.

Vyas Chhatri, cenotaph, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India, originally uploaded by HaRsH- beyond the lens.

Just north of the fort lies the cenotaph of Sage Vyas, the man who compiled the Hindu epic Mahabharata, the longest scripture in the world with almost 300,000 verses. He dictated the Mahabharata to Ganesh, the god with an elephant-head and son of Shiva the Destroyer.

Vyas Chhatri is also referred to in the city as Sunset Point as it gives you a wonderful view of picturesque Jaisalmer at sundown. The Sunset point over Sooli Dongri is a big hit with tourists and is definitely worth making a trip to if you want a bird’s eye view of Jaisalmer and its adjoining areas.

IMG_6196, originally uploaded by ramesh_lalwani.

Anna Hazare started three day fast at Mumbai on Tuesday morning to press his demand for strong Lokpal bill. At Delhi key members of Team Anna including Shanti Bhushan and Prashant Bhushan simultaneously sat on fast at Ramlila ground in Capital to express solidarity with Anna Hazare. The crowd was only few thousand which was much less than expected by the organizers.The reason for low turn out was perhaps cold weather Delhi is experiencing these days.Many people could be seen with white caps stating “ I am Anna”

The Golden City " Jaisalmer" ||Explored||, originally uploaded by HaRsH- beyond the lens.

Jaisalmer Fort:
in Jaisalmer , you will find different facets of its own glorious heritage. Though you can find historical monuments scattered all over the city, the Jaisalmer Fort will immediately command your attention. Made of sand stones and locally known as Sonar Quila, the Jaisalmer Fort is a dominating structure amidst sands.
The city is said to be founded by one Raja Rawal Jaisal, a Bhatti Rajput ruler, in approximately 1156 A D. Legends go by that he did it on the behest of a local hermit named Eesaal. The raja choose Trikuta hill as the new site for his fort as his earlier adobe at Luderwa(16 k.m from present Jaisalmer) was too vulnerable to his comfort. But it should always be kept in mind that these legends are most of the time product of conscious minds that are very vulnerable to the oriental exaggeration.

Jaisalmer fort is the second oldest in Rajasthan. Two hundred and fifty feet tall and reinforced by imposing crenellated sandstone wall 30 feet high; it has 99 bastions, 92 of which were built between 1633 and 1647. Wells within the fort still provide a regular source of water. Even today, you will find that nearly one fourth of the old city's population resides within the fort. If you are a student of cross-cultural merging, the subtle fusion of Rajput and Islamic architectural styles, visible in this fort, will catch your fancy. Ganesh Pol, Akshya Pol, Suraj Pol and Hawa Pol are a must see.

Gully, originally uploaded by saish746.

Gully cricket is what you see all over India.

Backyard cricket, street cricket, beach cricket, gully cricket, corridor cricket, deef or garden cricket is an informal ad hoc variant of the game of cricket.Whilst loosely based upon the game of cricket, many aspects are improvised: the playing ground, the rules, the teams, and the equipment. Quite often there are no teams at all; the players take turns at batting and there is often no emphasis on actually scoring runs. The bat can be anything, as long as it can hit the ball and can be suitably held in the hands. However, usage of a bat is necessary. A ball is the other essential item. Tennis balls are often used due to the fact that they are less likely to inflict injuries than a cricket ball. They are also much cheaper and more readily available than a leather cricket ball and are easier to hit due to their slower air-speed and relative lightness. Tennis balls also bounce more than normal cricket balls, especially at low speeds. The pitch can be any stretch of ground that is reasonably flat. The wicket may be any convenient object - a chair, a cardboard box, a set of long twigs or sticks, a rubbish bin, tree or a drawing on the wall. Often, the wicket is by no means close to the official size, but it is used anyway. A wicket at the non-striker's end is generally a single stump if proper stumps are available and in the absence of larger objects may be just a hat or a shoe. Its main purpose is to mark the bowler's crease, but can be instrumental when there are two batters and one may be run out.

LIFE IN INDIA is a platform for the photographers,researchers and photography enthusiastic passionate to observe the inner walks of life in India from a cultural perspective. We believe that this is a collective effort to know, explore and collate the valuable Indian shots from dispersed platforms meaningfully

India Wins World Cup-12, originally uploaded by ramesh_lalwani.

