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A Pan Seller. Delhi.



A pan seller in Delhi

Posted by Claude Renault 16:33 0 commentaires  



Colors. Pushkar. Rajasthan


Sitting in front of their shops on a quiet day in Pushkar. Because of the problems in Kashmir the past summer due to a piece of land for the Amarnath pilgrims, the BJP ( Hindu Fundamentamist Party) called for a strike and suddenly Pushkar was empty, quiet and closed. One shop remained half-opened.

jrphoto.wordpress.com/spotlight-interview-photographer-cl...

Posted by Claude Renault 17:58 2 commentaires  



Barber. New Delhi


A barber under the arcades of Connaught Circle in New Delhi. Every morning you can spot a lot of them working. I just love the texture of the walls in those alleys. On the left , a bicycle with a milk can...

Posted by Claude Renault 17:53 0 commentaires  



Crossing. Kolkata. West Bengal


A kid trying to cross a big avenue in Calcutta, monsoon time.

Posted by Claude Renault 12:56 1 commentaires  



Saris. Prayag. Uttar Pradesh


Women drying up Saris after having taken their holy bath in Prayag at the Ardh Kumbh Mela 2007, last january.

Posted by Claude Renault 17:52 1 commentaires  



Bananas. Mysore. Karnataka



Selling bananas on the market in Mysore

Posted by Claude Renault 14:21 1 commentaires  



Of Women and Saris. Tiruchendur. Tamil Nadu





In Tiruchendur, on the southern coast of Tamil Nadu, I met a few women who came to the temple to pray to Murugan. After the ritual bath, on the beach, in front of the majestic and beautiful temple they needed to dry up their colourful saris. I couldn't resist but to portray them the way I like.Tiruchendur, in the far south of Tamil Nadu, is renowned among Murugan devotees everywhere as one of the greatest centres of the Lord Aru Padai Veedugal’s, literally 'Six Battle Camps'. Indeed, it is here that Murugan and his deva-sena, or army of celestials, confront and vanquish the titan Surapadma and his demonic horde. This struggle is annually re-created at Tiruchendur on the sixth day of Skanda Sashti, the 'Six (days) of Skanda'.

Posted by Claude Renault 15:36 1 commentaires  



Diving. Varanasi. Uttar Pradesh



Kids diving on the Ghats in Varanasi. The heart of the city.

Posted by Claude Renault 09:58 2 commentaires  



Cooking. near Jodhpur. Rajasthan


A Rajasthani Woman cooking in her kitchen. I don't remember the name of the veggies but it was very good.

Posted by Claude Renault 09:46 1 commentaires  



Kusti. Varanasi. Uttar Pradesh




A kusti wrestler training in a Varanasi Akhara.

Posted by Claude Renault 14:28 0 commentaires  



Siesta. Pondicherry.


A hot day in Pondicherry, early afternoon, people resting after lunch

Posted by Claude Renault 20:27 1 commentaires  



Smiles. Ernakulam. kerala


Some Rickshaw drivers smiling at me next to Movie posters.

Posted by Claude Renault 10:14 1 commentaires  



Spices. Kolkata. West Bengal


Selling spices in a Calcutta's street.

Posted by Claude Renault 16:50 0 commentaires  



Thums Up. Patna. Bihar


A picture taken in Patna, the capital of the state of Bihar. Temperature was going up very fast, and this rickshaw driver was having a well earned rest. Difficult light that day.
"Thums" Up is a national drink, with a taste close to the one of Coke, a bit better for me and a lot cheaper..
Patna is a very interesting town with no tourists at all, so it's really quiet for us travelling there..

Posted by Claude Renault 17:47 2 commentaires  



Kid. Kumbakonam. Tamil Nadu


A kid on the threshold of his house outside Kumbakonam on the way to Dharasuram.

Posted by Claude Renault 10:45 0 commentaires  



Dhobi Wallah. Varanasi. Uttar Pradesh


Washing the daily laundry in Varanasi, early morning.

Posted by Claude Renault 08:10 2 commentaires  



Pink. Rajasthan


Indian women working in a dyeing factory of Rajasthan. During a pause, they take care of their babies staying there with them.

Posted by Claude Renault 14:33 2 commentaires  



Neeja. Neemrana. Rajasthan




Neeja, sitting in front of her house in the village of Neemrana. A very quiet little place 2 hours south of Delhi.

Posted by Claude Renault 07:56 4 commentaires  



Weaver. Kanchipuram. Tamil Nadu


A weaver working at his loom in his house in Kanchipuram.

Posted by Claude Renault 19:29 1 commentaires  



Praying. Varanasi. Uttar Pradesh


A pilgrim praying in front of a little shrine at night on the Ghats alongside the Sacred Ganges in Varanasi.

Posted by Claude Renault 18:03 1 commentaires  



Soni. Prayag. Uttar Pradesh




Soni, a little girl playing around inside the Nirvani Akhara during the Ardh Kumbh Mela in Prayag

Posted by Claude Renault 13:50 7 commentaires  



On the ghats. Varanasi. Uttar Pradesh


On the occasion of the full moon in february, plenty of beggars sit on the ghats in Varanasi waiting for food or money.
Here, on Assi Ghat.

Posted by Claude Renault 11:38 1 commentaires  



Pilgrims. Mamallapuram. Tamil Nadu


A family of pilgrims from the state of Andhra Pradesh, visiting Mamallapuram, 60 kms, South of Chennai.
Nestling on the shores of the Bay of Bengal, the town was once a port of the Pallava Dynasty. The Pallavas created many marvellous monuments with Sculptural Panels, Caves, Monolithic Rathas (stone chariots) and Temples. Once a thriving port trading with many distant nations, nowadays Mamallapuram is still a big sculpture centre. You can wake up in the morning to the unceasing sound of the chisels gently carving the stone.Apparently, the tradition of Pallava sculpture has never abandoned the place.

Posted by Claude Renault 11:37 0 commentaires  



Fun. Tiruvanamalai. Tamil Nadu


A bunch of kids having a lot of fun in the sacred tank near the temple.
It was pretty hot and were very happy.

Posted by Claude Renault 10:56 2 commentaires  



Saris. Rajasthan



A Rajasthani woman showing me newly dyied saris in a little factory, not far from Jodhpur.

Posted by Claude Renault 09:12 1 commentaires  



Colors. Udaipur. Rajasthan


A colorful street in Udaipur

Posted by Claude Renault 23:19 4 commentaires  



Laundry. Badami. Karnataka


A woman doing her laundry in the sacred tank in Badami.

Posted by Claude Renault 15:56 0 commentaires  



Pilgrims. Rishikesh. Uttaranchal


Some pilgrims from Rajasthan coming to Rishikesh in Uttaranchal to bath in the Holy Ganges.
I liked the almost "movie sequence" here
Rishikesh represents the Gateway to the Himalayas in the splendid Tehri-Garhwal region of Uttaranchal. The spectacle of the Ganges rushing through the Himalayan foothills is an awesome sight. Several temples dot the banks of the river at Rishikesh, which represents the site where Vishnu vanquished the demon Madhu.

Posted by Claude Renault 10:11 1 commentaires  



Namaste. Tiruvanamalai. Tamil Nadu


A Pilgrim from Karnataka in front of the Arunachaleswar Shiva temple in Tiruvanamalai 
 situated at the foot of the Arunachala hill, is one of the largest and oldest temples in all of south India. 
"

Posted by Claude Renault 13:30 2 commentaires  



Sadhu. Mathura. Uttar Pradesh


A Sadhu inside a colorful temple in Mathura, alongside the sacred Yamuna.

Posted by Claude Renault 15:36 2 commentaires  



Tired. Chennai. Tamil Nadu


Sleepy workers in a street of Chennai. A colorful setting.

