.

Singing in praise of Aulia, originally uploaded by ramesh_lalwani.

Nizamuddin Dargah is the mausoleum of Delhi's most famous Sufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya. It is visited daily by thousands of people who are mostly shia oriented muslims. Some of those visitors are pantheistic Hindus. The tomb of Amir Khusro and Jehan Ara Begum are also located within the Nizamuddin Dargah Complex. Source Wikipedia

Rights Reserved..., originally uploaded by Karthick Makka.

I used to see him When i go for tea near to my office. Whenever i take camera with me, he will not be there. He used to sit infront of the salon. Neatly keep a cloth and he sit over that and a good suitcase also with him.. Very old man.. I am very much love him. Very harmless and watching the road all the time. Dono what he used to take food and for shelter. Dono whether he is a relative of someone near to that place. Today got a chance to get my camera and he also there in the same place. Happily i clicked. Got a shot when he kept his hand over the mouth looks like no one should talk here..

Happy Journey..., originally uploaded by Atul Tater.

Saw them going in a small open truck in the scorching Delhi afternoon. Shot this from my airconned car but to be true, they seemed to be happier than me. Happiness is a state of mind. True.

S L E E P. Vrindavan, originally uploaded by Claude Renault.

A widow resting on the floor of the Sri Bagwan Bhajan Ashram before going into another room to sing Bhajan Kritan.
Those widows come to the Ashram every day to sing Bhajan, a way of making a few roupies and mainy to get free food. Most of them have been rejected by their families, or don't have family left to look after them.
The Ashram was founded in 1914 by a religious minded philanthrophist, Sri Janki Dasji Patodia who gave up all his moneyfor the religious cause he supported all his life.

life in brick factory, originally uploaded by Samir D.

they work 6.00 to 6.00... even under the scorching sun at 43 degree celcious... i was able to go to the place only after 5.00 when the searing heat was relatively low..

rajpur, west bengal

Before Prayers, originally uploaded by Richard Buttrey.

A mother and son washing their feet before prayers at the Jama Masjid Mosque in Old Delhi, the largest Mosque in South Asia

jewels of the jungle, originally uploaded by Sayantan Bera.

One of India’s most primitive and ‘backward’ tribe, the Baigas, still lead a hand to mouth existence: from hunter gatherers their transformation into settled cultivators has been a painful process of adjustment. 200 kilometers from Jabalpur, in Madhya Pradesh’s Dindori district, they live in the hills amid picturesque Sal forests in small settlements far away from the cacophony of the civilized world.

Shy and gentle in disposition a few decades earlier they would run and hide in the jungles when outsiders entered their settlements. The entry of Bollywood stars amid hanging corns, however, speaks of an imminent change.

early one morning..., originally uploaded by waynekorea.

Taken one morning at the Ganges river in Varanasi...the extra pair of shoes, and the pink hair bandwere evidence the boy was waiting for someone in the river that I could not see.

Worshippers, originally uploaded by ramesh_lalwani.

Chhath is a festival dedicated to the Sun God, considered to be a means to thank the sun for bestowing the bounties of life in earth and fulfilling particular wishes. Worship of the sun has been practiced in different parts of India, and the world from time immemorial. Worship of sun has been described in the Rig Veda, the oldest Hindu scriptures, and hymns praying to the sun in the Vedas are found

Threshing, Hundar, originally uploaded by east med wanderer.

In the traditional way, with sticks. Under the shade of a parachute which everyone seems to have around here. I think there's an Indian Air Force base just up the road.

mother&children, originally uploaded by bhisham.

have they been immunized? begging for survival in the central market place at gandhinagar gole market. but happy. tribals from madhya pradesh. its surprising that you can see these people walk around gandhi nagar (avg house cost: USD 450,000) full of ministers, diplomatic observers and the kind of ppl who can get things done on the phone etc and why is no body making any effort to rehabilitate these people or at least give them a formal identity | i talked to some one who is working on social issues about these people and he replied that, "they werent from the state" another said, "they dont want to be rehabilitated, they make more money on the street begging and many are addicts". i really dont know what the truth is but all i could do is buy some milk powder for that kid and hope that as we progress as a country as mother India, we take all along | if every vote counts 2

No one on the corner have swagger like us, originally uploaded by Gaurav Amarnani.

