For the elephants of Sakrebailu, mornings are perhaps the best time of the day. This is a time when they are taken into the river, allowed to go deep into the waters and drink their heart’s fill. Soon after, the mahout will let the elephants relax in shallow waters and scrub them for almost an hour, until they are shiny clean! These elephants are looked after well: after the swim and scrub comes the time for grub. Only thing missing there is freedom, but for which, elephants of the world would have made a beeline for an accommodation in Sakrebailu elephant camp.
I spent a few days last year observing and understanding life in the camp, when this photograph was made.
Also see: my photo essay on the elephants of Sakrebailu at JLR Explore.
Last year, I spent two weeks travelling in Cambodia during the post-monsoon months. Starting from Siem Reap, I quickly moved on from the well-known temples of Angkor Wat, seeking to understand the everyday life in the country. The quest times took me through some remote places with endless stretch of lush green paddies, and also to floating settlements in Tonle Sap Lake.
This small village, just a short drive north-west of Phnom Penh, was a pleasure to be in. It was an expanse of paddy fields dotted with small hamlets, through which you could keep walking all through the day (or drive, if you so prefer). When the sun was about to set, I went in search of a calm waterbody that reflected cluster of palms. I did not have to go far to find water in these wet landscapes. And the sun smiled for me that evening, generously painting the sky with bright colours.
Chhatris are an integral part of Rajasthan’s architecture. In many parts of the state, you may come across a cluster of Chhatris in an uninhabited location outside the town. There are usually Cenotaphs, built in memory of the kings. Here is one such cluster of Chhatris outside Bikaner town, called Devi kund sagar.