Posted by Claude Renault 08:40 1 commentaires  



Dhobi Wallah. Mumbai. Maharashtra



A Dhobi Wallah during the monsoon in Mumbay

Posted by Claude Renault 15:45 1 commentaires  



Procession. Pushkar.Rajasthan




A big procession from the home temple to the sacred lake in Pushkar.
The women are coming back from the Holy lake, The band is still playing.
www.claude-renault.fr
Listen to it:

Posted by Claude Renault 10:24 4 commentaires  



Colors. Jodhpur. Rajasthan


In the old city of Jodhpur, a man leaving his home to go to the temple down the street.

Posted by Claude Renault 09:04 0 commentaires  



Shy. Pattadakal. Karnataka

Posted by Claude Renault 18:50 3 commentaires  



Sadhu. Bodhgaya. Bihar



Not only Buddhist monks cirlce the Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya, Sadhus do to.

Posted by Claude Renault 18:15 0 commentaires  



Breakfast. Pushkar. Rajasthan


Life going by while I have my breakfast in Pushkar.

Posted by Claude Renault 09:05 1 commentaires  



Savitri. Vrindavan. Uttar Pradesh


Savitri, a widow from West Bengal , coming out of the Sri Bhajan Ashram in Calcutta. She is a witty lady, charming and a nice sense of humor i thought.
This is one of the first images I took of her, then we would meet everyday.
www.claude-renault.com

Posted by Claude Renault 13:28 0 commentaires  



Smile . Tiruvanamalai. Tamil Nadu



An image shot in front of the temple in Tiurvanamalai.
A girl with her family, she actually leans on her mother's back.
Pilgrims from Bangalore ..

Posted by Claude Renault 11:02 0 commentaires  



On the Ghats. Varanasi. Uttar Pradesh


A woman massaging her legs and feet on the Ghats in beautiful Varanasi

Posted by Claude Renault 08:46 3 commentaires  



Nagababa. Prayag. Uttar Pradesh



A Naga Baba from the Juna Akhara during his holy bath on January 19th In Prayag during the Ardh Khumbh Mela last month.
You can spot the Trishul in his right hand. One of the most prominent Sadhu sects, the Juna Akhara, consists of the warrior-ascetics or Nagas (the naked). They smear their bodies with holy ash and sport long matted hair, symbolic of their devotion to Lord Shiva, generally known as the God of destruction, but to Sadhus better known as the Lord of Yoga.

Posted by Claude Renault 13:53 1 commentaires  



Begging. Puri. Orissa



A woman begging for food during the huge Rath Yatra. A famous festivals in Puri.
Ratha Yatra is a major Hindu festival associated with Lord Jagannath held at Puri in the state of Orissa, India during the months of June or July (Rainy Season). Most of the city's society is based around the worship of Jagannath (Krishna) with the ancient temple being the fulcrum of the area. The festival commemorates Krishna's return to his home in Vrindavan after a long period of separation from the people there.

Posted by Claude Renault 18:34 2 commentaires  



In Line. Vrindavan. Uttar Pradesh


Widows waiting in line to get their free meal, at 11 AM, inside the Sri Bagwan Bhajan Ashram, following the morning Bhajan Kritan, a form of singing prayer.
They get a token every time they attend the prayer room to sing Bhajan Kritan, then then can get a free meal against this token.
You can see more images of this serie here:
http://widowsofvrindavan.blogspot.com

Posted by Claude Renault 16:52 0 commentaires  



Barber. Jodhpur. Rajasthan


A barber and his customer on a sidewalk of Jodhpur, the Blue city.

Posted by Claude Renault 08:21 2 commentaires  



Monsoon . Calcutta. West Bengal


An image of a Puja on Babu Ghat in Kolkata, along the banks of the Hooghly, a tributary of the Ganges.
It was the monsoon season, but the warm climate doesn’t prevent people from living their usual lives. It was raining as I had never seen before.
The best time to visit any river in India is in the morning, and this is the busiest ghat at this time. A flurry of typically Indian activities begins at the crack of dawn as the mist rises and the sun falters over overnight clouds, to announce yet another day. Bathing. Worship. Commerce. Ceremonies of birth and death. Then, all of a sudden, the rain falls and falls and keeps on falling heavily.

Posted by Claude Renault 08:20 2 commentaires  



Bath. Haridwar. Uttaranchal



The first bath of a baby in the sacred Ganges, in Haridwar, in the State of Uttaranchal. The frightened baby must have been rather cold, as I personally verified.

Haridwar has also been called Gangadvar, meaning 'Door of the Ganges' as it is here that the sacred river Ganges leaves the mountains to flow out upon the Indian plains.

Posted by Claude Renault 17:02 0 commentaires  



Street Life. Jodhpur. Rajasthan


Selling food in a street of Jodhpur.

Posted by Claude Renault 20:52 0 commentaires  



Chai. Calcutta. West Bengal


Drinking Chai in front of his shop..

Posted by Claude Renault 20:51 0 commentaires  



Saris. Rajasthan



A woman working in a dyeing factory in a Rajasthani village.

Posted by Claude Renault 09:28 1 commentaires  



Shopping. Jodhpur. rajasthan


Rajasthani women shopping in Jodhpur

Posted by Claude Renault 09:58 1 commentaires  



Diving. Varanasi. Uttar Pradesh



A kid diving into the sacred Ganges during the monsoon as a boat full of pilgrims is going by. Varanasi

Posted by Claude Renault 11:18 1 commentaires  



Monsoon. Panaji. Goa


Monsoon at its full in the little street of Panaji.

Posted by Claude Renault 09:30 1 commentaires  



Nagababas. Allahabad. Uttar Pradesh


A Nagababa coming out of the sacred Ganges after having taken his Holy bath. Shot during the Ardh Kumbh Mela in January 2007.

Posted by Claude Renault 19:49 0 commentaires  



Street Life. Calcutta. West Bengal




A little girl playing in the street in Calcutta.
It was shot during the monsoon season between two showers.
She was in front of her father's shop, but she wasn't attached like it seems.
No cropping at all ...

Posted by Claude Renault 19:42 1 commentaires  



Cheese Shop. Varanasi. Uttar Pradesh



A Woman inisde a cheese maker shop in Varanasi

Posted by Claude Renault 14:40 0 commentaires  



Puja. Kothattai. Tamil Nadu


An Aravani ( Transsexual ) during a puja to Lord Aravan, god of the Aravanis. Few temples dedicated to Lord Aravan can be seen in India.
Here during a festival in a village not far from Chidambaram.
www.claude-renault.fr

Posted by Claude Renault 09:36 0 commentaires  



Friendship. Jodhpur. Rajasthan


Three friends chatting in front of their house in beautiful Jodhpur

Posted by Claude Renault 10:03 3 commentaires  



Pankash. Varanasi. Uttar Pradesh


Pankash, a wrestler from Mirzapur training in a Kusti akhara in Varanasi

Posted by Claude Renault 15:57 0 commentaires  



H A M M O C K. Khothattai. Tamil Nadu


A baby resting in his hammock in front of his parent's house in the village of Khothattai, near Chidambaram

Posted by Claude Renault 16:29 1 commentaires  



Kusti. Varanasi. Uttar Pradesh


A few Kusti wrestlers training in a Varanasi Akhara alongside the ghats. One is training with huge Jhoris.

Posted by Claude Renault 09:43 1 commentaires  



Sacred. Clement Town. Uttaranchal



Reading the sacred Texts in Clement Town, a Tibetan settlement near Dehradun

Posted by Claude Renault 16:07 0 commentaires  



Ganesh. Jaisalmer. Rajasthan


Women on their way to clean the walls of the fortified city of Jaisalmer. It started this year and it's nice.
It's now, possible to walk the walls all around the city.
www.claude-renault.fr

Posted by Claude Renault 08:38 0 commentaires  



Tailor. Madurai. Tamil Nadu


A tailor near the Meenakshi temple in Madurai

Posted by Claude Renault 09:48 0 commentaires  



Dr Ambedkar. Chennai. Tamil Nadu


This man living near the river in a small hut in the Pudupet district of Chennai had a portrait of Dr Ambedkar painted on his wall. Dr Ambedkar was a well known Dalit advocate and was also one of the father of the Indian constitution.

