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Vanity!, originally uploaded by sumoworld.

A sadhu getting ready for the evening show on the banks of river Ganga at Rishikesh. I witnessed the entire getting ready process - smearing of the body with ash, eye liner and finally the bindi. This particular picture captures the concentration he displayed while getting ready for the show.

Indian Commute, originally uploaded by Steve Rosset.

Navi Mumbai, India

Looks fairly orderly, but it can quickly get quite claustrophobic as people cram into the cars. Getting out can be quite challenging and the heat that builds up inside won't leave you very refreshed for work.

Come Along, Follow Me, originally uploaded by Devansh <Another Day at Kumbh, Rishikesh March 24>.

A group of pilgrims, crossing the "Ram Jhula" bridge, at Rishikesh, holy city for Hindus and a famous centre of pilgrimage.It is also known as the gateway to the Himalayas and is located around 25 kilometres away from another holy city, Haridwar. Rishikesh is the starting point for traveling to the sites that form the Char Dham pilgrimage — Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri. Read more on Wikipedia

Just One, originally uploaded by Steve Rosset.

Mumbai, India

The markets in India are a great place to explore and see the interaction of the shopkeepers with their customers. This one stood out for me because it was taken right in the middle of a transaction. With so much happening all around you, this place truly is truly a photographers delight.

Village Life, originally uploaded by Sacred Pixels.

The easy going life of a villager in India is shown here.. No frills.. Just taking it easy. A middle aged man reading a malayalam daily in relax mood nearby an ayurvedic medical shop, Kerala.

Pinda Daan, originally uploaded by Samir D.

according to the "Hindu" mythology after the death, soul of human being still remain in this materialistic world..It is believed that offering foods, water to the ancestors mainly by men on the auspicious day of "Mahalaya" provide permanent peace to the Departed soul of the Dead persons.

CHOCo at the teastal, originally uploaded by oochappan.

Uttaranchal - main street of Haridwar
It was chocking to hear an Indian diamant merchant yesterday on the news saying proudly that there are a lot more rich people in India then in Europe ... ! He forgot to mention that there also 5 times more poor people in his land.
A teastall on the main road in Haridwar, warming hands.

state of our children, originally uploaded by Mausam Patnaik :- The Rapid Clicker.

in our state many program has taken by the govt for education for rural child. but stil many children were free from education ,,,and still our state backward in of country . A shot from rural Orissa.

Study hour restlessness, originally uploaded by Bindaas Madhavi.

Restlessness of a study hour!!
My daughter declared she would not do her work unless I sat down near her thru the 45 minute work. While she was at it in those 45 minutes of having nothing else to do I captured her facial expressions. As she is not the one who would sit without moving even for a minute I knew it would be a feast for the lens. Some of the frames are a little blurred nevertheless I think they still are clear enough for the inclusion of expression.

Good morning Gramps and Granny !, originally uploaded by oochappan.

Uttaranchal - Haridwar
It would be rather unrespectful to look into grandparent's bedroom when they are still in bed but their bedroom was on the street of the main road of Haridwar, sleeping there at 4°C night. You work whole your life to get your daily bread but and when you get old, you need less.
Good night Mr. Politician, sleeping tight on your money safe on Swiss Banks.

Men and Mules, originally uploaded by oochappan.

Uttaranchal - Haridwar.
Men and mules, a bound between man and animal, working together to earn their living on a misty day.

Homeward ho!, originally uploaded by Rajib Singha.

A young girl with cowdung collected from the field, heads back to her home with her herd of buffaloes. Shot from Jarkhand.

village de Cha, originally uploaded by >> Anne.

The village of Cha looks like all the villages of Zanskar. The houses are built of earth on a foundation of stones, flat roofs greet yak dung of cows and dzos used as fuel for cooking and heating. It is women who collect them all the day in baskets on their back.
Herbs with beautiful colors ochres, red and green add color on the roofs of houses ...

Parvathy Baul, originally uploaded by ramesh_lalwani.

Bauls (Bengali: বাউল) are a group of mystic minstrels from Bengal. Bauls constitute both a syncretic religious sect and a musical tradition used as a vehicle to express Baul thought. Bauls are a very heterogeneous group, with many different streams to the sect, but their membership mainly consists of Vaishnavite Hindus and Sufi Muslims.[1] They can be often identified by their distinctive clothes and musical instruments, like the ektara. Though Bauls comprise only a small fraction of the Bengali population, their influence on the culture of Bengal is considerable. In 2005, the Baul tradition was included in the list of "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO.
Parvathy is well known Baul Singer

“It's beauty that captures your attention; personality which captures your heart.”, originally uploaded by Dreamzzzz.....

