On the long line of steps leading to Ganga in Varanasi, everything and everyone seems to become equal. Pilgrims, priests, mendicants, traders, common folk, tourists, rich, poor, birds, animals, gods, sacred, filthy and everything else that you can imagine shares the same space without any contempt towards the gathered mass. Everything commands the highest respect, be it the priest on the steps, the goddess in her sanctum, monkey on the balcony or the sewer-like waters of Ganga.
My first impression of Varanasi was a mild shock, seeing the insane chaos even by the standards of the chaotic country that we are. But as I learned to ignore the big picture and focused on the emotions of the city, it revealed another new world of devotion and piety that could only exist in Varanasi.
Gadisar Lake, Jaisalmer, and the traditional pavilions (chatri) around it set against a deep blue sky.
The small town of Munnar and its surroundings are blessed with mountain landscapes that is not easily found elsewhere in South India. However, photographing these landscapes is usually a tough task, as the weather remains hazy or cloudy for much of the year and the drama in front of the eyes is not usually captured effectively by the camera. Perhaps the only way to get it right is to plan well and be at the right place at the right time in the right seasons. Here is an image I made last week, when I was leading a Landscape Photography Workshop to Munnar.
This is the morning view from a mountain pass connecting Suryanelli and Kolukkumalai Tea Estates, located to the east of Munnar Town. To get here, we started at 4.30am and made a backbreaking journey through some remote roads to reach just in time for sunrise. But it was a rewarding effort.