Impressions of India: 22
I’m now back from India and savouring the coolness of our leafy part of Acton. But there are a number of Indian posts still in the can, so I'll upload those as and when I can over the next few weeks.
As an experiment, I'm also going to run the images without explanations or captions. If you have any questions, thoughts or reactions, please do take a moment to tell me so? Every comment is a gift.
I’m now back from India and savouring the coolness of our leafy part of Acton. But there are a number of Indian posts still in the can, so I'll upload those as and when I can over the next few weeks.
As an experiment, I'm also going to run the images without explanations or captions. If you have any questions, thoughts or reactions, please do take a moment to tell me so? Every comment is a gift.
Posts still to come:
Jaipur
Udaipur
Glorious blue hues.
ReplyDeleteI thought the blue was only allowed on Brahmin-owned houses, thus the selectivity, but could have misremembered that.
Absolute favourite shot this time is the bicycle in the archway. What story lies beneath...?!
So are those pigeons reflecting blue or are they some kind of rare blue birds, the likes of which I've never seen? Gini
ReplyDeletePigeons reflecting. They do look blue don't they? I spotted that too.
ReplyDeleteEmma Gabbertas said...
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely love the new set of photos. The absence of captions means that as you look at the pictures, you can almost feel the heat and know what the places smell like. So, yes, very evocative. However, being naturally nosy, I still want the who, why, where etc.
Doesn't everything seem very clean and ordered now that you're home? Is the poverty in India depressing or can you just put it into context and enjoy the beauty, both of the people and the surroundings? Is it like Morocco where you are mobbed wherever you go or can you wander in peace? xx
It does rather, and blessedly cool too, though not half so picturesque or graceful. I definitely got quite seriously frazzled and overheated while over there, but it was just my luck that it was way hotter than normal for the season from the day I landed. Even the Indians were huffing. Next time I'll go when it's cooler!
ReplyDeletePoverty in India - I was braced for finding that horrendous and hard to cope with but, although I didn't spend any significant time in the major cities (where it's apparently a lot worse), I didn't find it anywhere near as bad as I was expecting.
Plus I saw and met many people who seemed to find such joy and peace in living the simple life, it really made you question the link between all the modern stuff we rely on in the West and our far high levels of neurosis and stress!
And mobbing - children the world over can do that in their over-excitement, but I don't remember being mobbed much by adults in Morocco (it might have had something to do with your being blonde & blue-eyed?!) & didn't find it common in India either.
You can wander pretty peacefully (unless you're leaving an airport/terminal when taxi & tuk tuk drivers & 'porters' will swarm) but there is a fair bit of hard staring.
How's that for a thorough answer? xx
Rosalinda - to answer your question: the version I got was that it used to be only Brahmin's painted their houses blue (or, more accurately, 'indigo') to let other warring tribes know that they were a peaceful, praying bunch who would like to be left alone please. Then, more recently, when there was no more threat of attack & non-Brahmins started painting their houses blue too, the Brahmins didn't feel quite as exclusive/different any more & so started house-painting in other colours.
ReplyDeleteAnd the bicycle in the archway - just saw it & bagged it, no idea what story lies beneath, though given the state of much personal transport in India it could well still be a working bike, despite its picturesque delapidation! xx
Ciao intrepid traveller..is it a case of fab to be away, fab to be home? Wonderful images continue. Rosalinda..I am with you on the bicycle shot..love it and the same questions come to mind. And Emma I agree about the captions..I enjoyed the silence their absence brought...it heightened the serenity, poignancy..even sleepyness of the images..and heightened my intrigue as to the who, what, where..
ReplyDeleteCiao bellissima, indeed it is! Having all this spectacular sunshine, though with breathable air, is definitely helping me re-acclimatise too...
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the comments. Interesting about the captions - I need more feedback from a few more people on this, but it seems to be leaning towards a 'let the pictures speak for themselves' angle. Which will save me time at the editing/posting stage, but should also help me focus more on telling coherent stories through imagery alone.
I need to finish posting up India, & sending off the reviews, then I'll embark on some 'seeing-London-through-fresh-eyes' story posts... xx
great idea of seeing-London-through-fresh-eyes. I await in anticipation. px
ReplyDeleteBeautiful images Cathy, you've really managed to capture the warmth of the people. Makes want to drop everything and head off travelling now.......
ReplyDelete