Aravanis. Chennai. Tamil Nadu
09/05/08
Dhenam, an Aravani (Hijra) is helping Tharammaal., a friend from Bangalore, during her morning bath in her house in Chennai. Aravanis are transsexuals, known as the third sex in India. They just became full citizen last April. Now they are legally recognized as a third gender and can benefit from it.
Posted by Claude Renault 07:31 2 commentaires
And the old man was sleeping. Chennai. Tamil Nadu
07/05/08
In street of Chennai at night, the old man was falling asleep
Posted by Claude Renault 10:13 1 commentaires
Praying. Kolkata. West Bengal
02/05/08
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
28/04/08
Two working women taking a rest in a street of Chennai. In a week I'll be there
Posted by Claude Renault 13:40 0 commentaires
Water. Badami. karnataka
17/04/08
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 3 commentaires
On the Yamuna. Mathura. Uttar Pradesh
02/04/08
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 3 commentaires
Prayers. Madurai. Tamil Nadu
01/04/08
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
Peace. 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 09:51 0 commentaires
Anushka. Hyderabad. Andhra Pradesh
29/03/08
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
28/03/08
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
27/03/08
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 1 commentaires
Laundry Day. Badami. Karnataka
25/03/08
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
22/03/08
A woman calibrating the Betel nuts in Cochin.
Posted by Claude Renault 16:51 1 commentaires
Triangle. Varanasi. Uttar Pradesh
21/03/08
Dishes, Playing, Boating, a daily scene alongside the Ganges In Varanasi
Posted by Claude Renault 14:32 1 commentaires
Praying. Uttarkashi. Uttaranchal
17/03/08
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
14/03/08
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
11/03/08
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
04/03/08
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
02/03/08
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
15/02/08
"Horsemen" taking a rest in a Calcutta's street.
Posted by Claude Renault 10:22 3 commentaires
Lingapa. Hampi. Karnataka
14/02/08
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
13/02/08
A little girl in Mamallapuram.
Posted by Claude Renault 11:15 5 commentaires
Playing around. Tiruchendur.. Tamil Nadu
08/02/08
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
05/02/08
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
29/01/08
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
14/01/08
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
Colors and Water. New Delhi
12/01/08
A pan seller in Delhi
Posted by Claude Renault 09:08 0 commentaires
Tapo Ratna. Mysore. Karnataka
07/01/08
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
06/01/08
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
A lot of fun. Tiruvanamalai. Tamil Nadu
03/01/08
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 13:44 0 commentaires
Sleepy Sadhu. Patna. Bihar
22/12/07
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
20/12/07
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
18/12/07
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
17/12/07
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
05/12/07
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
03/12/07
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
Balloons. Pushkar. Rajasthan
26/11/07
Pushkar was full of tourists for the full moon invading the streets at night. A lot of pilgrims.
This Balloon seller was trying to make a living. He puts his hands toward his mouth trying to tell tourists he needs to eat, a fraction of a second..
Posted by Claude Renault 10:52 0 commentaires
Flower Market. Mysore. Karnataka
20/11/07
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
17/11/07
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
15/11/07
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
13/11/07
A man sitting quietly in his shop waiting for a client
Posted by Claude Renault 15:28 1 commentaires
Going Home. Vrindavan. Uttar Pradesh
12/11/07
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
11/11/07
Deep Blue is the color of Jodhpur, my favorite city in Rajasthan.
Posted by Claude Renault 15:25 0 commentaires
Pilgrims. Rishikesh. Uttaranchal
10/11/07
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 19:44 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
07/11/07
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 2 commentaires
Deep Look. Amritsar. Punjab
05/11/07
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
04/11/07
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
03/11/07
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
01/11/07
An ambassador going to the New Delhi train station.
Posted by Claude Renault 12:57 4 commentaires
Cremation. Bijnor. Uttar Pradesh
30/10/07
A cremation alongside the Sacred gange near the little towwn of Bijnor..
Posted by Claude Renault 19:46 3 commentaires
Market. Jaisalmer. Rajasthan
28/10/07
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
27/10/07
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
26/10/07
Indians praying inside a temple in Jaipur
Posted by Claude Renault 15:38 1 commentaires
Eyes. Moti Bagh. New Delhi
19/10/07
A little girl watching me carefully in a slum of Moti Bagh, in New Delhi.
Posted by Claude Renault 11:11 0 commentaires
Ayappas. Sri Sailam. Andhra Pradesh
18/10/07
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
15/10/07
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 6 commentaires
Pilgrims. Rishikesh. Uttanranchal
13/10/07
Rajasthani Pilgrims on the banks of the sacred Ganges in Rishikesh
Posted by Claude Renault 15:28 1 commentaires
Gaurab. Vrindavan. Uttar Pradesh
12/10/07
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 1 commentaires
Kalakshetra school. Chennai. Tamil Nadu
10/10/07
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
08/10/07
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