Posted by Claude Renault 14:30 2 commentaires  



Dyeing. Jodhpur. Rajasthan


Traffic in a little street of Jodhpur as Jaffa Reily is dyeing cloth

Posted by Claude Renault 11:00 0 commentaires  



Baidehi. Varanasi. Uttar Pradesh


I met Baidehi the first time 5 years ago in Varanasi. Every time I travel there I pay her a visit. Happy to see she was well.

Baidehi is a old woman, people told me, 100 years old. She is a destitute woman from the state of Bihar. She came to Varanasi to die. She is living with other older women inside a house next to the cremation ghats.
A very nice woman, I forgot her name, has set up this place for those women to die peacefully.
she was adorable.

Posted by Claude Renault 09:33 2 commentaires  



Swinging. Khothattai. Tamil Nadu



A little girl swinging her baby brother inside their house in the village of Khothattai, near Chidambaram

Posted by Claude Renault 08:22 2 commentaires  



Kusti. Varanasi. Uttar Pradesh


Wrestlers training in a Kusti Akhara near the Ghats in Varanasi.

Posted by Claude Renault 08:53 1 commentaires  



On the Ghats. Pushkar. Rajasthan


I couldn't resist posting an image in memory of one of my favorite images made in India. Waiting on the Ghats in beautiful Pushkar.
I must be getting old !!

Posted by Claude Renault 13:05 5 commentaires  



Monsoon. Panjim. Goa


Going by in a street of Panjim during the first days of the monsoon. Goa.

Posted by Claude Renault 15:00 0 commentaires  



Saris. Rajasthan


A Rajasthani woman folding up Sarees in a village of Rajasthan

Posted by Claude Renault 10:33 4 commentaires  



Wrestling. Kolhapur. Maharashtra


A few wrestlers training in a school in the town of Kolhapur. I'll add more infos later.

Posted by Claude Renault 06:58 1 commentaires  



Rue Dumas. Pondichéry


A lot of old streets in Pondicherry still bear names of French writers or explorators. Here, a rickshaw driver taking a rest Rue Dumas.

Posted by Claude Renault 11:33 3 commentaires  



Praying. Kolkata. West Bengal


A woman praying inside the Kali temple in Kolkata.
Such a nice place.

Posted by Claude Renault 14:48 0 commentaires  



Resting. Chennai. Tamil Nadu



Two working women taking a rest in a street of Chennai. In a week I'll be there

Posted by Claude Renault 13:40 2 commentaires  



Water. Badami. karnataka


A woman giving water to a poor person in Badami. I must add that before giving him water, she gave him food,
I wasn't ready to click...What else to say.
Here it seems people give often and all the time. It's a way of life.

Posted by Claude Renault 11:19 4 commentaires  



On the Yamuna. Mathura. Uttar Pradesh



Women drying up saris alongside the sacred Yamuna river in Mathura.
A long line of picturesque, pink ghats - with their steps leading to the water's edge, arched gateways and a temple, of course pink, extending along the right bank of the River Yamuna, emphasise the sacred character of the town of Mathura. The birth place of Lord Krishna, "the best known, best loved and most complex of Lord Vishnu's manifestations". Mathura is today an important place of pilgrimage. An ancient city, Mathura's strategic location at the crossroads of various trade routes - that went westwards to West Asia and the Roman Empire; northwards, via Taxila, Pushkalavati and Purushapur to Central Asia and the Silk Route and eastwards to China - ensured its position as a centre of trade and a meeting point for many different cultures

On the cover of this book: www.garzantilibri.it/default.php?page=visu_libro&CPID...

Posted by Claude Renault 21:00 4 commentaires  



Prayers. Madurai. Tamil Nadu


Tamil women praying inside the Meenakshi temple in beautful Madurai. Another month and i'll be there..

Posted by Claude Renault 13:50 1 commentaires  



Anushka. Hyderabad. Andhra Pradesh


Anushka Shetty is a beautiful indian movie star. She mostly acts in Telugu movie. A portrait taken on the set of a movie shot in Golconda, near Hyderabad.
in.rediff.com/movies/2006/jan/12jackie.htm

Posted by Claude Renault 18:00 1 commentaires  



Enchie. near Jodhpur Rajasthan


Enchie, a Bishnoi woman grinding millet to make chapatis, inside the hut seen in the previous image. The Bishnois are a community of nature worshippers in the state of Rajasthan. Bishnois are strong lovers of wild animals. It is because of their protection that in Bishnoi dominated areas, deer and antelope(such as blue bulls, black bucks, chinkaras and chowsinghas) are seen grazing peacefully in their fields despite the fact that the State of Rajasthan where the Bishnois mainly live, face severe shortages of water.The sect was founded by Guru Jambheshwar (b. 1451) after a drought in marwar region of India. He had laid down 29 principles to be followed by the sect. Bish means 20 and noi means 9. Thus, Bishnoi translates as Twenty-niners. Further the Guru told to worship lord Vishnu (Bishnu). Thus the sect called vishnoi or Bishnoi. Killing animals and felling trees were banned.

Posted by Claude Renault 11:00 0 commentaires  



Saris. Tiruchendur. Tamil Nadu


A pilgrim hiding beneath her drying sari on the beach in Tiruchendur. The last one of a series..

Posted by Claude Renault 11:36 0 commentaires  



Sleepy Sadhus. Haridwar. Uttaranchal


Coming from all over the country, often on foot, to the town of Haridwar, pilgrims and sadhus are overwhelmed by tiredness, and lay on the bare ground of the ghats, while others eat or attend to their children. I find these scenes as attractive as the place itself, better, the place would be inconceivable without its pulsing life, which often includes animals, as well as human beings. I feel myself completely at ease in these surroundings.

Posted by Claude Renault 10:27 3 commentaires  



Laundry Day. Badami. Karnataka



Two women doing their laundry in the sacred tank in Badami. For some reason the water was really green.
Beautiful silk sarees are drying up on the stairs..

Posted by Claude Renault 15:58 2 commentaires  



Betel Nuts. Cochin. Kerala




A woman calibrating the Betel nuts in Cochin.

Posted by Claude Renault 16:51 1 commentaires  



Triangle. Varanasi. Uttar Pradesh


Dishes, Playing, Boating, a daily scene alongside the Ganges In Varanasi

Posted by Claude Renault 14:32 1 commentaires  



Praying. Uttarkashi. Uttaranchal



On my way to the sources of the Ganges, I stopped a few days in Uttarkashi.
This woman was praying alongside the Holy river, holding a stick of incense ..
I loved the colors of her clothing. You can tell we are in the mountains so they dress up differently..

Posted by Claude Renault 09:53 0 commentaires  



Senoraa sarees. Madras. Tamill Nadu




A shop in Chennai called "Senoraa", behind the mirror where we can see the
reflection of the sales clerk, a woman is trying a saree.

Posted by Claude Renault 15:59 1 commentaires  



Prayer. Varanasi. Uttar Pradesh



A man praying on the ghats in Varanasi. Early Morning light.
You can see Nandi, Shiva's mount and the Lingam.

Posted by Claude Renault 09:17 1 commentaires  



Pilgrims. Varanasi. Uttar Pradesh


Pilgrims from Nepal staying a few days in Varanasi on Assi ghat. They were all coming back from the Ardh Khumbh Mela in Allahabad before heading back, home to Nepal

Posted by Claude Renault 20:52 1 commentaires  



Colors. Chennai. Tamil Nadu




Sudents in front of the University near Marina Beach in Chennai waiting for their bus.

Canon EOS 5D ,Canon EF 28-70mm f/2.8L USM

Posted by Claude Renault 17:14 0 commentaires  



Rickshaws. Kolkata. West Bengal





"Horsemen" taking a rest in a Calcutta's street.

Posted by Claude Renault 10:22 3 commentaires  



Lingapa. Hampi. Karnataka



Lingapa is a farmer from Hampi, he is plowing his rice paddy in a really magical place,
set in the kingdom of Kishkinda...

