Hyderabad from the times of the great Nizam rulers.

I saw a few small girls busy carrying cute loads of fresh vegetables on their young shoulders,earning that extra money by shifting some of the vegetables from the truck to the vendors place and they showed character for life...:)

It is so easy to invoke the usual argument of child work and a girl child doing labor but I guess it is about enterprise and helping out during the holidays.

flight of fancy, originally uploaded by Sayantan Bera.

In the Naya Palpur village in Madhya Pradesh's Sheopur district, children play in front of a closed Anganwadi.

Anganwadi's are conceived to provide supplementary nutrition to children in the age group of 0-6. But in most cases supplies are irregular. For this particular village the anganwadi had not received any supplies for the last three months. The mid may meal scheme for school going children was irregular when I had visited in october 2008.

According to the UNICEF, 2.1 million deaths occur every year in India of children who are under five, half of which are due to under nourishment. Thirty percent of new born in India are born with low birth weight.On October 14, 2008, the first-ever India Hunger Index was released along with the global Hunger Index by International Food Policy and Research Institute (IFPRI). It found that India ranked 66 among 88 countries in the index where Madhya Pradesh had the most severe level of hunger in the country, placing India between Ethiopia and Chad. A team from the Supreme Court of India on a stock-taking visit to Sheopur described it as the 'hunger hotspot' of the world.

, originally uploaded by cybershots.

The cost of cultivation has doubled, but the yield has only fallen, the younger generation no longer wants to dirty his feet and hands working in paddy fields - Don't know how long I would see these green lush of my village. A shot from Kerala

End of a day's work, originally uploaded by bag_lady.

Work is finished for another day, these people are going home after a long, hard day's work. Backwaters, Kerala, South India.

travel, originally uploaded by $owmya.

Shot inside local mini bus of Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Kolkata has an extensive network of government run and privately owned buses. The private-owned buses are quite typical of kolkata and are usually very crowded. The private-owned buses are of two types. The regular ones and the mini-buses.

Sale...except the scooter, originally uploaded by Black (Biju) Mamba.

Saw this guy selling his flowers on the busy streets of City Market. I sure this is really a mobile and handy way of selling. A shot taken from Bangalore, Karnataka.

Woman of the World, originally uploaded by Kausthub.

Barathi was her name. The ame literally means "the one who carries responsibility". We met her during the last trip to Pondicherry and when I saw her at a distance aimed my telephoto and snapped this image.

She was confident in her stride. She was joyful in her emotion. She was sure about her destiny.

When she came closer I showed her the picture, and she was very happy. It turns out that she was carrying food to sell at the market. She had prepared it, after preparing meals for her family, getting her children ready to school, taking care of her in-laws, and also her husband. When I asked her how she managed all these responsibilities and yet was smiling, all she said was "I am so happy doing it."

I salute this woman of the world, who really walks confidently and effortlessly bearing all responsibilities.

Photographed with Canon EOS 5D Mark II and Canon EF 100-400mm F4.5-6.6 USM L Lens. Handheld.

Goubert Market #, originally uploaded by Christian Lagat.

Pondicherry - Union Territory of Pondicherry - South India.
Goubert, or Big Market. Nehru Street.
A market is often a magic place, with so many colors and smells, with his high in colour sellers and customers; So is the Poncherry market.
With its blue and yellow plastic hangings under the sun, the light is great.
Its very nice to have a stroll here, buying, talking, and taking pictures...

“Life is like music; it must be composed by ear, feeling, and instinct, not by rule.”, originally uploaded by Dreamzzzz.....

One gets to hear the local folk music everywhere in Rajastan, which seems to be soul of Rajastan

In Rajasthan one will find a song for every occasion one can think of be it happy or sad.
String instruments like Sarangi, Ektara, Morchang, Kamayacha, Rawanhatta are an integral part of their music along with dholaki.

These bunch of Sarangi's along with CD's of some artist were on sale near Gadsisar Lake in Jaiselmer

With tourism taking a hit due to world economy ,it must be tough on the people who depend on tourism as livelihood.