After 28 years Indian Cricket Team won ICC World Cup defeating Sri Lanka by six wickets.Winning shot a sixer was hit by captain M.S.Dhoni at about 22.49 Earlier in the day streets of Delhi were deserted and people were watching match in theirs homes. After sunset one could see people assembling outside for community viewing of match on projected screens.Clubs cinema halls and restaurants had made special arrangements. Soon after one could hear busting of fire crackers or beating of drum to announce victory.People were seen dancing in streets.Roads leading to India Gate were suddenly full of cars and motor cycles carrying people with Indian tricolor.Delhi Police intially restricted movement of traffic to India Gate hexagon but later relented..It is reported that Ms Sonia Gandhi chairperson National Democratic Alliance was also seen congratulating citizens of Delhi

The Musician's Apprentice, originally uploaded by Shutterfeet.

This scene on the shore of Udaipur's Lake Pichola touched me on two levels. First, the traditionally dressed musician and his failing attempt to gather an audience for a dying regional art form. Secondly, but perhaps most encouragingly, the young boy's fascination and absolute focus with the same instrument. Perhaps there is hope......

Gangaur, Udaipur, originally uploaded by s i a m.

Gangaur is a festival of women celebrated especially in Rajasthan. It is a time for them to dress up in their best clothes and participate in the festival dedicated to the divine couple of Lord Shiva and Goddess Gauri. A vow is observed by married women for marital bliss and young girls for ideal husband. Women make clay idols of Lord Isar (Shiva) and Goddess Gauri (Parvati) and worship for 18 days. They sing bhajans or devotional songs as part of Gangaur Puja. During Gangaur festival many fairs or Jatra are celebrated in Jaipur, Udaipur, and many other towns in Rajasthan.

Mewar festival is a fair organized in Udaipur during Gangaur festival. The festival marks the beginning of spring season in the state. Gauri and Isar idols are taken out for a ceremonial procession through different parts of the city. Women carry the idols on their heads and place them on the boats of Pichola lake at Gangaur Ghat at the end. Once the religious part of the festival is over, it is time for cultural events where the rajasthani culture is portrayed through songs, dances and other festivities.

society hot, originally uploaded by Sayantan Bera.

society, the infamous calcutta theater satiating the city's thirst for pornography before the internet stepped in... once they would run a c-grade film for weeks to packed houses. its only now that dadas and babus are spoilt for choice, thanks to the 'daily change programme.' long live khajuraho ki rani and hot mashooka!

Paternal Grandmother - Kaberi, originally uploaded by goddessofxanadu (back very soon!!).

Deepak sits on the lap of his paternal grandmother in the Rajasthani evening. I spoke with his mum, Pooja, for quite a while, she spoke slowly using 'easy' Hindi and some english so I could understand her quite well.

Pooja said she had been relived in the extreme to have produced a son. She had been to the temple every day of her pregnancy to ask that it be so, and still gives thanks each day now.
She appeared a little afraid of Kaberi, and would not talk at all when she was around, just bowing her head.
Deepak was treated like a little prince she said, he would never be allowed to cry or want for attention, and although the family were poor, his needs were first and foremost. Pooja said she feared things would have been 'different' if she had a daughter. "different how?" I asked. But then she seemed to regret having said that and back pedalled.

Pooja seemed to live with a great deal of stress. Her brow was often creased with anxiety and strain. It appeared she was the family drudge. I think I was only tolerated because of the small gifts I bought. I'd met her in the market place, selling mouli, which I am very fond of. We had gotten talking, and she had invited me back to her house.

DSC_0920, originally uploaded by Vivek Sheel.

Tungnath is the highest temple in the world and is one of the five and the highest Panch Kedar temples located in the mountain range of Tunganath in the Chamoli district of Tehri Garhwal, in Uttarakhand, India. The Tunganath (literal meaning is lord of the peaks) mountains form the Mandakini and Alaknanda river valleys. Located at an altitude of 3,680 m (12,073.5 ft), the Tungnath temple is the highest Hindu shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple is believed to be 1000 years old and is the second in the pecking order of the Panch Kedars. It has a rich legend linked to the Pandavas, heroes of the Mahabharata epic.