Lake Pichola, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India
The hand prints of women about to commit sati; an off-duty Naga Sadhu; a dish inspired by the last dinner on the Titanic … just three of my 7 Super Shots. I’m highlighting seven photographs in a game of blog tag. Thanks to Kit Whelan of Seek New Travel for tagging me to participate in 7 Super Shots from HostelBookers. I have never met Kit, but I am convinced we are related as my grandmother’s maiden name was Whelan … and because I would WANT to be related to Kit!
So, without further ado here are my seven super shots. I hope you enjoy viewing them even just a seventh as much as I enjoyed taking them! (more…)
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. I am just learning travel photography, so I really admire talented photographers.
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.
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…)
Jaisalmer by Andrew Adams
This sublime photo by Canadian photographer Andrew Adams is of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan — a former trading outpost in the Thar Desert now known chiefly for tourism and camel safaris. This photo is of Gadi Sagar, the lovely water tank that was once the main water supply for Jaisalmer. Water in the desert takes on a mythical stature, especially in rain-starved western Rajasthan.
Jaisalmer is one of my favourite places in India. The fairy-tale fort in the centre of town rises like a mirage from the baked earth, and the power of the desert can fling open your eyes and your heart. It is a powerfully enchanting place. I have written about Jaisalmer several times. Once, in this post To Jaisalmer, and also in a feature article that is one of the 10 stories presented in my book, which you can read about here in Song of India.
Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai, India
Ganesh Chaturthi takes place every year in late August or early September. It is the birthday of the popular Hindu elephant-headed god, son of Shiva and Parvati. This festival is celebrated all over India, but especially so in Mumbai where grand processions bear huge idols to the sea for immersion. Ganesh is the bestower of luck, the remover of obstacles and the god of safe travels. I always carry a small Ganesh charm with me while I travel in India.
BreatheDreamGo is thrilled to welcome photographer Dave Bouskill and his glorious photograph of the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab, India as Photo of the Week. The Golden Temple is the centre of the Sikh religion and one of the most sacred places in India.
Golden Temple, Amritsar, Punjab, India
Dave is one half of The Planet D – the other half being his wife Deb. Together they are Canada’s Adventure Couple and their travel blog is one of the best on the ‘net, if you ask me. Dave also has his own photography site, Picture the Planet, which you really have to see. The photos are truly gorgeous. It’s an honour to have one of Dave’s photos on BreatheDreamGo — thanks Dave!
Naga Sadhu (naked holy man) at Kumbh Mela, Haridwar, India
I took this photo in the Naga Sadhu’s camp during the Kumbh Mela in April 2010. I went into Haridwar for the day with two men who were also staying at Aurovalley Ashram — Lalit and Jean-Pierre. We spent an amazing day together, hanging out with the sadhus, swimming in the Ganges and having a lot of fun. I could never have had these experiences without the help of Lalit, who is a large, gregarious Punjabi man who speaks Hindi (and English and French). We spent a long time in this camp, where I bonded with this incredibly sweet young man (but I don’t remember his name!). I wrote about another Kumbh Mela day — the main bathing day — in Alone, and at home, at the Maha Kumbh Mela, the largest gathering on earth.
On the morning of April 14 approximately 10 million people streamed into the sacred town of Haridwar in north India to bathe in the Ganga on the most auspicious day during the 2010 Kumbh Mela. I was one of them. Find out how I found myself alone, and at home, at the world’s largest spiritual gathering.
In Varanasi, where the veil between life and death seems very thin, a boat ride on the river can become a journey to the other side. Come along with me on a boat ride on the Ganges River in India’s oldest, holiest city and pierce the veil.
The Ganges / Ganga River is the Mother of India. The River speaks in many voices as she travels from the high Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal. At the source, her song is joyous, full of the the jubilance of youth, the rush of fresh mountain streams, the sincere chanting of pilgrims and the excitement of the onward journey.
