India

previous
145 images | Updated: 14 Oct 2008 | VIEW SLIDESHOW

This is a collection of photographs of sanctuaries, temples, locations, monuments, landscapes, rituals, festivals and people of India.

  • Detail of one of the towers of the Sri Minakshi temple. The enormous temple complex is dedicated to Shiva, known here as Sundareshvara and his consort Parvati or Meenakshi. The original temple was built by Kulasekara Pandya, but the entire credit for making the temple as splendid as it is today goes to the Nayaks. The Nayaks ruled Madurai from the 16th to the 18th century and left a majestic imprint of their rule in the Meenakshi - Sundareswarar Temple.
  • Inside the Sri Minakshi hindu temple complex, a young elephant taps devotees on the head, as a form of blessing. Elephants are associated with Ganesh, the deity known to remove obstacles.
  • Vendor and buyers of religious items.
  • An elderly beggar.
  • A Kalaripayat (martial arts) fighther lights rows of deepam (votive lights) before staring his training session. Like the temple, the kalari (traing ground) is considered a sacred place. Especially revered is the south-west corner called the poothara, which is reserved for the reigning deity and here the weapons are stored under his protection. Next to this is the guruthara, the place where lamps are kept burning in reverence to all the gurus of the kalari.
  • In Kathakali, the traditional dance form of Kerala, dancers go through a lengthy preparation involving makeup and prosthetics. The masks are hand crafted from papier mache by some of the best artists. Each piece is a unique as this Mask is hand carved. Kathakali, known to be one of the most complicated dance forms of the world, is one of the major Indian classical dances.
  • Rice field workers wear umbrella hats to shield themselves from the intense heat.
  • A day's work end with a gentle water taxi journey on the world-famous water channels. The backwaters of Kerala- meandering inland lakes networked by canals - stretch to over 1900km. Boat across these tranquil stretches are an experience unique to Kerala. Large Kettuvalloms (traditional crafts over 60ft. in length) have been converted into luxury houseboats for these cruises.
  • The world renowned temple town of Khajuraho in the Bundelkhand region in northern Madhya Pradesh is designated by UNESCO as a world heritage site for its archeological and historical monuments. The 'mithuna', erotic figures carved centuries ago run through a whole Kamasutra of positions and possibilities.
  • Complicity and closeness near the sacred Ganges river.
  • A woman and her grand daughter sift through a pile of peanuts before heading to a nearby market.
  • Bodies are being cremated at the Manikarnika Ghat. The sacred ritual performed daily is seen by hindus, as a way to gain salvation and to end the cycle of reincarnation; the river transports the deceased directly to heaven. The accumulated ashes in the lower right corner will be pushed into the Ganges at the end of the day.
  • An 'arati' (ritual offering of light) is performed daily on the Dasaswamedh Ghat, a series of steps leading to the sacred river. This ceremony attracts hundreds of hindu pilgrims every night.
  • A boy offered to light an oil lamp (deepa) in memory of my grand father, René Sahai, before placing it on the surface of 'Mother Ganga'.
  • A human corpse is lowered into the Ganges river. While many associate Varanasi with the burning of corpses, those who die of sickness are merely sunk in the sacred river.
  • This busy intersection illustrates the well known fact that in India, cows are sacred. The sanctity of the cow is perhaps the foremost sentiment of Hindus for whom this sacred animal has far deeper nuances in Indian culture and ethos than is generally understood. Indian scriptures state that cows are a gift of the gods to the human race. It is a celestial being born of the churning of the cosmic ocean.
  • A group of elderly women stand outside the headquarters of Mother Theresa's charity organisation, "Missionaries of Charity". Mother Theresa was awarded the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize for her tireless efforts in combatting poverty.
  • A butcher uses his toes to hold a sharp blade used to cut up pieces of meat.
  • A market vendor wraps herself in a woolen blanket, as the temperatures in the hills drop. Meghalaya is the wettest state in India, with up to 1200mm of rain per year
  • A man's smile exhibits the damage done by years of 'paan' chewing (betel nut). The addictive preparation, akin to tobacco, consists of pieces of areca nut wrapped in betel leaves, often mixed with spices. Paan use in India dates back three millenia and originated in the Indus valley.
  • A man contemplates the fruit of his labour, at the Hinimari market. The Bhramaputra river which crosses Assam make it a remarkably fertile state.
  • A man jumps off the fully loaded Majuli island ferry. Majuli is the largest sand river island in the world and lies in the middle of the Bhramaputra, one of the major waterways of India.
  • A 'Bodo' family enjoy the afternoon sun in the rice field they cultivate. Bodos and bengali immigrants settlers have been involved in numerous violent clashes in the recent past, contributing to the relative political volatility in the otherwise photogenic state of Assam.
  • A man crosses a bridge made of bamboo slats leading to a 'bodo' tribal village. The Bodo people are a tibeto-burmese ethnic group and early settlers of the north-east regions of India.
  • The picking of tea leaves is a task performed almost exclusively by women. In India that they considered faster and better pickers than men. Assam tea was introduced in Europe in 1839 and was very positively received. The particularity of black teas of Assam is that they are grown at or near sea level.
  • A boy learns that hair washing and fishing go hand in hand. The majority of land in Assam is low-lying and humid. This geographic disposition makes the politically-troubled eastern state a perfect place for rice cultivation, although production is in decline. Assam is also a well known major tea producer.
  • A young couple's arranged marriage culminates with a showering of gifts and money by family and friends. It is customary in many traditional indian weddings for the bride to refrain from expressing joy, as a marriage also means the departure of the newlywed from the family home.