Posted by Claude Renault 13:44 0 commentaires  



Goddess. Mamallapuram. Tamil Nadu


A little girl in Mamallapuram.

Posted by Claude Renault 11:15 8 commentaires  



Playing around. Tiruchendur.. Tamil Nadu



Kids playing on the beach in Tiruchendur.
This image has been used in England to raise funds for the Tsunami that happened there in december 2004.

Posted by Claude Renault 19:45 0 commentaires  



Market. Gulbarga. Karnataka


A woman carrying a basket in the Gulbarga market in Karnataka. A Beautiful look, like a lot of Indian women.

Posted by Claude Renault 09:16 1 commentaires  



Cotton. Ayampattai. Tamil Nadu



In a small workshop located about 15 klm away from Kanchipuram, two workers wringing out cotton.
All the people in the village seem to be working in the Dyeing industry

Posted by Claude Renault 09:33 2 commentaires  



Cubist Portrait. Tiruvanamalai. Tamil Nadu



A woman smiling at me when I passed in front of her house
in the beautiful temple city of Tiruvanamalai.

Posted by Claude Renault 20:42 3 commentaires  



Tapo Ratna. Mysore. Karnataka


Tapo Ratna has been a Jain Sadhvi for the past 9 years. She is 32 years old. She is part of the "Svetambara" order, a very strict one. She is holding the "Rajurharan" in her hand, the symbol of that order. I met them in Mysore and spend a day walking with them on january first from Mysore to Brindavan..
On this image, you can see all her belongings next to her. The red bowl is called a "Patra". They can't use cars, buses, electricity, light..... etc.. They dress in white cloth.

Posted by Claude Renault 18:17 2 commentaires  



Sleepy. Kolkata. West Bengal



An old man sleeping in front of a closed shop in Calcutta.
I was just amazed at how white the pillow was.

Posted by Claude Renault 13:28 0 commentaires  



Sleepy Sadhu. Patna. Bihar



A sleepy saddhu at the door of a small temple in Patna. The Sadhu tradition has a long history. It consists of renouncing
worldly ties in pursuit of higher values of life. Ideally a sadhu lives in the society but is detached from its pleasures and pains.

Sadhus typically survive on bhiksha (alms) provided by families, and on natural resources, and they spend much of
their time in meditation.

Posted by Claude Renault 11:23 1 commentaires  



Nara Simha. Sri Sailam. Andhra Pradesh




A portrait of, Nara Simha ( Man Lion ), a sadhu from Dampur shot in Sri Sailam where he spend the winter.

Posted by Claude Renault 11:49 7 commentaires  



Kali Temple. Calcutta. West Bengal



A boy sitting next to kali inside the Kali temple in Calcutta, an incredible place.

you can see it here, On the cover of this book "The way home"

An exhibition I had in England last fall

Posted by Claude Renault 16:49 2 commentaires  



Waiting to open Up. Erode. Tamil Nadu




Two women waiting for the Perumal temple to open up, in Erode, a town in Northern Tamil Nadu, not on the tourist trail. Neither the city nor this specific temple are particularly important, the frieze with the Vishnu symbol is rather simple, if compared to the ones in most of the temples in this State, but this scene is to me of the greatest relevance, because it represents that peaceful feeling I so often had in Tamil Nadu and it has those powerful colours that I like to present flattened on the picture

Posted by Claude Renault 16:09 2 commentaires  



Pilgrims. Varanasi. Uttar Pradesh




Pilgrims from Nepal staying a few days in Varanasi on Assi ghat.
They were all coming back from the Ardh Khumbh Mela in Allahabad before heading back to Nepal.

Posted by Claude Renault 07:17 1 commentaires  



On the Ghats. Pushkar. Rajasthan


May be my favorite.. I use it on my laptop screen.

A scene of the Pushkar ghats in the morning. A woman, a man and a cow. A peaceful scene that can be witnessed every day in this little jewel of a town, all around the sacred lake. And this, despite the fact that the place has become a tourist “Mecca”.
The sacred Pushkar Lake is believed to have been created by the falling of a lotus from the hand of Lord Brahma. It is therefore considered to be as old as creation itself. It is certainly one of the most worshipped spots, and it is believed that one dip in the waters of the lake is equivalent to performing yagnas for several hundred years.

The charming lake amidst the hills has fifty-two bathing ghats, built all around it. The water next to each ghat is supposed to have special powers: the Naga Kund is believed to give fertility, Roop Tirth gives beauty and charm, Kapil Vyapi Kund water helps in curing leprosy and a dip in the Mrikand Muni Kund grants the boon of wisdom.

Posted by Claude Renault 12:45 1 commentaires  



Flower Market. Mysore. Karnataka



Flower sellers under the protection of Ganesh, on the wall, in the Devaraja market in Mysore.

Posted by Claude Renault 18:37 2 commentaires  



Chapatis. Gulbarga. Karnataka



Remambi, a moslem woman invited me in her house to have a Chai..
She was making Chapatis. When I left she insisted that I accept some.
People are so nice in India.

Posted by Claude Renault 14:01 0 commentaires  



Camel Fair. Pushkar. Rajasthan



At the end of the day in Pushkar during the camel fair.
A cropped image for once.. It 'll open in a few days this yar.

Posted by Claude Renault 16:15 2 commentaires  



Grain seller. Bidar. Karnataka


A man sitting quietly in his shop waiting for a client

Posted by Claude Renault 15:28 1 commentaires  



Going Home. Vrindavan. Uttar Pradesh


A White Widow of Vrindavan going home after the prayers. I do understand this is one image, but I shot it thinking about the other one. This is part of a set...
more images:
widowsofvrindavan.blogspot.com/

Posted by Claude Renault 14:44 0 commentaires  



Saree. Omkareshwar.. Madhya Pradesh



A woman drying up a sari at the confluence of the Narmada and Kavery rivers in Omkareshwar.
Omkareshwar is an island, shaped like the holy Hindu symbol of ‘OM'. Thousands of pilgrims gather at this holy city to offer prayers to the Jyotirlingam (one of the twelve throughout India), at the Shiva temple of Shri Omkar Mandhata. The jyotirlingam and the shape of the island combine to increase the religious importance of the island for devout Hindus.
The Shri Omkar Mandhata, a temple dedicated to Shiva, is constructed from local soft sandstone. Sandstone being easy to work with, the masons and artisans were able to achieve a very high degree of intricate carving, particularly on the upper parts.

Posted by Claude Renault 09:05 1 commentaires  



Door. Jodhpur. Rajasthan


Deep Blue is the color of Jodhpur, my favorite city in Rajasthan.

Posted by Claude Renault 15:25 0 commentaires  



Baidehi. Varanasi. Uttar Pradesh


Baidehi is an old woman, people told me, 100 years old. She is a destitute woman from the state of Bihar.
She came to Varanasi to die. She is living with other older women inside a house next to the cremation ghats. You can see all her belongings next to the clay oven where she cooks her meals.

Posted by Claude Renault 19:04 0 commentaires  



Smile. Sri Sailam. Andhra Pradesh



One of the reason I love India. Everybody is accepted the way he is. I met this young boy everyday when in Sri Sailam, his daily smile was making my day worth it.

Posted by Claude Renault 11:15 4 commentaires  



Deep Look. Amritsar. Punjab



A young girl sitting in the shade inside the Golden temple in Amritsar.

Posted by Claude Renault 17:47 0 commentaires  



Neelkanth Mahadev. Haridwar. Uttaranchal



A real nice man, Neelkanth Mahadev, a sadhu, his name meaning "blue throat", one of Shiva's name.
This image was taken on the banks of the river Ganga in Haridwar.

Haridwar located in the foothills of the Himalayas, represents the point where the Ganga reaches the plains. Haridwar is an ancient pilgrimage site, held in reverence for centuries. Several temples and ashrams dot this town and a visit to Haridwar is like stepping into a totally different world.

