Some of the finest and most beautiful waterfalls in the country are well off the mainstream travel itineraries. They may not be the largest in volume, tallest in fall or the most well-known. And yet, they are easily among the prettiest waterfalls I have ever seen.
Magod Falls, Unchalli Falls, Satoddi Falls. Have you heard of these waterfalls? The answer is likely to depend on how far you live from these places, how active a traveller are you and how intrepid are your journeys.
Brilliant view of Magod Falls dropping into a deep valley.
If India for you is a diamond shaped country somewhere between middle east and [South-East] Asia, chances are you only know about Taj Mahal in the entire country. If you live somewhere within India and your idea of travelling is the yearly holiday to a luxury resort, chances are that you may have heard about a Jog Falls here and a few others around your city, no more. If you live within Karnataka, there is some chance that you may have heard a passing mention unless you are a frequent traveller. But for those who jump at the first opportunity to explore, especially in Karnataka, these places are either in the must-do list or they have already been ticked.
I have heard from a countless number of my travel-buff friends about Satoddi falls and Magod falls. Everyone of them has unfailingly mentioned not only about the size and height of these falls, but the dramatic location in which they are set. Often so dramatic that I wouldn’t be easily convinced.
There is an endearing feeling in watching the ochre-robed little lads of Chimi Lhakhang. Despite their monk outfits, they are children and are just the way children are. You see them chasing each other or chasing a football in the open space, rolling in the grass harmlessly fighting over little things or trying to escape the chores assigned to them. But these are things that can only be done when they are not chanting continuously under the watchful eyes of the master.
Chimi Lhakhang is a small temple in the central region of Bhutan. Here is an image of one of the boys walking on the lawn, after giving up control over the football.
Also see more about Chimi Lhakhang at ‘Travelling in Bhutan. Experiences to Cherish‘
As photographers who want to excel and make unique travel imagery, we should be able to consistently create images that stand apart from everyone else’s work. When the whole world is photographing Taj Mahal, we should be searching the streets of Agra for the kite-makers who create unique designs. When every tourist is photographing the scenic backwaters of Kerala, we should go searching for the boat makers who craft these beautiful floating houses, or the farmers who grow paddy by creating embankments that keep the water away. The cutting edge of travel photography is in creating images that few people make, and few people even think about making.
But how do we go in search of such subjects and situations? One of the answers is in relying on local knowledge.
Do have a look at this image of a Bishnoi woman near Jodhpur with her granddaughter. This photograph was made inside her one-room house. How did I get access to her house and how did she permit me to make this photographs? How could I get her to stand in a location with a very interesting light?