Young street vendors in Mumbai. Quite normal to see them out, both boys and girls, selling snacks, magazines, flowers and everything else imaginable.

india - sikkim, originally uploaded by retlaw snellac.

Monk at Dharma Chakra Centre or Rumtek Monastery. It is one of the most important seats of
the Kagyu lineage outside Tibet. In the early 1960's, His Holiness the Sixteenth
Gyalwang Karmapa, founded this seat.
The Centre has become the International Kagyu Headquarters during the life of
His Holiness, and was the place from which lineage activities have manifested
throughout the world. Here, the younger generation of Kagyu masters are being
trained in the traditional study and meditation practices which have
continuously been taught and practiced for the last 800 years.
The establishment of the Dharma Chakra Centre, Rumtek, Sikkim, India, includes:
1. The Rumtek Monastery: The beautifully structured main shrine temple and
monastery surrounded by monks' quarters, where monks and Tulkus are trained in
traditional tantric ritualistic arts and sadhana practices. His Holiness the
Sixteenth Karmapa resided on the top floor and the most of the important relics
are enshrined there. More
2. Drupdra Yiwong Samten Ling: A three-year retreat center built in the late
1970's by His Holiness the Sixteenth Gyalwang Karmapa, where traditional
three-year retreat training is given, in accordance with the tradition of the
Kagyu lineage. More
3. Karma Shri Nalanda Institute: The Shedra, or monastic college, affiliated
with the Sampurnnant Sanskrit University in Varanasi, was founded by His
Holiness the Sixteenth Gyalwang Karmapa. The young monks and Tulkus are trained
in traditional buddhist education with a touch of modern educational systems. At
the top of the old Shedra building, the relic of the Sixteenth Karmapa is
enshrined. More
4. Karme Dechen Chökhor: A nunnery founded by His Holiness the Sixteenth
Gyalwang Karmapa, were the nuns receive full training in the tantric ritual arts
and sadhana practices.

India - Arunachal Pradesh, originally uploaded by Rudi Roels.

Arunachal Pradesh is the easternmost state of India. Arunachal Pradesh shares a border with the states of Assam to the south and Nagaland to the southeast. Burma/Myanmar lies towards the east, Bhutan towards the west, and Tibet to the north. Itanagar is the capital of the state. Though Arunachal Pradesh is an Indian State, the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China claim portions of the state as South Tibet.

Arunachal Pradesh means "land of the dawn lit mountains"in Sanskrit. It is also known as "land of the rising sun"("pradesh" means "state" or "region") in reference to its position as the easternmost state of India. Most of the people living in Arunachal Pradesh are of Tibeto-Burman origin. 16% of the population are immigrants, including 30,000 Bangladeshi and Chakma expatriates, and migrants from other parts of India, notably Assam and Nagaland.Part of the famous Ledo Burma Road, which was a lifeline to China during World War II, passes through the state.

Love!, originally uploaded by bay Range(out of flickr, will be back soon!).

Captured this in Sri Venkteswara National Reserved forest during my last trekking. There were many monkeys fighting each other for the food which we left over, but these two monkeys with their baby's didn't enter the fight, may be because they are with their kids. Is this called love?

Mumbai Traffic, originally uploaded by Gaurav Amarnani.

Shot taken on Marina Drive, a famous stretch of road in Mumbai. The slightly curved road runs along the coast. At night, with the street lights on, the curve resembles a necklace where it gets its more popularly known name, The Queen's Necklace.

Sankranti pooja at Yamuna, originally uploaded by ramesh_lalwani.