Posted by Claude Renault 14:02 2 commentaires  



Waiting to Go. Ooty. Tamil Nadu



Some passengers waiting to go.
Aboard the little train climbing up the blue mountains to reach Ooty.

Posted by Claude Renault 16:15 1 commentaires  



Green and Yellow. New Delhi


An ambassador going to the New Delhi train station.

Posted by Claude Renault 12:57 4 commentaires  



Cremation. Bijnor. Uttar Pradesh


A cremation alongside the Sacred gange near the little towwn of Bijnor..

Posted by Claude Renault 19:46 4 commentaires  



Market. Jaisalmer. Rajasthan


Women on the market in Jaisalmer. Apart from the colors, i also like the posture of Indian women, like this one on the right. There is something very elegant and sensual about it..

Posted by Claude Renault 10:23 2 commentaires  



A golden Prayer. Amritsar. Punjab


A Sikh reading his sacred book alongside the tank of the Golden Temple. A minimalist shot, showing the reflection of the Golden Temple in Amritsar, literally, pool of nectar.

This piece of architecture draws on both Hindu and Moslem artistic styles, yet represents a unique co-evolution of the two. During the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839), Hari Mandir was richly ornamented with marble sculptures, golden gilding, and large quantities of precious stones. Within the sanctuary, on a jewel-studded platform, lies the Adi Grantha, the sacred scripture of the Sikhs. This scripture is a collection of devotional poems, prayers, and hymns composed by the ten Sikh gurus and various Moslem and Hindu saints. The image was shot the day before the 400th anniversary of when the Holy Book was first taken to its holy site. Beginning early in the morning and lasting until long past sunset, hymns were chanted to the accompaniment of flutes, drums, and stringed instruments.

Posted by Claude Renault 16:24 1 commentaires  



Praying. Allahabad. Uttar Pradesh


A Nagababa sadhu praying in the Sacred Gange during the Ardh Kumbh Mela in Alahabad

Posted by Claude Renault 16:19 0 commentaires  



Praying. Jaipur. Rajasthan


Indians praying inside a temple in Jaipur

Posted by Claude Renault 15:38 1 commentaires  



Ayappas. Sri Sailam. Andhra Pradesh


Those pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh were coming to Sri sailam to pray, on their way to Sabarimala . They are devotees of Lord Ayappa. They go through a 41 day penance abstaining from sex, meat and intoxicationg drinks before undertaking the trek up the forested mountain chanting the celebrated three words "Samiye, Saranam Ayappa ( Oh lord Ayappa, I come to thee for refuge.)

Posted by Claude Renault 11:55 0 commentaires  



Praying Hanuman. Madurai. Tamil Nadu


A woman praying to the monkey god Hanuman inside the magnificent Meenakshi temple in Madurai.
The enormous temple complex is dedicated to Shiva, known here as Sundareshvara and his consort Parvati, or Meenakshi. The original temple was built by Kulasekara Pandya, but the entire credit for making it as splendid as it is today goes to the Nayaks. The Nayaks ruled Madurai from the 16th to the 18th century and left a majestic imprint of their rule in the Meenakshi - Sundareswarar Temple.

Posted by Claude Renault 13:09 7 commentaires  



Pilgrims. Rishikesh. Uttanranchal


Rajasthani Pilgrims on the banks of the sacred Ganges in Rishikesh

Posted by Claude Renault 15:28 1 commentaires  



Gaurab. Vrindavan. Uttar Pradesh


Gaurab playing with the rain near the Ghats in Vrindavan. Hies bigger brother made me a coffee in their little Chai shop while the rain lasted.

Posted by Claude Renault 17:34 2 commentaires  



Kalakshetra school. Chennai. Tamil Nadu


Students training in Baratha Nathyam. Founded in 1936, by Rukmini Devi Arundale and her husband Dr George Arundale, Kalakshetra has played a significant part in the revival of Indian art and crafts, especially the dance form of Bharatnatyam.

Kalakshetra (which means 'holy place of art'), is situated on a sprawling 100 acre campus at Adyar. Students enjoy that hard-to-get proximity with greenery and the sea. Today, some of the most respected exponents in the performing arts are products of Kalakshetra.

Posted by Claude Renault 07:48 0 commentaires  



Laundry. Jodhpur. Rajasthan


A woman doing her laundry in the courtyard inside her house in Jodhpur. I just love the colors and textures of the walls in Jodhpur. No doubts about it, my favorite city in Rajasthan

Posted by Claude Renault 18:14 0 commentaires  



On the Ghats. Pushkar. Rajasthan


Pilgrims drying their dhotis on the ghats in Pushkar

Posted by Claude Renault 10:16 1 commentaires  



Market. Jodhpur. Rajasthan


An older man buying mangoes on the market in Jodhpur

Posted by Claude Renault 18:47 1 commentaires  



Prayers. Mathura. Uttar Pradesh


Brahmins praying inside the temple in Mathura, alongside the sacred Yamuna river

Posted by Claude Renault 11:52 0 commentaires  



Temple. Kanchipuram. Tamil Nadu


At the entrance of the Kumbeshwara temple in Kanchipuram, waiting to open up. One of my favorite images. The brahmin sleeping, the woman in pink begging.

Posted by Claude Renault 11:31 0 commentaires  



Assi Ghat. Varanasi. Uttar Pradesh


This is the first picture I took when I got to Varanasi, I took it near Assi Ghat.
Those are the steps going up to the temple. If you go to Varanasi, there is a very nice guesthouse where to stay : Sahi river guest house ( devanandmishra@hotmail.com ), it's a delightfully peaceful place overlooking the Ganges.

Assi Ghat an important ghat of Varanasi traditionally constitutes the southern end of the city.

Posted by Claude Renault 07:15 2 commentaires  



Morning Prayer. Mathura. Uttar Pradesh




Morning Prayer in the temple near the Yamuna river in Beautiful Mathura.

Posted by Claude Renault 10:05 1 commentaires  



Cremation. Varanasi. Uttar Pradesh


A cremation scene at night on the ghats in Varanasi

Posted by Claude Renault 14:18 1 commentaires  



Peace. Bodhgaya. Bihar


Two man elegantly resting at the foot of a tree, near the entrance of the Sujita temple, outside Bodhgaya in the fields.
Bodhgaya is the place where the Buddha attained enlightment..

Posted by Claude Renault 14:46 0 commentaires  



Coming Down. Gaumukh. Uttaranchal


Five saddhus I met in Gaumukh. They are coming down from the sources of the Ganges.
You can see the double summit of the Baghirathi in the background. It's part of a national park, well preserved, beautiful.

Posted by Claude Renault 08:58 2 commentaires  



Ritual. Gaumukh. Uttaranchal


3 sadhus doing their rituals at the sources of the Ganges. I went up with them .
I already posted an image of them coming down the mountain.
In Gaumukh, tents have been installed for the pilgrims there where everybody can sleep ....
A marvellous place

Posted by Claude Renault 15:27 0 commentaires  



Danuko. Nagarjuna Sagar. Andhra Pradesh


Danuko, 95 year's old and her husband, Shamlu Naik, 96 year's old posing for me.
They are sitting on the charpoi under the porch of their house in a little village not far from Nagarjuna Sagar

Posted by Claude Renault 09:04 1 commentaires  



Holy Ganga. Varanasi. Uttar Pradesh


Pilgrims on the banks of the Holy Ganga in Varanasi.

Posted by Claude Renault 13:30 1 commentaires  



Home Sweet Home. Badami. Karnataka


A young girl in front of her house.
A Play of light in a beautiful place.

Posted by Claude Renault 09:39 0 commentaires  



Colors.. Haridawar. Uttaranchal


A kid with his mother and family in Haridwar. Those Rajasthani people were coming to Haridwar in pilgrimage, on their way to Gangotri and the sources of the Ganges

Posted by Claude Renault 18:44 0 commentaires  



Widows. Vrindavan. Uttar Pradesh


Widows leaving the courtyard where they receive their daily meal in the Sri Bagwan Bhajan Ashram in Vrindavan.
more images as a slide show:
widowsofvrindavan.blogspot.com/

Posted by Claude Renault 17:20 0 commentaires  



Devotion. Amber. Rajasthan


A woman coming to pray inside the Krishna temple in Amber.This temple is down in the village. You can get there from the back of the beautiful fortress. Although you will not find this temple in popular guidebooks, it's a beautiful one.
It's decorated with incredible marble sculptures.

