Anoop Negi's photostream  

In the harsh sun light of a Goan summer a woman from the tribal lands of Karnataka stirs up a pail of coconut shavings to pound them in a large stone mortar and pestle that she holds in the other hand.

Goa is more known for its beaches, tanned flesh, food and carnevale then for its salt. Here right next to Panjim, salt making goes on in the summer months. I guess since no tourists arrive here during that period, no one even mentions the existence of these historic mines which work on the principle of solar evaporation of the saline water that reaches up the Mandovi in the summer months.

In Goa, during the months of summer, nothing moves, not even the breeze, it is hot and sultry and almost impossible to think. The famous beaches are not happening as the water is so murky and full of churning that the currents are vicious.

The only activity that seems to occur during this hottest part of the year in Goa is the making of Salt and living life and dreaming of the monsoon to break and bring the rains.

Dates
Taken on June 1, 2010 at 1.08pm IST (edit)
Posted to Flickr January 27, 2012 at 4.24PM IST (edit)
Exif data
Camera Nikon D300
Exposure 0.002 sec (1/500)
Aperture f/9.0
Focal Length 17 mm
ISO Speed 200
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash No Flash

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India has a holiday today. A National Holiday for this day Indian adopted a Constitution and set the bedrock of democracy within a constitutional framework.

The big event of the day - A Republic Day Parade in Delhi. I remember peeping on to that many decades ago. Now you can see it on the idiot box.

"Vande Mataram" , is a catechism of sorts that intellectually defines the Republic Day in India as much as the popular parade does for the masses. It is a poem written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1882 and is an obeisance to the power goddess Durga.

Vande Matram was the offering and greeting that freedom fighters used while communicating with each other in the halcyon days of the struggle to overcome the colonial rule in the late 19th and early 20th century.

The first two verses of the poem "vande Mataram" form the "National Song" of the Republic of India.

This text is the calligraphic creative work of Uday Tadphale, a wonderful creative artist with absolutely rocking good credentials.

He is on flickr -- Uday Tadphale on Flickr

You can see his creative work here

You can download this image and use it as a Display Icon for Twitter, Flickr or Facebook or what ever.
Please do so. Much obliged.

Thank you Uday Tadphale for sharing your creative genius.

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Marriages made for Photography.

Esha Marwah and Sumit Gurjar.

I think the marriage ceremony had just got over. A brief exchange of conversation between the groom and the bride. Perhaps, relief that all had gone well.

Dates
Taken on May 18, 2011 at 12.33pm IST (edit)
Posted to Flickr January 23, 2012 at 9.34AM IST (edit)
Exif data
Camera Nikon D300
Exposure 0.017 sec (1/60)
Aperture f/3.5
Focal Length 50 mm
ISO Speed 400
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash No Flash
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Captions are kind courtesy, Susmitha Yashodhar

Hands on Approach to Religion.

Hinduism has the biggest pantheon of Gods and godesses. Way too many to count.

A 1000 Women gather here to raise their hands in concert to pay obeisance to the powerful female goddess who is an incarnation of Parvati, the Divine consort of Shiva.

The female goddesses which are incarnations of Parvati are all power symbols - fiery, brandishing weapons, riding a tiger and destroying evil and all that....and some of them are Chandi, Kali, Durga, Bhavani, Annapurna, Shakti, Jagadamba, Ishwari etc.

To the popular salutation of " Jai Mata di" the women chant their devotion.

This take is a slow shutter release done to capture the hand and minor motion.
Dates
Taken on October 15, 2010 at 6.44pm IST (edit)
Posted to Flickr January 15, 2012 at 11.07PM IST (edit)
Exif data
Camera Nikon D300
Exposure 0.25 sec (1/4)
Aperture f/4.5
Focal Length 52 mm
ISO Speed 800
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash No Flash
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This is a take of a cardboard cut out for display at a temple.

The goddess is ostensibly Durga riding a tiger and holding a sword aloft in her hand.

One half of India is a worshipper of Power and a whole lot of people gravitate towards such divinities for attaining success in their life.

The Devotees coming up, in the next take.

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