In lieu of my solo travel anniversary with India, here’s some photo faves of a subject I loved discovering…Delhi, India. Dilapidated havelis, winding souk-like streets congested with workers, rickshaws and merchant shops which sell anything imaginable from saris to electrical appliances– Chandi Chowk is the bustling heart of a 16th century Delhi. The “chowk”, reknown as one of the oldest and busiest markets of Delhi, still survives on legacy practices such as the what I call, The Human Plow. Cows, considered sacred in India, laze about as men do the mule work, literally strapped to the yoke transporting mountainous cargo through the streets. As productive as worker bees, each man is a vital player to the demands of commerce–under the promise of a few rupees a day!
How do you know when you really like a place?
This weekend I was doing my fall file cleaning and came across some India photographs that I thought I’d share. Every so often, I revisit old photographs to see if they still resonate with me the way they did when I first took them or saw them. This particular series, Dostana (meaning Friendship in Hindi) is brief and came about simply when I met some children who lived in the neighboring backstreets of Varanasi’s ghats. Not an immediate favorite of mine (reason: some have technical flaws); it took a while for me to realize why I kept wanting to come back to it, despite its flaws. I figured out later, I was drawn to the very resolute expressions on the faces of the children in them and how it conveyed the hardened lifestyle they lead.
In fact, it was two years (and a week) ago that India had accidentally turned into my crash course as a solo traveler in a developing country. Shri Varanasi was my teacher and she wasn’t easy.
Video: On the Ganges (Varanasi, India)
Each year, there are thousands of pilgrimages to the holy city of Varanasi. (VIDEO)
Video: Varanasi’s Ganga Aarti
The evening Ganga Aarti in Varanasi is an hour long ritual performed daily at the bank of the main ghat. (VIDEO)
Video: “Sunrise on the Ganges”, Varanasi
GrrrlTraveler’s Postcard Diaries: Sunrise on the Ganges, Varanasi, India (2min video)
I Want to be a Bollywood Extra!
An inside peek on what it’s like to be a Bollywood extra: My Bollywood addiction started about 3 years ago. For me, nothing can rival the beauty and grandeur of Bollywood films- upbeat song and dance numbers,…
Bollywood 101: My Top 13 Bollywood Films
Whenever I tell people that I love Bollywood films, I get a confused look. In fact, they’ve been my “Best Friday Night Date”, beating out dates with a banker and an actor. What is it about these films that keep me addicted to them?
Bollywood for Beginners & what to expect:
Things you Should Know Before Going to India
India: Travel Tips…There are many websites and resources that willl give you tips to traveling in India. Here are a few of my own additions to those lists.
WHAT TO WEAR:
Buy native clothes and wear it! While as a tourist you WILL stand out like a sore thumb, donning the local wear helps you to blend a bit more and keeps you from being a “tourist” moving target. Also, the lightweight
India: Travel Reflections
As with all my travels, I’ve never traveled for the purpose of relaxation with the exception of home to Hawaii for the holidays. For some people, when you’re raised in a kind of heavenly tropical climate and gentle culture of relaxation, beach resorts and tropical getaways tend to be the last places that enter your [...]