  • A man pours the hot liquid mix which will become 'ghur', a traditional sugarcane based sweet. India and Brazil are the world's largest sugarcane producers. Ethanol is becoming an increasingly important source of energy worldwide. Currently, India is the fourth largest producer of the organic fuel, with processing plants in the tropical and subtropical states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra.
  • A veiled woman pumps water from a well located a few hundred metres from her village. As the flow of villagers is guaranteed, wells provide excellent photographic opportunities in rural India.
  • Two men prepare a batch of curd outside their store. Punjabi and north Indian cuisine is orth Indian cuisine is characterised by the proportionally high use of dairy products. Milk, paneer, ghee (clarified butter) and yoghurt are all common ingredients.
  • After completing his bathing ritual, a man wearing a turquoise 'dastar' poses for a portrait. In the west, the Sikh dastar is often mistaken for an afghan, yemeni, or iranian headdress. The distinctive Sikh turban is a symbol of dedication, sovereignty, piety and is a mandatory article of faith for those who have been baptised.
  • Following a long-standing Sikh ritual, two young men bathe in the 'Sarovar', the sacred lake surrounding the Swarna Mandir (Golden Temple). The serenity of this place of worship contrasts with the tragic events of the 1980s. In one 1983 incident, Sikh separatists and indian troops were involved in a fierce firefight inside the temple compound. The casualties were a trigger for the events leading to the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the ensuing riots killing more than 4000.
  • Thousands of rats roam freely at the Karni Mata temple dedicated to the Hindu goddess Durga. Hindus buddhists and jainism followers tend to be reluctant to harm other life-forms. The rats found inside the Karni Mata temple are considered to be the reincarnations of Durga devotees. Given rats' ability to gnaw their way through most things, a rat is often featured in the representations of Ganesh, the elephant-headed god, the remover of obstacles.
  • Women balancing large water jugs on their heads is a common sight in the desertic regions of Rajasthan. The increasingly scarce availability of water combined with a rising population and the economic effects of global warming are setting the stage for a water crisis. In every household, in the rural areas of Rajasthan, women and girls bear the responsibility of the collection, transportation, storage, and management of water.
  • Two villagers on their way back from a well, balance large water vessels on their heads. The Jaisalmer area is rocky and barren, receives scanty rainfall and the ground water level is very low. The region is part of the great Thar Desert and was once a very fertile area in which the Indus Valley Civilization thrived some 4000-5000 years ago.
  • At 4.5ft long Dhanna Ram's moustache is one of India's longest. He makes a living by unfurling his twenty year old moustache for tourists several times a day, in front of 'Patwon Ki Haveli'. Havelis are exquisitely carved sandstone mansions often belonging to wealthy merchants. Patwon Ki Haveli is one of the finest architectural examples in Rajasthan.
  • A young bhramin priest recites verses from the Vedas (sacred scriptures) at the Gajrupeshwar Mahadev temple. Mantras (sacred sounds) and vedic sacred texts rely on a centuries-old oral tradition of knowledge transmission from master to disciple. The language of the Vedas is Sanskrit.
  • Morning ablutions and laundry chores are carried out in the waters of Lake Pichola. The man-made expanse of water lake is the brainchild of Maharana Udai Singh II, a 15th century ruler and founder of the beautiful city of Udaipur.
  • A woman drags a young buffalo towards a nearby cattle market. Buffalo husbandry is a major source of income and employment for more than eighty per cent of Indian farmers. By contributing about 60 per cent of total milk production in India, it is the main plank for the development of dairy industry in India.
  • Gathering around a fire is a much deserved break for a group of camel owners. Every year, thousands of cattle and camel traders congregate in Pushkar, making it one of the largest fairs of its kind in India.
  • Santosh's living conditions are in stark contrast with her striking features. For many children from poor families, begging is a daily ritual which keeps them far from schools and other prospects.
  • A street vendor counts on the flow of departing pilgrims to sell her last batch of apples. Along with the traditional religious travelers, the relatively small town of Pushkar becomes a hub for traders of all kind.
  • A man selling water by the pot awaits his next clients. Pushkar is located in the Thar desert and is believed to be one of India's oldest cities. Every year, thousands of hindu pilgrims gather for 'Karthik Purnima', an auspicious hindu date.
  • A group of maintenance workers take a break in the shadow of the Diwan-e-Khas, a marble chamber inside the imposing Amber Fort complex.
  • A boy plays under the arches of Diwan-e-Khas, a marble chamber inside the Amber Fort. The hilltop sandstone palatial complex built in 1592 is one of India's historical and touristic jewels. The interior of the Fort is a true showcase of hindu and mughal architectural and decorative styles.
  • A curious field labourer's peeks through her 'purdah' (curtain). The 'purdah' is widely used in many parts or northern India. It is generally accepted that the use of veils by women in northern India became widespread after the mughal invasions of the 16th century.
  • A young rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) at the Keoladeo Ghana Wildlife Sanctuary reacts to a loud altercation involving fellow monkeys... <br /> In the 'Ramayana', the hindu good-versus-evil epic, the simian-god Hanuman goes to the rescue of Sita, Lord Rama's wife. Hanuman epitomises strength, devotion and perseverance and is a widely worshiped hindu deity.
  • Throngs of tourists watch the Taj Mahal from a distance. The iconic fifteenth century tomb was built by the grieving mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died while giving birth. The Taj Mahal attracts on average three to four million visitors a year.
  • Construction workers on top of a building appear as silhouettes against the dusky sky. While the social system of castes (jati) has seen many reform attempts, the stratification of society according to occupation is still very much a fact of life in India.
previous