Posted by Claude Renault 09:14 0 commentaires  



The Painter of signs. Calcutta. West Bengal


The painter of signs.. one of my favorite book from R.K. Narayan..I shot this on a big street in Kolkata. I love those sign painters.
I had focus on the painter with a good DOF and was waiting for somebody to come into my frame..
Indeed it came.. And he had such a sweet face, sad at the same time..

Posted by Claude Renault 09:29 2 commentaires  



Nagababa. Prayag. Uttar Pradesh


A Nagababa alone in his faith during last Ardh Kumbh Mela in Allahabad


You can see a report from January 13th from France 24, in English:

or
Click, and you'll be there

Posted by Claude Renault 15:46 0 commentaires  



Enchie. Near Jodhpur. Rajasthan


A portrait of Enchie, a Bishnoi woman, shot in a little village near Jodhpur.
She is a charming and lovely lady

Posted by Claude Renault 10:20 0 commentaires  



Home Cooking. Near Jodhpur. Rajasthan


A Rajasthani woman coming inside her kitchen to cook lunch. You can see how beautiful and clean the floor is, as always.
And the food was also excellent

Posted by Claude Renault 18:17 0 commentaires  



Widow. Alwar. Rajasthan


The condition of widows can be very difficul in India as elsewhere. This old woman was trying to cross a street even though she couldn't walk.

Posted by Claude Renault 14:01 0 commentaires  



Fisherman. Dharasuram. Tamil Nadu


On the way to the impressive Airavateswara Siva Temple, you cross the Arasalar River in Dharasuram, 7km Southwest of Kumbakonam, which I covered quite a few times on foot under the hot sun, something I really enjoy when I am in India. Almost three months after taking this picture, I went back there, to the same spot, and there was no more water.At Dharasuram there is one of the finest and most important temples amongst those belonging to the Chola period.Built by Raja Raja II (1146-63) in the 12th century,
this temple has impressive sculptures. The rivers Kaveri (Cauvery) and Arasalar flow on the two sides of Kumbakonam.

Posted by Claude Renault 20:52 1 commentaires  



At the temple. Tiruvariyaru. ...... Tamil Nadu


A woman at the entrance of a temple in the little town of Tiruvariyaru in Tamil Nadu.
A special place.

Posted by Claude Renault 13:45 0 commentaires  



Chitrai Festival. Madurai. Tamil Nadu


The Chitrai Festival in April/May is the most important one of the year. It celebrates the marriage of Meenakshi (Parvati) with Sundareswar (Lord Shiva). The two deities, riding on a golden bull and wearing pearl crowns, are brought on a spectacular procession around the town. Lord Alagar’s (Vishnu) procession to the bank of the Vaigai River on the full moon day is one of the most interesting events of the festival.
This picture was taken right in the middle of the street, going down to the river.

Posted by Claude Renault 09:28 1 commentaires  



A Proud Sadhu. Rishikesh. Uttaranchal


A group of Sadhus I met while I was going to have my breakfast in Ram Jhula. I invited them to come with me..

Posted by Claude Renault 12:56 1 commentaires  



Please. Calcutta. West Bengal


An old woman begging at the entrance of the Kali Temple in Kolkata

Posted by Claude Renault 11:07 0 commentaires  



Jain temple. Jaisalmer. Rajasthan


A Jain priest inside the main Jain temple in Jaisalmer. These are a group of Jain temples dating back 12th and 15th centuries and are dedicated to various Jain Tirthankars (Hermits). On the walls of the temples, you can find animal & human figures, carved in famous Dilwara style.
These temples are built in the Dilwara style that is famous all over the world for its architecture. The style got its name from the famous 'Dilwara Temples' situated on Mount Abu, a famous Hill station and pilgrimage destination in Rajasthan. The Jain temples in the Jaisalmer Fort are dedicated to Rikhabdevji and Shambhavdev Ji, the famous Jain hermits known as 'Tirthankars'. Like all other structures in Jaisalmer, these temples are craved of yellow sandstones.

Posted by Claude Renault 13:07 0 commentaires  



Weavers. Ayampattai. Tamil Nadu


A couple of Weavers working on the warp in a workshop of Ayampattai, a little village a few kilometers away from Kanchipuram.
You can spot all the tools and the Jacquard cards.

Posted by Claude Renault 18:34 0 commentaires  



Mermaid. Mamallapuram. Tamil Nadu


A young girl playing with the Ocean during a festive day in Mamallapuram

Posted by Claude Renault 09:34 2 commentaires  



Jain Sadhvis. Mysore. Karnataka


On january 1st, 2006, I walked the 22 klm from Mysore to Brindavan, Karnataka with a group of 8 Jain Sadhvis.

On the way to Brindavan the Jain Sadhvis, women sadhus, and I at times had to rest.
The sadhu on the left was tired, also because at the same time she had been fasting for a week.

Posted by Claude Renault 15:37 0 commentaires  



Charminar. Hyderabad. Andhra Pradesh


Charminar is one of the most important landmarks of Hyderabad. The monument was built by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah in 1591 to commemorate the eradication of plague, shortly after he had shifted his capital from Golconda to what now is known as Hyderabad[1]. Legends has it that the emperor Quli Qutb Shah prayed for the end of plague and took the vow to build a masjid on that very place. He ordered the construction of the masjid which became popular as Charminar because of its four characteristic minarets (possibly depicting the first four khalifs of Islam). The top floor of the four-storeyed structure has a masjid which has 45 covered prayer spaces and some open space to accommodate more people in Friday prayers

Posted by Claude Renault 15:19 2 commentaires  



Tea Plantation. Conoor. Tamil Nadu


A landscape for a change, the only time when I used my 70/200mm is to shoot flat landscapes.
I think images become more graphic like that.
Some women working under the supervision of a man, picking up tea in the blue mountains
of Tamil Nadu. This image was shot in a small village at 20km of Conoor. It's beautiful there..

Posted by Claude Renault 14:51 1 commentaires  



Musicians. Pushkar. Rajasthan


Rajuri on the left, Rampal her uncle in the middle and Sita his wife going to their campment outside of Pushkar. They are musician from Pushkar and live on the outskirts of the city, where the camel fair takes place, in tents.

Posted by Claude Renault 10:07 0 commentaires  



Walking By. Nawalgarh. Rajasthan



A Rajasthani walking by an old Haveli in Nawalgargh.

Posted by Claude Renault 11:27 2 commentaires  



Street Vendor. Jodhpur. Rajasthan


Street vendors in Jodhpur.

Posted by Claude Renault 10:33 3 commentaires  



Laundry Day. Jaisalmer. Rajasthan


A woman preparing the basin to do her laundry, in front of her house.

Posted by Claude Renault 17:45 1 commentaires  



Hanuman. Madurai. Tamil Nadu


This is another picture I took in the beautiful Meenaskhee temple in Madurai. This man was praying Hanuman, the monkey god. I stayed a few days in Madurai to get pictures. I could get this light inside the temple usually in the afternoon, between 4:15 pm and 5 pm.
I have been to Madurai 4 times, and will go back for sure. A city I am definitely in love with.

Posted by Claude Renault 17:31 1 commentaires  



Framed. Calcutta. West Bengal


Behind a loaded cart in street of Kolkata

Posted by Claude Renault 14:06 1 commentaires  



Enchie. Near Jodhpur. Rajasthan



Enchie, a Bishnoi woman near the mill where she grinds Millet.