I thought it would be tough to communicate with people in Ladakh as I dint know their language,but I was surprised to see them speak Hindi fluently and almost everyone spoke the national language compared to other parts of India where it is treated as alien .

Its a view from the local market in Leh, Jamu and Kasmir.

All under one flag, originally uploaded by Apratim Saha.

Gangasagar Mela is the largest fair celebrated in West Bengal, India. Makar Sankranti is celebrated in the last day of the Bengali month of Poush. In Bengal, this day is one of the most auspicious day of the year. Thousands of pilgrims from different parts of the country gather at Gangasagar, the point where the holy river Ganges meets the sea, to take a dip and wash away all the earthly sins. Makar Sankranti falls on the day of the year when the sun-considered the king of all grahas (planets)-is in the rashi (zodiac sign) known as Makar (Capricorn). This is considered the most beneficial and auspicious zodiac of the sun. The calculations for determining Makar Sankranti are done according to the solar calendar. Therefore, Makar Sankranti always falls on the 14th January according to the English calendar. It is usually the month of Magh of the Hindu calendar, the 'Tithi' or the position of the moon keeps shifting because of the difference in calculations.

newborn, originally uploaded by Samir D.

"Ganga-snan" (bath in river Ganges) is an auspicious ritual for Hindus. This family has arrived to babughat, a special religious place for Hindus in kolkata to bath their new born baby. It is believed that the blessings of mother Ganges will always remain with him/her..

Dhanesh, originally uploaded by goddessofxanadu( busy, please excuse!! ).

Dhanesh's dad was one of the first people I met, when 25 years ago I first stood bewildered in Parharganj almost sick with excitement at the long dreamt of land, suddenley a reality spread before me.

Dhanesh wasn't even born then, how strange is that..his dad Amjeet wheeled his chai cart then, and he was one of the first people to make me welcome here in Delhi.

Dhanesh makes my omlette sandwich and chai now, in the mornings before dawn prior to my morning shoots, Amjeet passed away from TB three years ago.

When Amjeet was alive he always used to have my favorite cigarette ready for me, A gold flake, sold singly (i love that about india, singly sold cigarettes!!) and it was always the best one of the day, smoked with Amjeet in the predawn, wondering who or what I would find that morning....I was looking forward to telling Amjeet I'd quit smoking the year I found him gone, and I remember how strangely cheated I felt when I learned that I couldn't share that news with him..he said I'd never quit.

How the wheels turn. Time moves on so relentlessly, just so indifferent to Amjeet or I or our lives , so unforgiving.

But I digress! Dhanesh makes a wonderful chai-wallah and a worthy successor to his dad. I hope the chai-wallah with his cart never disappears from the changing face of India, hope that his business is never crushed by the hateful corporate foam cup of crap from the miserable faceless multi nationals....I was horrified to see Mc Donalds spring up in Connaught circus, I wonder how long before the lamb burgers give way to hamburgers and the last sacred cow goes to slaughterhouse.

Oh don't change too much, India.

Karnataka girl An old photo taken on International Women's Day, originally uploaded by ramesh_lalwani.

Delhi government on eve of International Women’s Day launched “Ladli” scheme aimed at curbing female foeticide and enhancing the social status of the girl child by promoting their education and protecting them from discrimination and deprivation.
The Government had also decided to contribute Rs.10,000 on the birth of the girl child. It would also contribute Rs.5,000 each on her admission to Class 1, Class VI, Class IX, Class X and Class XII. For availing of the scheme, the girl should have been born in Delhi on or after January 1, 2008. This would pave the way for accumulation of a deposit of up to Rs.1 lakh which would become payable to the girl child on attaining the age of 18 years and passing out of Class X.
Cheques of Rs 10000 ($250) were presented to a numbers of mothers who had come to receive the amount.
India Gate Lawns were full with yound girls and ladies enjoying cultural programmes and amusements as part of International women’s day celebrations.

Paathshaala, originally uploaded by arunabh.mi.

