I met photographer Jean-Pierre Muller during the Kumbh Mela in India April 2010, and loved his enthusiasm both for India and for photography. This photo is a part of a series, called JODHPUR the Blue, which was shot in the famous Blue City of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India.
From the series JODHPUR the Blue by photographer Jean-Pierre Muller
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Canadian photographer Bruce Granofsky’s joyous love of India, and playful spirit, shine through in his photographs. Like this one — which expresses so much about both the indomitable human spirit and the colour and joyfulness amidst simple conditions in India.
Photo courtesy Bruce Granofsky
Get updates and read additional stories on the Breathedreamgo Facebook page.
Buy Song of India, a collection of 10 feature stories about my travels in India. E-book version is now only $1.99.
Subscribe to the free — and inspiring! — e-newsletter, Travel That Changes You.
Photograph of Mariellen Ward by Andrew Adams of Katha Images
It all started with the clothes. I knew I needed a really fabulous sari or lehnga, so I went to visit my friend Manish Mahtani at Nucreation, a large clothing store on Gerrard Street, in the India Bazaar, in Toronto. Nucreation has an entire upstairs floor devoted to wedding and party clothes — and the selection is dazzling. It’s a bit like walking into a fantasy land; a gorgeous room filled with flowing, glittering, colourful clothes fit for a princess from an oriental fairy tale. I will be writing another blog all about this store, and the family behind it, soon — with photos of a model wearing some of the fabulous creations.
Read on to find out how I was transformed – with the help of three talented people and of course a gorgeous sari.
Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai, India from Goindia.About.com
The photo above is from the GoIndia.About.com site — which has a great guide to Ganesh Chaturthi — how the idols are made, where the best ones are located, etc. The editor, Sharell Cook, lives in Mumbai and stays on top of happenings there and in India in general. It’s a great resource for news, information and fascinating stories. Following are the other five top photos. (more…)
Detail from a wedding in Lucknow. Bride and groom exchange beautiful floral garlands. Photograph by Andrew Adams.
“I grew up in a small Canadian town,” Andrew told me. “Indian weddings, and all the rich cultural traditions, were completely new to me, and very exciting.”
The band plays during the Baraat in Delhi. Photo by Andrew Adams
Andrew studied photography at Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario, and apprenticed with a fashion photographer who shot weddings on the weekend. He learned to shoot weddings from her and soon branched out on his own. He loves the creative freedom wedding photography affords, and also the freedom of running his own business. After about three years of shooting weddings, he started to specialize in Indian weddings. That was 12 years ago, and he’s very excited about where this specialty has taken him.
He has shot Indian weddings in Delhi, Goa, Jaipur, Lucknow, Bangalore, Kerala, and Udaipur amongst other places. “Shooting Indian weddings gives me the opportunity for travel, to go to new locations and meet new people; that’s part of the passion for me,” he said. “I feel full of life and energy when I’m in India.”
Indian culture, as exhibited in Indian weddings, is an endless source of fascination. “They are very colourful, very vibrant,” Andrew said. “There’s lots happening, lots of energy, lots of emotion. I love the beauty of the rituals and the close family bonds.” (more…)
A glam shot by Indian-wedding-photographer-extraordinaire Andrew Adams of Katha Images. Andrew travels extensively in India, and shoots Indian weddings in Toronto, India and wherever they take place. He is also a very talented event and travel photographer.
Photograph by Andrew Adams of Katha Images
Aurovalley Ashram, Rishidwar in North India is a haven of peace and conscious living — and it also offers services to the local community. There’s a school for village children and a new playroom filled with toys and art supplies, for kids who have almost never played with toys before. To help fund the school and playroom programs, Aurovalley recently initiated an Adopt-a-Soul program. You can read more about it on my blog Help a soul to grow at Aurovalley Ashram.
School children at Aurovalley Ashram, Rishidwar, India
Tiger in Ranthambhore National Park, courtesy Tiger Watch director Dharmendra Khandal
Photograph of tiger taken in Ranthambhore National Park, Rajasthan, by Tiger Watch director Dr. Dharmendra Khandal. The Indian government recently announced the results of a tiger census, and reported an increase in the number of tigers in India from an estimated 1,411 to 1,706 (including 70 tigers in the Sunderbans never counted before) over the past four years; but in the same period there has been a significant decrease in the size of tiger habitat, and especially all-important corridors that allow the movement of this wide-roaming animal. In Ranthambhore, according to Tiger Watch, there are 27 adults and 12 cubs, but the park area size can only support 30-35 adult tigers.
In the old city of Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan
Enjoying time in traditional India
When I was in Sawai Madophur to visit Ranthambhore national park and tiger reserve, my host Satish Jain of The Farm Villa, took me on a tour of the old city of Sawai Madophur — the city the tiger tourists never see — with a stop at his home village to meet his family. This is the India I love, away from the backpacking ghettos, tourist attractions and big-city sophisticates. Click here for photos from my day in the market and a video of children mobbing me in a village. (more…)
Photograph of street in India courtesy Bruce Granofsky
~If you are planning to go to India, read this first. I have pulled together a packing list and a lot of travel tips, recommended books and do’s and don’ts that will really help make your trip smoother and more enjoyable.
Aurovalley Ashram, near Rishikesh, India is a haven of peace, natural beauty and conscious living. Visitors can walk to the Ganga, learn the Sri Aurobindo philosophy of Integral Yoga and relax in a quiet, safe and inspiring environment.
Attempting to achieve some kind of yoga ideal, based on perfection of physical postures (asanas), is not yoga. Mark Whitwell sets the record straight about what yoga is.