The Bishnois are a community of nature worshippers in the state of Rajasthan. Bishnois are strong lovers of wild animals. It is because of their protection that in Bishnoi dominated areas, deer and antelope(such as blue bulls, black bucks, chinkaras and chowsinghas) are seen grazing peacefully in their fields despite the fact that the State of Rajasthan where the Bishnois mainly live, face severe shortages of water.

Posted by Claude Renault 13:01 2 commentaires  



Enchie. Jodhpur. Rajasthan


Enchie, a Bishnoi woman coming out of the hut where she stocks grain.
In a village near Jodhpur

Posted by Claude Renault 15:57 0 commentaires  



Laundry. Moti Bagh. New delhi


A young girl doing her laundry in Moti Bagh, a district of New Delhi.

Posted by Claude Renault 11:01 0 commentaires  



Token. Vrindavan. Uttar Pradesh


A widow distributing the token to the other widows to prove they attend the singing and prayers, a way for them to get a few roupies and a free meal.
Shot inside the main room of the Sri Bagwan Bhajan Ashram in Vrindavan

Posted by Claude Renault 10:20 0 commentaires  



Papu. Pushkar. Rajasthan


Papu from the Bopa caste, Rajasthan, India. Bopa Gypsy, is a Nomadic People of the Rajasthan Desert. In Rajasthan it is not uncommon to see people with green eyes.
I met her the first time in 2001. Now she owns a little shop near the Ghats in Pushkar.

Posted by Claude Renault 09:27 3 commentaires  



Tika. Vrindavan. Uttar Pradesh


A woman applying a tika on her forehead on the Ghats in Vrindavan.
Monsoon time and the storm came just after..

Posted by Claude Renault 09:17 4 commentaires  



Chapati. a Village near Jodhpur


A Rajasthani woman and her daugther in law preparing the dough for Millet chapatis in a little village 30km south of Jodhpur

Posted by Claude Renault 10:25 0 commentaires  



Savitri. Vrindavan. Uttar Pradesh


Savitri going to place herselve in line to get free food : a bit of vegetable, Dal and Chapatis. By coming singing and praying everyday, twice a day she can get the free food and some roupies.

Posted by Claude Renault 13:53 1 commentaires  



Meena. Vrindavan. Uttar Pradesh


Meena and her child on a charpoi where they live, near the Iskcon temple. A lot of Hare Krishna devotees visit town and those poor people wait for some help. I would meet her every morning during my stay there. She and her family live under a tent on the side of the street. Still wondering how they managed wjth the amount of water falling during the Monsoon.

Posted by Claude Renault 09:53 3 commentaires  



Waiting. Jaisalmer. Rajasthan


A Rajasthani waiting at one entrance of the old city of Jaisalmer.

Posted by Claude Renault 15:34 0 commentaires  



Sweeping. Pokharan. Rajasthan


A woman sweeping the floor inside the Pokharan's palace. The Maharaja and Maharani still live there, they transformed their palace into an upscale hotel for tourists. You can visit a little museum inside.

Posted by Claude Renault 15:29 0 commentaires  



On the walls. Jaisalmer. Rajasthan



Two women coming out a small alley on Jaisalmer's walls. I was there in 1984 for the first time and I feel bad about what Jaisalmer has become. I wish it could be included on the Unesco World Heritage Site, to prevent people to destroy the whole city.

Posted by Claude Renault 17:01 1 commentaires  



Wall. Pushkar. Rajasthan


A Nice colored wall in Pushkar..

Posted by Claude Renault 17:48 2 commentaires  



Bikaner's Palace. Rajasthan


At the entrance of the Maharaja's palace in Bikaner. A beautiful place.
Some handprints reminding some Sati on the wall.

Posted by Claude Renault 17:35 1 commentaires  



Students. Sri Sailam. Andhra Pradesh


Some students in a Lingaïte school in Sri sailam. This is shot inside the temple where they were studying.
This place is just so wonderful, not a single tourist in sight...

Posted by Claude Renault 15:37 1 commentaires  



A tribute to Mondrian. Bundi. Rajasthan


While in Bundi I saw this house , the only think that came to my mind was Mondrian.
A nice quitet town, even though I was there during the monsoon.

Posted by Claude Renault 12:46 0 commentaires  



Baratha Nathyam. Chennai. Tamil Nadu


The Kalakshetra school of dance in Madras, now known as Chennai. That school is commited to the revival of classicaldance and music.
It offers complete courses under the tutorship of a guru in the Indian tradition of Gurukulam, where education is inseparable from other life experiences.
It's a magical place set apart in a huge park outside of Madras. A very quiet place..

Posted by Claude Renault 12:37 0 commentaires  



Saree. Badami. Karnataka


A woman drying up her saree in front of her house in the small town of Badami..A lovely place.

Posted by Claude Renault 07:24 3 commentaires  



Devotion. Agra. Uttar Pradesh


Morning. A woman praying to gods alongside the Sacred Yamuna river, one of the seven sacred riversin the country, during the "Ganga" festival in Agra.

Agra came to its own when Shah Jahan ascended to the throne of the Mughal Empire. He marked the zenith of Mughal architecture, when he built the Taj in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal.
The monument is magnificent, and is usually photographed from the front. I thought that changing the perspective and including the people in the river in the morning light (6.50a.m.), might give it a more real, lively look.

Posted by Claude Renault 17:22 1 commentaires  



Theosophical Society. Madras. Tamil Nadu


This shot was taken inside the Theosophical Society in Chennai. It’s located in the middle ofa huge park full of Banyans, a beautiful tree. One get a sense of peace there

Posted by Claude Renault 17:17 0 commentaires  



Holy Bath. Gangotri. Uttaranchal


Pilgrims from Rajasthan taking their holy bath in the Ganges. Gangotri. Whatever the temperature of the water pilgrims are flocking to Gangotri to bath in the Ganges. This image was shot in May, and the water was at the time very cold.

Posted by Claude Renault 09:53 0 commentaires  



Pilgrim. Tiruchendur. Tamil Nadu


A tired pilgrim, trying to hide from the scorching sun, is waiting for the opening of the temple in Tiruchendur.
Tiruchendur is one of the six Aarupadai veedu shrines of Murugan. It has been venerated by the Tamil Sangam literature and is one of the most visited shrines in Tamil Nadu. It is located on the seashore in the southern part of the state between Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari.

Posted by Claude Renault 13:56 4 commentaires  



Upside Down, in a train from Madurai to Tanjore. Tamil Nadu


A little girl having fun in the train from Madurai to Tanjore..
I waited quite a while to get it.

Posted by Claude Renault 08:38 0 commentaires  



Memories. Haridwar. Uttaranchal


Pilgrims having their visit recorded in Haridwar.
"Most of the Hindu people of North India visit The Ganga river at Haridwar at important times of their lives, like a marriage, a birth or a death, to bath in the river and cleanse themselves for a new beginning. Now the photo shows the office of a Panda, so each family has a chosen Panda, you can say a family accountant. Whenever anyone from the family goes to Haridwar they go to their family Panda and get their visit registered in his record books along with details like name and number of people visiting, occasion, date etc. So these records are kept across generations with the same auditor's family. The volume of books look intimidating but they have a neat system of maintaining records and classifying them into house, street, locality and city levels".

Posted by Claude Renault 09:42 1 commentaires  



Winnowing. Ammampuram. Tamil Nadu


In a little village of Southern Tamil Nadu.
Village life.

Posted by Claude Renault 08:27 1 commentaires  



Beauty. Kanchipuram. Tamil Nadu


A beautiful girl sitting in front of her house in Kanchipuram. I love the architecture of those houses, where the shape of the beautifully curved porch is almost like a sculpture, inviting !

Posted by Claude Renault 16:52 1 commentaires  



Saree. Haridwar. Uttaranchal


A Rajasthani pilgrim drying up a saree on the banks of the Ganges in Haridwar

Posted by Claude Renault 11:29 0 commentaires  



Juxtaposition. Kolkata. West Bengal


The goddess and the woman next to a shrine on the ghats not far from the Kali temple in Kolkata.

