Happy birthday Sunny!
This one goes out to all the budding Gavaskars, Tendulkars, Virus, Yuvis and Dhonis out there.
Cricket has always been my favorite sport and visiting the origin of the Kashmiri willow was a humbling experience.
Pictured here is a sawdust-covered worker polishing off a fresh kashmiri willow bat in one of the many mills lined along the road to Anantnag, near Hallamulla. More than 10,000 people in the valley work in these mills feeding the dreams of budding batsmen across India. It takes more than 3 months for a willow block to dry up after it's sawed from a timber log. This business is also quite seasonal based on the buying frenzy during summers and World Cups.
The 450+ Cr cricket bat industry is not really thriving anymore due to the unrest in the valley and it is quite sad how one of the world's most unique industries is under threat of being driven bankrupt. Lack of electricity, archaic technology and fierce competition for production from neighbouring UP and Punjab hurts the business of the Kashmiris.
Here's to the people who bring smiles to the faces of nearly a billion Indians by the simple joy of hearing the sweet sound of willow striking leather!
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Uploaded on Jul 10, 2009
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Life is like an onion: you peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you weep...
...but if you live in Uttaranchal, it will leave you awe-struck. One layer of nature at a time.
Driving up the hills of Uttaranchal's Kumaon region will leave your jaw hurting by the sheer number of landscapes that make you go Wowwwww at every single corner.
The views of mountains, fig trees, plantations, roads, and crystal clear skies all layer up in a neat line for you to marvel at.
Shot on our roadtrip to Binsar (8000ft above sea-level) somewhere near the approach of Ranikhet, Uttaranchal, India.
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Uploaded on Jul 8, 2009
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Paradise lost
Shot on the road to Anantnag from Srinagar in the Valley of Kashmir.
The beauty of the Kashmiri valley with all its snow-capped mountains, open roads, colorful fields, beautiful people and pollution-less atmosphere is rudely interrupted by the presence of these jawans at almost every 0.5km along the way.
The army patrol is present at every single corner ensuring you never forget the turmoil that this land is in. The feeling of experiencing paradise is never too long and your senses are always jolted awake by the harsh reality that is Kashmir.
To me, this single picture captures almost everything that I experienced in my week long stay at my aunt's place in Kashmir in the summer of 2007. The war, the strife, the beauty, the peace, the color, the many layers of scenery that Kashmir provides and finally the way how easily the vibrance of life co-exists with almost unnerving possibility of death in this valley. And how it is an everyday affair for the man many Kashmiris out there.
Paradise lost.
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Uploaded on Jul 5, 2009
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Emergency call
Our Old Trusty Car on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. One last time!
This one is a 2001 Tata Indica V2 DLS with almost EVERYthing stock - no ICE even! New tail-lamps added in 2009 to replace the old faded ones, new wheelcaps added to give the car some glitz after all these years!
Its abnormally loud, slow as hell in any gear, rattles at any speed above 80kmph, sounds like an airplane taking off at anything above 3000rpm and riding it fast and hard (120+kmph) is akin to sitting in a cement crusher while its churning AND moving!
But its fun. And reliable. And doesn't break down for anything even after all these years. It goes anywhere and comes back to tell the tale!
Still lovin' it!
On another note, the Pune-Mumbai Expressway is a JOY to drive on - whichever car it is! It is 93 kms of pure unadulterated open highway road with no distractions. The phone booth you see here is a emergency call facility set up at even distances on the expressway.
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Uploaded on Jun 30, 2009
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The restaurant to nowhere - EXPLORED!
This is an actual photo. Shot at Gulmarg at the second stop before the peak of the cable-car (Gondola) journey. This is at 8,300ft above sea-level at the Kongdoori station!
Gulmarg or the "meadow of flowers" boasts of Asia's highest Gondola journey with the final stop ending near the peak of Afarwat at 12,200ft!
The view from the Gondola is nothing short of breath-taking and you will be left screaming WOW at every single meter you go up in ascent.
I was standing in the restaurant while taking this shot and the almost desolation of the place inspite of tourists is perfectly captured here.
Kashmir is truly Paradise on earth.
EXPLORE #162, Jun 27! Thank you so much guys!
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Uploaded on Jun 27, 2009
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