Rai Banshe 2, originally uploaded by ramesh_lalwani.

In the middle ages the Bengal infantry soldiers strictly used only bamboos for all fighting purposes. Today the Raibanshe dancers carry on this Bengal martial tradition in their performance through dance and acrobats. These dancers’ dress code is simple but striking consisting of white dhoti covered with a red waist band. This form of dance is traditionally performed to the accompaniment of dhol (the drum), the kanshi (a gong of bell metal) but in the recent times other instruments like flute and dhamsa (copper plate) have also been introduced.

Rural India, originally uploaded by randoment.

The family in the picture are farmers in bazpur, UP, India.
this is a glimpse of the lives of Rural Indians.
Despite of a strong hold in the global market, a fast pace in development, and a stable economy, poverty and suffering still continues to affect the Rural side of India.
What prevails though, is the Unconditional Hospitality, Warmth,Optimism and happiness which are the very foundations Indians are raised upon.

Pacca, originally uploaded by Andy Bracey.

Kathakali - "Here is the tradition of the trance dancers, here is the absolute demand of the subjugation of body to spirit, here is the realisation of the cosmic transformation of human into devine" - Mrinalini Sarabhal.

A Kathakali actor in costume prepares to take the part of Pacca, the green painted noble hero.

row in the red lagoon, originally uploaded by great india.

kerala is an amazing land of backwaters. long coastal area and some wonderful lagoons are also influence the agriculture economy and day to day life.nowadays kerala is famous in tourism with its exceptional backwater & canals in the world map.

“The word 'happiness' would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness.”, originally uploaded by Dreamzzzz.....

Jaiselmer is a small city in the Thar Desert which is renowned for camel safaris. It is also worth coming here for the beautiful mansions called havelis, native style of dress, and fortress built on a small plateau overlooking the desert.

When I went to visit the Fort ,this little gal was walking on the rope while her folks were keenly watching her and were trying to attract the tourist to see the show.

Devaliya Naka, originally uploaded by Raveesh Vyas.

There is a tent site near Devaliya Naka, Sasan Gir. I came to know about it only on my last day in Sasan Gir. Spent one night here. It is very cheap and right in the middle of the jungle. It is around Rs. 300-400/night for a couple. The food's amazing. The kitchen is shown above.

The site/kitchen is owned/run by a family of farmers to supplement their income. Support local industry when you travel. Say no to 5 stars.

The Kipgens, originally uploaded by Maya Mem.

It is a still, dusty afternoon in Haiken punctuated by the sounds of children playing and women calling to each other as they return home carrying loads of water or firewood on their heads. At one end of the village sits an old weathered church on a raised level looking down at the community. In its shadow sits a humble mud and bamboo teashop. Kaisei Kipgen trudges up the stony path to it with a bag of fresh bread and snacks. His wife Nemmeng is rinsing out the cups in a basin of hot water. The stream of customers to their little teashop will begin soon. Their grandchildren run in and out of the shop; Robert, eight years old, asks for biscuits to pacify his younger cousins. It is an intimate, cosy place, its cool dark interiors and roughly hewn benches inviting conversation, banter, and gossip over endless cups of tea. To Nemmeng and Kaisei, a couple in their sixties, the shop is where they work and it is also their home: “we end up living and sleeping here, we feel comfortable here.”

To Kaisei and Nemmeng ‘home’ has been a painful memory till recently. As they talk about their real home they stare into the middle distance watching the movie of their lives playing out, their memories still sharp with details. Kaisei was the chief of a Kuki village called KMollen in Ukhrul district on the border of present-day Myanmar. “Numbered pillars have been erected on the Indian border with Myanmar and pillars numbered 116 to 120, five pillars in all, were erected on my lands when I was a young man” he says. When the Kuki-Naga ethnic conflict of the early 1990s erupted Nemmeng and Kaisei were forced to flee their village leaving behind everything they owned including their paddy fields and the 300 tins of mustard oil and food-grains they had saved and stocked. Impoverished and stripped of everything they owned, the couple started all over again, but this time in their forties. They had six children to provide for so. Kaisei returned to the fields and Nemmeng took care of the family as she always had.