Posted by Claude Renault 16:16 3 commentaires  



Sheperd. Nagarjuna Sagar. Andhra Pradesh


A sheperd and his wife, a Lambadi woman, near Nagarjuna Sagar.

Posted by Claude Renault 13:11 1 commentaires  



Water. Mamallapuram. Tamil Nadu


An Indian woman drinking at a fountain in Mamallapuram. Water shouldn't be misused the way we do it in the west with long showers, car cleaning, swimming pools, etc.

Posted by Claude Renault 11:03 0 commentaires  



Ganga. Varanasi. Uttar Pradesh


Taking care of his Grand-Son alongside the Ganges, near Assi Ghat in Varanasi

Posted by Claude Renault 12:26 2 commentaires  



Betel. Kanchipuram. Tamil Nadu


A woman in the Sri Ekambaranathar temple in Kanchipuram. This woman, after doing her laundry was waiting for it to dry and spitting betel.. A common scene all over India.
Kanchipuram is one of the 7 sacred cities of India. One of my favorite.. The other cities sacred are Ayodhya, Haridwar, Varanasi, Mathura, Ujjain and Dwarka.
In the Indian sub-continent, the leaves of the betel (piper betle) are used as wrappers for ‘pan’, a roll of raw spices that are chewed slowly as a digestive and stimulant—a chewing gum substitute

Posted by Claude Renault 14:31 0 commentaires  



Colors. Omkareshwar. Madhya Pradesh


Pilgrims in marvellous Omkareshwar. Almost an abstract painting.
Just love colors

Posted by Claude Renault 08:14 0 commentaires  



A quiet Life. Badami. Karnataka



A woman working, another enjoying life in Badami. A beautiful place.
The type of composition I particurlarly like to do..

Posted by Claude Renault 09:02 3 commentaires  



Students. Tiruparankundram. Tamil Nadu



Brahmins students going to classes in the temple of Tiruparankundram, a little town 20km away from Madurai. Those students study to become priests.

Posted by Claude Renault 10:12 0 commentaires  



Puja. Omkareshwar. Madhya Pradesh



14th of August. A group of women performing the puja in the river Narmada, in Omkareshwar. The brown colour of the river, almost overflowing, is due to the Monsoon season. Omkareshwar, located in Madhya Pradesh, on the Mandhata hill on the banks of the Narmada, is one of the 12 revered Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva. The river Narmada branches into two and forms the island Mandhata or Shivapuri in its center. The shape of the island resembles that of the visual representation of the Omkara sound, Om. There are two temples there, one to Omkareshwar and one to Amareshwar. The Omkareshwar temple built in the Nagara style is characterized by a lofty shikhara. There are also shrines to Annapurna and Ganesh.

Posted by Claude Renault 14:42 2 commentaires  



Eyes. Tso Kar. Jammu and Kashmir



The eyes of a young nomad, shot under a tent during a wedding ceremony near the lake Tso Kar in Ladakh.

EOS 1 n . Fuji Velvia. Canon EF L 28/70mm f:/2,8

Posted by Claude Renault 13:54 2 commentaires  



Beauty. Kanchipuram. Tamil Nadu



In a Chai shop in Kanchipuram.. The daughter of the owner was almost awake. So cute

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A kid and a tank. Amber. Rajasthan




A kid diving into the sacred tank in Amber. The ancient Hindu village extends behind the imposing fortress, and is surprisingly rich in unvisited marvels, like the Krishna temple, all carved in white marble. Beautiful, welcoming and peaceful. The water tank tradition is of the utmost importance in the arid and semi- desert Indian state of Rajasthan, The tank needs to be very deep, so a lot of stairs are geometrically built, a graphic delight.

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Siesta and Fishing. Varanasi...Uttar Pradesh



On the sacred Ganges in Varanasi

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A beggar. Bubaneshwar. Orissa



A beggar in front of the temple in Bubaneshwar counting her day's earning.

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Ritual. Omkareshwar. Madhya Pradesh



An old man coming out of his ritual bath in the Holy Narmada river.
One of the favorite image in my stream. It was shot during the Monsoon season.
I also like the "funny" touch since it seems that he had a "Vuitton" wallet in his pocket.

Posted by Claude Renault 17:26 1 commentaires  



Pilgrims. Sri Sailam. Andhra Pradesh



A group of pilgrims touring the sites around Sri Sailam .

Canon EOS 5D ,Canon EF 28-70mm f/2.8L USM

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Saying Hello to God. Sri Sailam. Andhra Pradesh




I went with a group of indian tourists to visit all the sites around Sri Sailam, a superb place.
This Nandi, Shiva's mount, was on top of a hill. Everybody going there was doing the same thing, I was wondering what it was. A lovely lady asked what they were doing, the answer came : "Saying hello to God".. I liked it..
A nice answer I thought....

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Walking by. Jodhpur. Rajasthan

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The Blue ctiy. Jodhpur. Rajasthan




Jodhpur is know in India as the blue city..
You find other colors too.

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Holy Bath. Prayag. Ardh Khumbh Mela 2007



A sadhu after having taken his holy bath in Prayag during the Ardh Khumbh Mela

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Pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh. Varanasi........ ...Uttar Pradesh



On the ghats...

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Krishna temple. Puri. Orissa



A old man, inside a Krishna temple in Puri, during the morning puja.
Puri the abode of Vishnu as Jagannath which contributed the word " Juggernaut" to the English language.
Puri being a coastal district of Orissa , is famous for its Historic antiquities and Religious sanctuaries

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Water ritual. Pushkar. Rajasthan




A woman performing her early morning Puja in Pushkar, opposite the main Ghats, in a rather secluded part of the sacred tank. It was amazing to observe how agile even older women were, when climbing and descending the high stone steps, urging to touch the water. The rituals were performed every day, accompanied by prayers and chants.
A peaceful, enchanting scene.

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Grain seller. Bidar. Karnataka


A grain shop in Bidar

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The Music School. Varanasi. Uttar Pradesh



A teacher playing Tablas in the Sarita School of Music.

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Smoking. Varanasi. Uttar Pradesh




Saddhus smoking Ganja near a small shrine alongside the Sacred Ganges. I was invited to join in !!

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Siram. Vaiteeswarankoil. Tamil Nadu




Siram is a small boy who came with his father, mother, brother and sister to visit and pray at the temple in Vaitheeswarankoil.The family was from Vellore. His hair had been shaved for the sacred occasion. His head is sprinkled with an antiseptic powder which is widely used after the ritual shavings.

Situated about 24 km. from Chidambaram, the temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, who is worshipped as Vaitheeswaran or Vaidhyanadha Swamy. His consort is known as Thaiyal Nayaki.

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Sarees and Puja. Pushkar. Rajasthan



Some women drying up saris while in the background some people are performing a Puja

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Baratha Nathyam. Mamallapuram. Tamil Nadu




During the Baratha Nathyam festival in Mamallapuram. It takes place every january.
Simply beautiful

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Still life. Rishikesh. Uttaranchal



A sadhu quietly resting alongside the sacred "Ganges" in Rishikesh.

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So good !. Bijapur. Karnataka




A grand mother feeding her grand-son next to her shop in Bijapur.

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Worker. Udaipur. Rajasthan



A woman working in the sewer in Udaipur.

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Bharat. Bidar. Karnataka




Bharat means India in Hindi. This man had a shop renting materials for wedding.

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Oh God... Jodhpur. Rajasthan



Two women chatting in Jodhpur...

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Faith. Tiruvappur Muthu Mariyamman temple. Tamil Nadu



Faith. Tiruvappur Muthu Mariyamman temple

When a loved one falls ill, the family prays to God to heal their child. And when the person is cured, their family takes them to the temple (usually where the main diety is a Goddess) and makes them lie down and "offered" to God, this is symbolically meant to say "Thank you Almighty, this loved one has been healed, we offer her and her good health to you, for without you nothing is possible". A lot of deadly diseases like small pox have made people over the centuries believe that a lot is not in their hands, and it is only upto God to heal them. This is a mark of reverence to the Almighty.

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