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The Handcart Story

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Handcarts have been around since time immemorial. It’s surprising that inspite of the advances in transportation technology we still rely on these modes for movement of goods. It reminds me of Kolkata where they still have hand rickshaw pullers in certain parts of the city.
Banning either is out of the question as you are then depriving people, who pull these wooden modes of transport, of their bread and butter.

I came across many of these handcarts while strolling through Chor Bazaar one Sunday morning and just thought of capturing them as they are.


Some are just resting….

While some are used as beds by the handcart pullers…


While others are getting ready for a busy day in the city.

This can happen only in India. An Ambassador on two wheels:P

Take Care

Ciao

Paan-tastic

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The betel leaf, commonly known as Paan, was first cultivated in Malaysia! From there it traveled to India and just like many other things non-Indian, has become a part of the nation’s psyche. I love paans, the ones without tobacco ofcourse. Nothing like a mouth stuffed with paan after a heavy meal.

Mumbai has many such paan shops, with glistening betel leaves welcoming you and the typical tinkering of the solid aluminum stick against the copper vessel containing the chuna. I used to think that Mumbai has a thriving paan culture, thanks to the evident red stain marks that one comes across everywhere. That was until i made a trip to a relatives place in Gujarat.

The paan culture there is mind boggling to say the least. Paan shops are mere hole-in-the-wall establishments here, but in Gujarat (Jamnagar in particular) there are proper shops with paan stalls. And these shops also sell other items like cold drinks etc, but paan is the primary source of income. The bewilderment dosen’t just end there. I was taken to places where there were around ten to fifteen paan shops located beside each other and still managing to do brisk business. Came to learn from my Gujju relative that many shops have an account system with their customers, who make monthly payments for a fixed quota of paans per day. And a daily quota of paans can cross anywhere from fifteen to twenty paans per person. Fascinating, for someone who is used to eating a paan and paying on the spot.

I wont even start with the varieties on offer. For instance, I tried a chocolate paan, which was a normal sweet paan dipped in chocolate and frozen. The choclatey dimension added to the raw taste of the betel leaf was quite good.

Ok Ok i know i am deviating here. Well this paan seller from Bhuleshwar brought back memories, so captured him on camera. The thing that really attracted me to his shop was the placement of the blue colored paan masala sachets which gave a sort of continuity to the blue colored doors of his shop. Also this is probably the only paan seller i have come across who had no hint of red around his mouth, a rarity in Mumbai.

Take Care

Ciao

Of cloudy skies and green mountains…

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The monsoons are expected to arrive soon, hopefully. I am just waiting for the drizzle to turn into heavy showers so that the ghats around Mumbai are lush green and i can resume from where i had left off two years back. Trekking in the Sahyadris.

Majority of my friends hate the monsoons, but i eagerly await them every year. Reasons are pretty obvious from the above photographs. These were taken on my last trek to Peb, near Matheran. The trek is simply breath taking, specially when you reach the top of the mountains and actually walk amidst the clouds. Very few experiences in life can match the high of walking through the clouds.

Just counting the days now. The Woodlands are ready, so is the camera and the backpack and the wind cheater. All i need is a couple of heavy showers and an early weekend morning.

Take Care,

Ciao

Peace

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Rishikesh is a place buzzing with energy from 5 in the morning to 11 in the night. Specially so if you are living on the other side of Ram Jhoola where you have the Chotiwale restaurant and the Shiv temple which hosts the daily Ganga Aarti. The gushing Ganga, is the common background score throughout.

I was here two years ago. (yeah i know i have never posted any pic from that trip here. will do it soon with an attached travelogue) Noticed these two men meditating at such a proximity to the river around 7 am when i was just out for breakfast. It appeared out of place there, as everywhere around me i saw movement, people rushing around. Add to it the Kawaria festival was on in full swing (will talk in length about it in some other entry, soon:) Only other people i found as relaxed were the sadhus, some of whom were resting, others who were smoking ganja.

After a long shot of the two, tried another shot keeping just the two subjects in the frame along with the fast flowing water in the background.


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Ciao

..And thats how you pose..

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Came across this bunch of boys at the Borivli National Park, when they were just about to carry the deity to her adobe. I was just passing by them and did not intend to shoot them. But i noticed them eyeing my camera and realised they were getting ready to pose. I had no option but to get in the position to shoot. As is apparent, the grey shorts fella was the most enthusiastic of the lot. Captured this shot while he was showing me his ‘pranaam’ pose.