Makar Sankranti is one of the most auspicious day for the Hindus, and is celebrated in almost all parts of the country in myriad cultural forms, with great devotion, fervor & gaiety. Lakhs of people take a dip in places like Ganga Sagar & Prayag and pray to Lord Sun. Makar means Capricorn and Sankranti is transition

S A D H U S. Prayag, originally uploaded by Claude Renault.

On the right Chattu talking with a friend, a sadhu I shared the tent with during the Ardh Khumbh Mela

Elephant Rider, originally uploaded by K G Balu.

Biggest animal in the land. But normally a smallest rider.Shot taken from near Belukkuppa, Karnadaka

the far cry, originally uploaded by Sayantan Bera.

A mother tends to her malnourished child at a nutritional rehabilitation center (NRC) in sheopur, madhya pradesh

Sanyasis Arriving for Lunch, originally uploaded by debra booth.

The Sri Ramana Ashram provides meals for the Sanyasis. (See wikipedia article on Sannyasa for more information.)

_DSC1415_1, originally uploaded by Sachin R. Saraf.

This gentleman seemed happily lost in his own world, listening to songs on his mobile phone while talking a stroll near the Gateway of India- Mumbai with his friends.

Nothing but sky and sand......., originally uploaded by bag_lady (away on the Karakoram Highway).

.........and camels, for miles and miles. The desert near Jaiselmer, not far from the Pakistan border. Before partition in 1947 there would have been no border between here and Pakistan and these nomadic tribes would have wandered freely through what would have been their land for hundreds of years.

Nandi, originally uploaded by oochappan.

Madurai - Thiruvadavur
The God Siva rides the bull, in Tamil called Nandi.
Nandi means actually giving joy in the sense of the sexual potency of the bull and expresses the cosmic creative energy of Shiva.

The bull was in ancient times an independent deity in the form of the Lord of Joy (Nandikeshvara), a man with a bull's head. Joy, by music and dance, were seen as the fundamental forces of creation, an aspect which was later transferred to Shiva. Later it was said that Nandikeshvara was a wise man who guarded Shiva's door to become divine in this way.

The lady trusted her devotion to Nandi in this peaceful Vedaradha Temple in Thiruvadavur on the countryside at evening fall (18 o'clock).

..Wheat Market.... INDIA, originally uploaded by l_elias_l.

the government buys wheat for Rs 10 to Rs 14 per kilogram from farmers and supplies it for some Rs 3 to Rs5 for poor people........... an innovative way...both the farmers and the poor citizens benefit....the pics show a wheat market all these wheat is bought by the Indian government....for public supply

F U N E R A L. Kanchipuram, originally uploaded by Claude Renault.

The last ritual, he will circle the burning pyre 8 times ( I seem to remember, correct me if I am wrong) with a Jar full of Sacred Water.
During the cremation, "Doms" will keep the fire burning.

Mobile life | Kolkata, originally uploaded by $owmya.

Fish is the main and favorite food of West Bengal.

We nearly spent an hour in the market (which I never thought I would do it )… This was my first experience inside any fish market. All though I was little hesitating to get inside the place, the market looked very interesting (expect for the stench) & it was full of action.

Vendors were selling all sizes and varieties of fresh fishes. Manicktala is famous for fishes but they were also selling eggs, chicken, meat & live fishes. The huge different knifes which they used to cut the fishes were really attractive. The whole market was lit by spotlights & bulbs, lighting was very appealing, most of the bulbs were made by capsizing shiny paper plates on top of the bulbs & focus of the bulbs was just on the fish and nothing else.

I Believe, originally uploaded by Andy Bracey.

Great compassion is like a wish fulfilling jewel.
It fulfills one's own hopes and those of others - Shabka.

This photo was taken at Janardhana Swamy Temple, Varkala, Kerala, India.

The image was processed in Photomatix before applying several vignette and selective blur layers in Photoshop.