Last couple of days have been real tough, i was out for surveying new branch locations to start microfinancing operations, since in most of the places cars cannot reach thus i had to take a motorcycle. I drove around 400+ Kms in last couple of days.
In one of the village i found group of students studying in the mango orchid. Although i was like 400meters away from them yet i could still hear these Kids learning their lessons in high sounds..those from my country will recall "do ikkam do..do duni chaar". :)
Though i asked kids to keep studying while i click with due permission of their teacher. the couple of students in front were hard to convince as a result they were looking towards lens all the time.

Girl Child Education, originally uploaded by Bindaas Madhavi.

When all the girls in our country are provided with the privilege of basic education,,,, then and only then will the country move to be an advanced country. Education, intelligence and emotional intelligence begins from home. Spread the word and strive to achieve education empowerment to the WOMEN

Circus on wheels, originally uploaded by Rajib Singha.

Commuters watch an act of circus performed by a teen aged gypsy boy accompanied by her mother playing the dhol, inside an EMU train compartment standing at the platform of Sheoraphuli rail station in Hooghly, India.

Ganga aarti 2, originally uploaded by bag_lady (away).

Har-ki-pairi (the Footstep of the God) ghat in Haridwar. This is where Vishnu is said to have dropped some heavenly nectar and left a footbprint behind. The ganga aarti, or river worship ceremony, takes place every evening, and hundreds of worshippers gather here on the banks of the Ganges Canal.

flow of pink, originally uploaded by harimenon4u.

Holi celebration at Vrindavan, Uttarpradesh, India. Holi also known as Festival of Colors , celebrated by Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and others , at the end of the winter season on the last full moon day of the lunar month Phalguna (February/March), (Phalgun Purnima), which usually falls in the later part of February or March.

Sri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir, originally uploaded by oochappan.

Although Jainism resorts from the same philosophical school as Buddhism, not being a religion but a philosophy of life, Jainism didn't know a Diaspora and stayed hidden in the Indian society due to the Hindu persecutions.

The photo belongs to a project to open the door to the world by sharing also the unknown deep values of Jainism as answer to many global problematic issues.

The Sri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir dates from 1526, one of the oldest Jain Temples in Delhi, you'll find across the Red Ford. Photos not allowed unless with permission of the Jain committee.

Al Tannura Dance 2, originally uploaded by ramesh_lalwani.

Tannura Dance
This Sufi- type of the Tannura Dance(Al Daraweesh) has a very special characteristic as it relies on the dancer’s unlimited moves in circles. This rounded move is a reflection of a special philosophical concept in the Islam Sufi rituals known as the Mulawia sect. Believers of this concept see the universe stems from the same point of rotation. As the universe starts and ends from the same point, the senior dancer (Lafife) who represents the sun, will always start and end his movement from that point. While the junior dancers (Hanatia), representing the stars, move around him. They all move counterclockwise, in a concurrent circles echoing the four seasons and very much like the pilgrims’ movement around Kaba (The Muslims’ holy shrine). Once the senior dancer stretches his right hand upward while the pointing down with his left hand, he would be establishing the connection between the earth and the sky. Moving in circles, the dancer is very much like alleviating his wordily burdens, reaching ecstasy in a symbolical attempt to approach heaven. Once he unties the belt around his waist, the dancer would be rhetorically moving upward to heaven…

Pariyanampetta Pooram, originally uploaded by Smevin Paul - Thrisookaran !! www.smevin.com.

Venue: Pariyanampetta Bhagavathy Temple, Kattukulam (15km from Ottapalam), Palakkad district.

A seven-day annual festival is celebrated at the Pariyanampetta temple dedicated to Bhagavathy or the Goddess. Pooram, the concluding day of the festival, is marked by a ceremonial procession of 21 elephants.

Kalamezhuthu Pattu (the ritual drawing of the goddess's image on the floor, accompanied by a song) is performed on all the festival days. Religious and folk arts like Kaalavela (bull motif spectacle) and Kuthiravela (horse motif spectacle), Poothanum thirayum etc accompany the procession on the concluding day.

The cultural fare during the festival includes Kathakali and Chakyarkoothu. The ancient folk art of shadow puppetry called Tholpavakoothu, is performed at night on all festival days

The Guru on His Horse, originally uploaded by oochappan.

streets of Haridwar
And sudden he appeared again, the Guru on his horse at a brisk trot through the street, the clattering sound of the hoof beat on the paving opening the stream of crowd to make way for His Holiness ... on my wink he held his horse to be captured for eternity for an instant to spur on his animal, disappearing again in the crowd ...