Till date he has no idea, i have this shot. That also explains why the others are not yet ready with their camera smiles, except for the grey shirt guy.

Guess I will probably take a print and give this photograph to these guys when i go to National park next time, couple of years down the line. Would like to capture the surprise on their faces then:)

Take Care

Ciao

Up for a glass of wine?

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I sure am, anytime:)

This photograph was clicked at the Sula Vineyards which i had been to last year around this time for an article in my college magazine. Having just seen the vineyards of France, Italy and California on TV, i was thrilled to see one in flesh when i landed in Sula in Nashik. A four hour journey from Mumbai, this place is a great getaway from the city.

In a mere 150 bucks, there is a guided tour of the vineyard, wine making process and the icing on the cake is the tasting session of the six of the best Sula wines in the end. I was really looking forward to this aspect of the tour, as i could act like one of those wine snob hosts you see on TV and pronounce those French wine appellations:D

I captured this shot on the terrace of the vineyard after the drinking session. I was quite happy that inspite of the black reflective surface, the colours of the landscape were quite distinctly visible.

Take Care

Ciao

My Daddy Strongest!

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The Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, like i always say, is a photographers paradise. This is an image that i had clicked two years back, which i keep coming back to time and again. I have always been apprehensive about putting up this photograph on my blog as i had not taken permission from the parent while clicking this little girl, a thing which i always do. Reason being that this was such a spur-of-the-moment shot. Before i could check the image, the daddy and his girl had disappeared in the crowd.

The reason i find this image so special is because it happens to be my very first panning shot. I did not realise that till i actually saw the image on the computer screen. So this is my way of paying tribute to the little girl who gave me my first panning shot:)

She did not seem even a wee bit scared to be sitting at that height. I really love her expression. She has the poise of a queen atop an elephant going on a tour of the town. Suddenly seeing a snapper, she seems to be saying in her mind, ”How dare this lowly being capture me in his camera?”

Sorry, Your Highness.

Take Care

Ciao

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Perspective (Part Deux)

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Exploring reflections is one of my favourite things in photography. I have done that many times before on this blog : Victoria Memorial Reflections 1, Victoria Memorial Reflections 2, Leaning Elphinstone and Perspective 1 among others.
It just fascinates me no end, when normal things get skewed and compressed in limited spaces. I never miss out on any opportunity to capture such shots. The composition above is a very cliched one, but its fun capturing it nonetheless.
Thanks to my extremely patient friend and her wonderful glares, i was able to capture the KalaGhoda dance and music stage after a high voltage performance by a Bengali theatre group.

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Ciao

House on the Apurba Mitter Road

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In a very nostalgic mood today. Was constantly thinking about Kolkata. Specially after the fire that engulfed 16 people and put ParkStreet on TOIs front page. It was saddening and surprising cos its been about two years since i left Kolkata, but the sense of bonding is and will always remain there. May the departed souls rest in peace.

This photograph was taken on one of my regular Kolkata street strolls. The thing that arrested my attention was the name Mitter, in the name plate which read Apurba Mitter Road. Being the Feluda fan boy that I am, I stopped. I kept wondering if this house was in anyway related to the famous detective Pradosh Mitter aka Feluda:P I know it was ridiculous to even think that, but just for this particular moment i let the rational side of me take a backseat.

The old dilapidated house, could be the setting for many of the famous Indian detective Feluda’s stories. I really loved the detailing in the balcony both the lower part as well as the upper half. The long wooden windows on the ground level and the wall exposing some British era bricks can make you loose the sense of time. Thank god the house was locked, else i would have surely taken a tour.

There are many such houses strewn all across Kolkata that completely transfer you to a different era. Reading Manik Da aka Satyajit Ray’s books succeed in taking you some decades back. Having said that, i need to get Volume 1 of the Feluda series to take care of my Kolkata nostalgia:))

Take Care

Ciao

The Man and the Sea

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I love capturing sunsets on beaches. I also love just walking for hours by the shore, letting the sea water play footsie. On one trips i found my cousin also indulging in these activities, so i captured him while he was trying to have some kinda conversation with the waves lappin at his feet. He was blissfully unaware of him being photographed. I had a wonderful time capturing a human element against the background of the vast sky and sea. Indulged more in diagonal shots as i feel the normal rectangular frame gets boring after a while. A little experimenting never hurt anyone:)

Take Care

Ciao