Are your fishes fresh? Diu, originally uploaded by entrelec.

Diu was a portuguese colony. Even now, the lusitanian influence is really deep; for exemple half of the people are still speaking portuguese and have a portuguese passport.
I saw this kind of scene during my trips in Portugal, it was the Salazar period...
Diu is well know as one of the two areas where alcohol can be selled in Gujarat (alcohol prohibition in this state, according to the gandhi ideas).
It"s also the place where I have seen foreigners, who seemed to be concentrated here; Gujarat is really not the favorite destination of tourists.

Contemplation..., originally uploaded by സഞ്ജു | Sanju.

A flower vendor caught in deep thoughts at Madiwala Market, Bangalore.

What she might be thinking ?

Farmer burning his field_Sirpur_Maharashtra, originally uploaded by Elevation Reincarnation.

Sugarcane farmers burning weeds :Sirpur Maharashtra

, originally uploaded by ajay m.

The Bharani Festival, which falls in the Malayalam month of Meenam (March/ April) attracts the largest congregation of 'Velichappadu' (Oracles), including women from different parts of the State.

Once in a trance, these Oracles perform a frenzied dance, repeatedly slashing their foreheads with curved swords. As a supreme symbol of their devotion, they make a sacrificial offering of their own blood to the deity.

lonely n Waiting Old-age, originally uploaded by raj_chd.

an inmate of Old Age Home in Chandigarh watching families enjoying while himself sitting lonely in a wait for his family outside the Old Age Home.

fisherman at work, originally uploaded by Santosh PM.

shots from srayikadavu, malappuram dist, kerala

Speed Thrills, originally uploaded by Kausthub.

On one of the visits to Pondicherry, we stopped by the backwaters near Marakkanam. I was on top of the fort when I saw this beautiful scene appear.

This boatman was powering his boat through the water, and was kind of having fun with himself.

Luckily for me, I had a long telephoto lens attached to an extender. Being midday, it was perfect to execute a shot where the splashing water could be captured.

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

Bashful, originally uploaded by woolyboy.

met this lady tea picker early one sunny morning on her way to work, she was quite shy but wanted her picture taken. On the slopes of the tea plantations Munnar, Kerala India

Rural Rajasthani couple, originally uploaded by Paddu Rao.

I watched this delightful couple's performance. Husband renders flok song melodiously and the lady breaks in to graceful dance at the appropriate time during their performance ! PLEASE VIEW LARGE

Sita, originally uploaded by goddessofxanadu.

Early evening in the desert, and Sita is looking for brushwood for the fire. She lives in a Goatskin tent with her family, at the edge of the Thar, and night time can be terribly cold.

One member of the family stays awake throughout the night to tend to the fire, so the warmth will spread underneath the ground and keep all of her family warm.

However, the desert grows larger by the year, as more and more sources of wood and kindling disappear, consumed by drought or demand. Sita tells me finding fuel is her biggest worry.

A Meju Mishmi lady, originally uploaded by bhatto.

... enjoying her smoke. This time it was tobacco. sometimes it is opium too. The pipe is silver. It is similar to the ones used in Myanmar, Thailand and Laos.

Kashmir Tulips, originally uploaded by bhatto.

Every one wants to pose with these beautiful flowers and when there are so many of them there is no end to pitures. Even for the least vain. This lady is a nun from the Order of the Sisters of Charity.

everyday Life, originally uploaded by randoment.

A peek into the everyday lives of the not-so-fortunate and the needy in India. Shown in this picture is a little Tea Stall in Noida, India, where Mukesh and his family sell tea and biscuits to office goers for a living.

The balancing act, as they say, can do wonders for your job!, originally uploaded by kooomar.