Nemmeng runs her hands over the two strands of amber beads around her neck; they have an arresting glow even though she has worn them for decades. Forty four years ago Kaisei brought her the central and biggest bead, the Khipi Chang or King Bead, when he asked for her hand in marriage. With time, and as Nemmeng rose in status as the wife of the chief, more beads joined the Khipi Chang. The beads are a source of pride to Nemmeng and they are a sign of the respect and status she continues to enjoy.

Nemmeng brings Kaisei his tea. She shuffles around the shop looking for his cigarettes. She gives him one and tucks the packet back in the folds of her ponve. Kaisei looks quite regal as he lights up. He blows out a stream of smoke, his eyes tear up and he coughs. He looks at her through the smoke, cough, tears and says: October 24, 1964. Every day since that day has been the best day of my life. Thats the day I brought my Nemmeng home.

Out for a stroll, originally uploaded by bag_lady.

Taking a stroll on a hot day in Alleppey, Kerala, South India.

thy hand, great anarch, originally uploaded by Sayantan Bera.

A malnourished child reeling under high fever is finally blessed with the magic touch of a retired doctor. At the primary health care centre (PHC), Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh.

WHEN THE Right to food campaign (RFC) submitted a list of 325 malnutrition deaths across four districts in Madhya Pradesh to draw the attention of the government to the seriousness of the issue, the response they got was a flat denial. Malnutrition, the government said, cannot be a cause for death; the cause was, in fact, other related illnesses.

According to the UNICEF, 2.1 million deaths occur every year in India of children who are under five, half of which are due to under nourishment. Thirty percent of new born in India are born with low birth weight.On October 14, 2008, the first-ever India Hunger Index was released along with the global Hunger Index by International Food Policy and Research Institute (IFPRI). It found that India ranked 66 among 88 countries in the index where Madhya Pradesh had the most severe level of hunger in the country, placing India between Ethiopia and Chad.

The story and photograph appeared as a part of a photo feature published in the Tehelka Magazine.

C O W - D U N G. Ramnagar, originally uploaded by Claude Renault.

Indian women putting up Cow Dung cakes to dry next to a mustard field in the village of Ramnagar. U.P.They use it as a fuel.

Living on the edge.., originally uploaded by Dwiraj.

Varanasi is not only about prayers, saints and nice boating but there are other aspects of life as well..something, that doesn't depend on tourist season or weather..

It is not a story for only varanasi but almost all the rivers in india..no control on polluting the water..
no point in going into this debate if i don't do anything to help it but a sad overall story..
here are all poor kids but the bigger culprits are the industries.
.
anyway, probably within next few years, we can find lots of video tutorials on youtube saying "how to change color of your river from black to blue" ;-)

Market Kids, originally uploaded by Dr.M@hen.

These poor kids sleep, Eat, Play (if they get time) and WORK in this market. I think any country can be called devoleped only if 100% of the kids get education, clean place, food and water to drink and Health care. Child Labour should be strictly monitored and curbed. Children should get back their precious childhood! Please say NO to child labour!

india - gujarat, originally uploaded by retlaw snellac.

Harijan or Meghwal tribal bride.

The name Harijan was given by Mahatma Gandhi to the Meghwal people. Hari means God and Jan means People. Meghwals are originally from Marwar in Rajasthan. They are experts in weaving wool and cotton and make attractive leather embroidery and wood carving.
Meghwals live all over Kutch. They always live in groups outside the village. Their houses are very clean and decorated by cowdung mud and mirrors. The men do leather work, wood carving and women do embroidery and patchwork. They live close to the Muslim families. They often borrow embroidery patterns and techniques from Muslim neighbours. They worship Ramdevpir.

Marching Ahead : The Heart of India, originally uploaded by Kausthub.

India is marching ahead as a powerful nation towards the next century.

As it rides the waves of progress, much of agricultural land is being taken away forcibly or otherwise from farmers and converted into factories.

After I clicked a few shots of this farmer, I went over to him and asked him if he was worried about farming becoming obselete.

