Stages of Unbelonging-II

Stages of Unbelonging-I

Two-year-old Kali Devotee at Kumbh 2013

This young girl came upto me as I sat contemplating on the ghats of Triveni Sangam. She turned two that day, her grandma informed later. What caught my eye was the way she continuously flicked her tongue outside. As I watched her in wonderment, her family members told me that she had been a Kali bhakt/devotee since long. I took out my pic of Kalighat Kali and showed it to her. She held the photo in utter reverence, touched it to her forehead and said Jai Ma. Her family comes from a village near Varanasi. They shared their meagre meal with me that night as this little girl kept feeding me small bits of sweet homemade biscuits. I felt Mother had let me know that She walked with me.

The Long Walk Home After Kumbh 2013

She Walked

They Walked Too With Ganga Water in Hand

Even Naga Baba Walked to Wherever

They All Walked Back Home

Sunsets of Kumbh 2013

Sunset bath and worship, Triveni Sangam

A breathtaking sunset at Triveni Sangam, March 9, 2013

 

 

Sun setting on the last day of Mahakumbh 2013

The Last Sunset of Mahakumbh 2013

Last Sunrise of Maha Kumbh 2013

Sunrise on Mahashivratri, last day of Kumbh Mela 2013

Mannequin in Chandni Chowk

Mannequin in a shop in Chandni Chowk, Delhi

The Yellow Connection:Mumbai

At a Housing Complex, Mumbai

Anklet

Bhopal Zoo 2012

Life

Someshwar Beach, Mangalore Feb 2013

Namma Kapi--Go Local

Espresso, Indian style. We call it decoction (pronounced digeshan in colloquial Tamil)

Let her be...a child

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I saw this girl at a Mangalore street corner. Eyes tinkling, utterly restless, and yet keen on her job--to sell me balloons. Amongst the many thoughts that crossed my mind, I wondered how it was for her to live on the streets with only her sister in tow...wondered if she had suffered abuse or if she escaped. Aah Universe, let this child be!

Rice in India

This Post is dedicated to all farmers in India. Happy Pongal All!

Tender rice plant growing in an organic farm in Karanjo, Jharkhand

Ganga: A Mother and a River

 She is Ganga. Indians call her mother. She flows through our history books and is steeped in our cultural unconscious. She overflows our spiritual lives even today--whether at her banks or through her waters. She is the fulcrum of contemporary social lives for many. We call her Ganga Ma--the river of our hearts.

Kali

In a taxi in Kolkata, the land of Kali. Today is also Kali Puja! And Kali is the ultimate teacher of detachment...so I wish all my readers with more than happiness--I wish you equanimity at all times and all situations!

Indians Who Laughed

I enjoy making folks laugh when I photograph them, not so much for the shoot, but rather as that moment when I can give them something--that momentary mirth, that forgetting of other things, the warmth of joy for that moment. On a grey day down here in South of India, I hope these photographs make you smile too-:)

Young women near Misrikh, Uttar Pradesh

New Mexico-As I Saw Her-II

A lake in the Bosque near Rio Grande, Albuquerque

Winter 2006, Albuquerque

New Mexico--As I saw her-Part-1

Taos, my most favorite town in New Mexico

That and This

Nature and Industrial society co-exist in their own way. But they need to be in balance.

Old Only, Not Dead

I saw her sitting on the edge of a raised platform in village Kustana, Odisha. She sat there, eyes closed, oblivious to people passing by or my camera but her firm grip on her stick and her vibrant set of bangles showed she was in control. I wondered what she thought--of days gone by or of dreams she still had. Dedicated to all seniors who have much love to give and get!