Kumar Tuli Still Life
Kumar Tuli, the potters' quarter, lies along the banks of the River Hooghly in the sprawling mega-city, Calcutta, in Northeastern India. The villagers create the clay idols of Hindu gods…
Morning Watch in Ancient Varanasi
Crows watch over the early morning rituals at Munshi Ghat on the banks of the River Ganges in the ancient city of Varanasi in northern India.
Just a Moment – Portraits 2
This week's post is the second of three posts of portraits I have collected from around the world. The first was "A Brief Moment - Portraits" which you can find…
Havana, Cuba
A Brief Moment – Portraits
We travel, initially, to lose ourselves. Then we travel to find ourselves. To open our hearts and minds to learn more about the seven billion other people we share this…
Impressions of India
It is impossible to not be in awe of what is India. She is at once chaotic, unruly, exaggerated and constantly in motion. The pace of life is frenetic and I believe all of India must be sleep deprived. It is impossible, at least for me, to fully understand, much less describe her. And that's the fascination.
Along the Malabar Coast, Silhouettes of the Past
Like winged creatures from the past, silhouetted against the evening dusk, the fish nets stand watch over the backwaters of Kochi, in southern India. Thought to have been introduced by Chinese explorers during the rein of Kubla Khan, in the late fourteenth century, these kinetic sculptures are made from teak wood and bamboo. The nets, counterbalanced by huge stones, dip Into the water when two fishermen run up the long poles.
Discovering the Escher-esque Chand Baori, Abhaneri , India
Oh my gosh, what a sight. Imagine an ancient Egyptian pyramid inverted and thoughtfully lodged into the ground. Chand Baori is over 100 feet deep and is lined with 3,500 symmetrical steps on three sides allowing access to water regardless of the level. The symmetrical, though dizzying, zig-zag pattern of the stone steps is reminiscent of an Escher drawing.
To Market in an Indian Mercedes
In Abhaneri Village, in eastern Rajasthan, an unique, homemade vehicle known as a jugaad or chakdi, aka Indian Mercedes, plies the roadways. In Hindi, jugaad means an innovative fix or work around. An apt name for this low cost transport. They are usually made from an old diesel agricultural irrigation pump mounted to a equally old car or truck chassis. A hand crank starts the engine and someone jumping off with a block of wood is often the way to stop it. Simple, cheap and iconic in much of rural India.
Still Life with Bird Cages
India amazes. You learn to expect the unexpected. To wit, the cluster of empty bird cages hanging in an alcove in the opulent City Palace in Udaipur in Rajasthan, India. Construction of the gigantic palace, or more accurately, series of connected palaces, was started in 1559 by Maharana Udai Singh and continued for over 300 years by his successor Maharanas. Apparently one of the royals fancied caged song birds.
Varanasi, India
Letters – the Building Blocks of Knowledge
Letters are the basic building blocks of knowledge. The act of writing; forming words from a series of letters, allows us to share our thoughts, ideas, knowledge. Language makes us…