His pride that shows so clearly through his stance here, expressed very clearly through his answer. "No, I am not worried. After all every one needs to eat. So we will need farms."

I hope every country marching ahead will remember this, and not destroy our wonderful agricultural industry.

Photographed with Canon EOS 5D Mark II, and Canon EF 50mm F1.2 IS USM L Lens

go india, originally uploaded by ramesh_lalwani.

A common sight on busy street crossing in Delhi.

Arial view of a Mumbai slum, originally uploaded by priyam_dhar.

Arial view of a Mumbai slum. Mumbai; India’s financial capital. A big part of it’s population leaves at slums.

The art of make-up, originally uploaded by Jyothi Vaidyanathan.

Kathakali artists getting ready for their performance.

Kathakali is a highly stylised classical Indian dance-drama noted for its attractive make-up of characters, their elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements presented in tune with the anchor playback music and complementary percussion. It originated in the country's southern state of Kerala during the 16th century AD, approximately between 1555 and 1605, and has been updated over the years with improved looks, refined gestures and added themes besides more ornate singing and precise drumming
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathakali

Rugmangada Charitam organized by Ernakulam Kathakali Club.
Cochin, Kerala

reflections, originally uploaded by Sayantan Bera.

Life plays on in myriad hues of work, idyll and introspection, albeit at a pace bordering on slow motion. Barber Shop, Old Delhi.

Banjaras - Nomadic beauty, originally uploaded by Feroze Babu.

The Banjaras are the largest and historic formed group in India and also known as Lambadi or Lambani. The Banjara people are a people who speak lambadi or Lambani. All gypsy languages are linked linguistically, stemming from ancient Sanskrit and belonging to the North Indo-Aryan language family. Lambadi is the heart language of the Banjara, but it has no written script. The Banjara speak a second language of the state they live in and adopt that script.

Dhoda (Toda)Dancers, originally uploaded by ramesh_lalwani.

The Toda people are a small pastoral community who live on the isolated Nilgiri plateau of Southern India. Prior to the late eighteenth century, the Toda coexisted locally with other communities, including the Badaga, Kota, and Kurumba, in a loose caste-like community organization in which the Toda were the top ranking.[1] The Toda population has hovered in the range 700 to 900 during the last century.[1] Although an insignificant fraction of the large population of India, the Toda have attracted (since the late eighteenth century), "a most disproportionate amount of attention because of their ethnological aberrancy"[1] and "their unlikeness to their neighbours in appearance, manners, and customs 9Wikipedia)

Face of God, originally uploaded by K G Balu.

Theyyam, one of the most ritual art form in North Kerala, India, . (consisting of present-day Kannur and Kasargod districts) As a living cult with several thousand-year-old traditions, rituals and customs, it embraces almost all the castes and classes of the Hindu religion in this region. The term Theyyam is a corrupt form of Daivam or God. People of these districts consider Theyyam itself as a God and they seek blessings from this Theyyam.

He is a Theyyam performer. The art on his face called Mugathezhuthu.

D Y E I N G. Ayampattai, originally uploaded by Claude Renault.

Tamil men dyeing cotton in a worksop of Ayampattai, a village of Tamil Nadu.
www.claude-renault.fr

D Y E I N G. Ayampathi, originally uploaded by Claude Renault.

Almost like a cave, this man is entering the woekroom where the silk will be colored

Shepherd Village, originally uploaded by Harry khokhar1.

Shepherding is one of the oldest professions, beginning some 6,000 years ago in Asia Minor. Sheep were kept for their milk, meat, and especially their wool

Ready for a Ride !!!, originally uploaded by Prakash Chakraborty.

This is how the rural people in West Bengal,India travel on water. They would also carry their cycles with them so that they can have a ride when on land.
This boat is motorized and runs on small diesel engines.
These boats are not legalized as they have a reputation in overturning (mostly because they are loaded to the limits) but keep on running as this is the most cost effective way of transportation in this part of the country, which is criss crossed by river.

Siddi Folk Dancers, originally uploaded by Raveesh Vyas.