So, we (my younger bro and I) were curious to see this new kind of traffic on the highways of Hazaribag, India and we decided to spend one morning to study them more! They are porting Coal to the local dealers who then transfer the coal to the Fire Chambers making brick (called bhatti). These guys pack their sacks late in the evening and start early at 2am from a mine near Kujju. They have to pay taxes to Naxallites about 10% of their profit. Then, they have to pay 10 Rs per bora (sack) to the local police. It's called 'Lal Salaam'. In the end, they are able to make about 300 Rs a day riding this huge load for 40km one way!

Mind you, they can ride that bicycle most of the times!

Faces à Faces, originally uploaded by Christian Lagat.

Arjuna's Penance / Descent of the Gange - Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) - Tamil Nadu.

Bihu Dancer portrait 2, originally uploaded by ramesh_lalwani.

The Bihu dance is a folk dance from the Indian state of Assam related to the festival of Bihu. This joyous dance is performed by both young men and women, and is characterized by brisk dance steps, rapid hand movement, and a rhythmic swaying of the hips in order to represent youthful passion. Dancers wear traditionally colorful Assamese clothing.
The Bihu dance is performed in conjunction with traditional Bihu folk music, played with: the "dhol", similar to a drum; the mohor singor pepa, a pipe instrument made from a buffalo horn; the tala, a cymbal; the gogona, a reed and bamboo instrument; and the toka, a bamboo clapper. The songs (bihu geet) that accompany the dance have been handed down for many generations. The subject of the lyrics ranges from welcoming the Assamese new year to describing the daily life of a farmer.(source Wikipedia}

loaded river, originally uploaded by laijuyesh.

a horondouz sight from the famous river bharathapuzha .kerala is becoming a garbage of concreet mansions and skyscrapers, since people are exploiting all water sources for legal and illegal sand mining, which is one of the greatest threats to the eccology in kerala

Stormy Wedding - Doube Page Feature, originally uploaded by Wang Tsi.

It was a substantial wind storm and absolutely insane to be out with a camera. But also knowing some of the most dramatic situations often occurs only in impossible conditions, I went out on my Royal Enfield. I was not disappointed, in a no name hamlet outside of Bikaner I ran across this wedding processing where the groom is escorted to the brides home. He is obviously a very low class because for a Rajput the ideal way to meet the bride is on the back of a white stallion. (Rajastan)

........life............., originally uploaded by l_elias_l.

This shot is from a hospital sarai(dormitory) he is a bystander of a patient admitted in the hospital..................it seems he was cooking ...its too costly to buy food from hotels outside....the hospital allows bystanders of poor patients to stay in 2 halls free of cost.....they can cook their food there

jain worshipper, originally uploaded by ReefRaff.

Bohteyr (72) jinalaya Jain temple complex in Kutch - about 50 km from Bhuj, enroute to Mandvi. The octagonal main temple (pictured above) is surrounded by smaller shrines to various Jain deities. Hand-carved in marble, the fully constructed complex is open for visitors but carving of the marble is on-going. Begun in 1982, it will be a while before everything is carved.

Quite a unique opportunity to see marble carving in process rather than the usual finished temples. The craftsmen are from Rajasthan and they are quite proud of their craft and heritage, and very happy to be working on this temple. Preserving local crafts is a critical form of historic preservation because the enduring practice of indigenous trades preserves identity, patriotism, and local economy.

Tool Trader II, originally uploaded by Meanest Indian.

Taken from Ellis Bridge looking over a tool trader's spot at the Ravivar Bazaar (Sunday Market) in Ahmedabad. The display of tools at this particular stall is about 4 times that which you can see here and is all set up for only one day a week.

Snake charmer at Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India, originally uploaded by dpk..

During my North India trip, I came across several snake charmers. It is true that these snakes are their only means of livelihood,but they cause serious hazard to snake population.Snake charmers either catch these snakes themselves or buy them from snake dealers. After they get a snake, they cut the venom gland or the snake and remove the fangs,thus rendering the snake safe for handling. After the venom glands are cut, the snake will die very soon.

Source : Snake Wranglers, National Geographic Channel