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Kolkata (India). August 2007. Festival in the streets of Kolkata with about a dozen of hijras, indian cross dresser/trans gender. They asked me to dance with them to be allowed to portrait them. I danced with all of them for about one hour. One of the funniest (and sweatiest) days of my life.
Malliga is a flower seller in Mahabalipuram. I took this shot the previous week, when Prabhakaran and I went there at dawn.
As we finished our sunrise shots and were returning to our car, we saw this beautiful woman hurriedly getting the flowers ready. Probably she needs to do that before the tourists start to pour in.
The smell of the flowers, especially the Jasmine was so powerfully intoxicating. I think it did something to me that when I wanted to ask her if I could photograph her, I called her "aaya" (grandma), instead of "akka" (sister).
She got so enraged at this, and said to me "Do I look like a grandma to you.... Take your photos...but don't call me that."
As you can see from her look, Flower Power, together with Woman Power is an intense combination.
Photographed with a Caon EOS 5D Mark II, and Canon EF24-105mm F4 IS USM L Lens. Handheld.
An akhada or akharha is a traditional place for wrestlers of India to practice or to have duels with other wrestlers.
Pehlwani (Urdu پہلوانی, Hindi: पहलवानी), or Kushti (Urdu کشتی, Hindi: कुश्ती), which comes from the Persian word of Pahlavani (پہلوانی) and Koshti (کشتی), is a South Asian form of wrestling that is played predominantly in Pakistan and India as well as in Iran and Bangladesh. It is a synthesis of an indigenous form of wrestling that dates back at least to the 5th century BC [1] and a Persian form of wrestling brought into South Asia by the Mughals.[2]
A practitioner of this sport is referred to as a Pehlwan (also spelled Pahlavân in Persian, Champion, literally "a Parthian [disambiguation needed]"). Generally speaking, Muslim teachers of wrestling are known as Ustaad, whilst Hindu teachers are known as Guru.[2]
Rani Sipri's Mosque: Built in the 16th cent., this mosque too, among other monuments is an example of the blend of Hindu and Islamic art.
It was very hot the day I visited this mosque. The floor was burning in the sun.
I saw this man taking a nap near the steps of the mosque. It was surprisingly pleasant inside the mosque.
Although there is a small board put up here which asks people not to sleep in the moqsue, it is normally ignored by the regular junta.
if you want, then start to laugh
If you must, then start to cry
Be yourself don't hide
Just believe in destiny
Don't care what people say
Just follow your own way
Don't give up and use the chance
To return to innocence ...........
Vendor lady with panache. Originally from Hubli, now acts as lure to touristy types like me in front of her little shop. Quite an impressive array of jewellery there. Dimple Kapadia and Rekha has a competition when it comes to aging gracefully.
a shot from Gokarna Karnataka.
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.
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.
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 !
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
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)
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 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.”
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“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.
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.
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
Labels: agriculture, KERALA, paddy fields, SOUTH INDIA
Work is finished for another day, these people are going home after a long, hard day's work. Backwaters, Kerala, South India.
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.
Labels: travel, west bengal
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.
Labels: bangalore, karnataka, street sellers
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.
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.”
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“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.
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.
Labels: martial arts, Rai Banse, west bengal
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.
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.
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