This is the best part of their performance but unfortunately it wasn't well timed. Let me describe what's going on in here.
That weird crown-like formation on that guy's head is actually a coconut bouncing off his skull. This particular part of their performance seems very ritualistic. The entire group chants "La ilaha ila Allah" while the person breaking the coconut prepares himself by praying to Allah. Then he tosses the coconut which breaks into pieces upon impact. In case you are wondering that the coconut might be fake, it is passed around in the audience for inspection first.

About Siddis: They are community of people of African origin. They were brought to India during the second millennium by the Nawab(s) of Junagadh from Abyssinia which is now known as Ethiopia. Most of them live in the forests in Saurashtra. Some of the Siddis rose to powerful positions in kingdoms and even ended up running their own state. Jafarabad, a town in Gujarat is one such city which was a kingdom of the Siddis.

Chariot from Thevally, originally uploaded by Bambaran.

A chariot has been bringing to the temple for festival procession, a shot from Tevally Kollam , Kerala,

Can you tell whats going here?, originally uploaded by Bindaas Madhavi.

Interaction of a special kind. The guy is focus is Rajashekar he is visually impaired. Yet in a week he will be appearing for his high school diploma test conducted by the Ap State Government. He cannot take this test in Braille. The volunteer next to him is reading his questions from the test paper from him. Rajashekar has to be very attentive. He needs to understand the question, formulate the answer and reply it back to his scribe so that the volunteer can write it down for him.
Today he is taking the Math paper.

X class examinations, originally uploaded by Bindaas Madhavi.

State government of Andhra Pradesh does not have any special privilege to students who are visually challenged. Although they do have text books in braille when it comes to taking public common test they are at par with normal kids (no braille). Although they are exempt from certain exercises like diagrams and map pointing they have to answer all other question like anyone else.
The school takes the help of volunteers ( scribe) for the students to appear for the exam.
Story 1/5 Scribing in progress.
www.flickr.com/groups/hpc/discuss/72157615184431603/

Thought, originally uploaded by Andy Bracey.

This picture was taken in the Jewish Quarter of Fort Cochin, Kerala.

I am not sure as to whether this elderly man was deep in thought or was just having a bad day.

The image was processed in Photoshop, having a levels and vignette layer made, before a heavy texture was applied across the back wall to give the image a lift.

Paddy Fields., originally uploaded by Kausthub.

Prabhakaran, Ganesh and I had planned an all day shooting trip to Pondicherry and beyond. However as we drove along, one subject after another kept popping up, and we had to cut short our trip, as we not only ran out of time, but also of compact flash cards to store more photos.

This photo was one of the stops we made. A typical farm scene in the Indian Country side. Many women group together to plant paddy plants, which will feed the nation with Rice. The contrast between the color of the plants and that of the women's clothes made this an eye-stopper for us.

I took a few shots of this, and moved a bit so that I could get the two fishermen too in the nearby river into the frame.

Photographed with Canon EOS 5D Mark II, and Canon EF 70-200mm F2.8 IS USM L Lens and Canon EF 2X Extender. Handheld.

Kumbharpara - Bastar, originally uploaded by Feroze Babu.

Kumbharpara is a small village near the Kondegaon town in Bastar. As the name suggests it is a village of potters. They start their works early in the morning; making pots on the wheel, drying and baking them indigenously developed furnaces. Baked pots with ethnic and ornamental designs are everywhere. Women and children carry pots on their heads and go to fetch water in morning itself. Male folk, when they are not working at the wheels, carry the pots in clusters and go out to see them in local bazaars.

Child labor???, originally uploaded by Black (Biju) Mamba.

Don't know if this guys is above the legal age limit of Child Labor or its just a mistake of identity

Pulikkali, originally uploaded by Feroze Babu.

Pulikkali (meaning Tiger Dance) is a dance form performed during the Onam festival season throughout Kerala . The origin of Pulikkali dates back to the times of Sakthan Thampuran . Pulikkali derived from Puliketti Kali, performed during the festival of Muharram, by the Mohemeddan soldiers of the erstwhile British army stationed in Thrissur.