Whenever I get an invitation to visit a cold place I am generally not too excited. I was born in the foothills of the Himalayas (Himachal Pradesh) therefore snow, mountains, and high altitudes generate feelings of home not wanderlust. But invitation to visit the Arctic was different. I had never crossed the 66 degree latitude for one and the opportunity to relive your childhood storybook fantasies of reindeers-rides and huskies sledges is too hard to resist.
Nov 06, 2011 | Categories: Travelogues | Tags: arctic adventures images, arctic husky ride, arctic lapland, documentary photographer india, husky ride lapland, indian photographers, photographer in India, photographers in delhi, photojournalist india, reindeer ride lapland, reindeer rides arctic, travel photographer in India | Leave A Comment »
Most African Safari junkies round off their African bush adventures by dipping their feet in the waters of one of the white-sand beaches of the Zanzibar Archipelago. But I headed straight for Zanzibar even before I saw my first thomson’s gazelle. I had just completed an exhausting shoot in Tanzania and there is nothing like the Islands of the Zanzibar Archipelago to rest your body and soul. It was meant to be a quite holiday but I just could not resist picking up my camera again to photograph the quaint islands, the placid beaches, and its warm people.
Nov 02, 2011 | Categories: Travelogues | Tags: documentary photographer india, indian photographers, islands africa, photographer in India, photographers in delhi, photojournalist india, travel photographer in India, zanzibar africa, zanzibar archipelago, zanzibar images | 2 Comments »
If you are photographing in Assam for the first time like I was, you would do well not to carry a heavy long-angled zoom. Everything is so vast here that it wont fit your frame unless you carry a wide-angled lens in your camera bag. In Kaziranga National Park the rhinos often breach that invisible man- animal line and come close enough to ram your gypsy turtle. For this reason they send an armed guard with every three gypsies to scare the rhinos with blank shots.
Oct 25, 2011 | Categories: Travelogues | Tags: assam images, assam majuli, documentary photographer india, images north east india, indian photographers, majuli river island, majuri largest river island, photographer in India, photographers in delhi, photojournalist india, travel photographer in India, tribes of majuli | 2 Comments »
As a travel photographer I had become accustomed to being the first one to arrive at any landmark at any place I visited. I would have taken the best shots with the early morning sun much before the first tourists began to troop in. But when I stepped out of my hotel in Kanyakumari at six in the morning, I was shocked to find a sea of humanity already there at the beach. Groggy-eyed I tried to look for a vantage position to photograph the rising sun. But every nook and cranny was taken and every tourist was smugly poised with his camera.
Oct 19, 2011 | Categories: Travelogues | Tags: cape comrine, documentary photographer india, images kanyakumari, images tamil nadu, indian photographers, kanyakumari, photographer in India, photographers in delhi, photojournalist india, photos south india, south india, tamil nadu, travel photographer in India | Leave A Comment »
If you visit Wadi Rum in Jordan, a night’s halt is a must . Not just for the stars that shine so lustrously in the desert sky but for the exotic and authentic Arabian experience it accords. Thankfully there are no hotels in this desert so the only way you can have a lay over here is in bedouin-like camps. From the food to the interiors, the camps compete with each other in giving the best bedouin experience.
Oct 14, 2011 | Categories: Travelogues | Tags: arabian nights, bedouins middle-east, documentary photographer india, indian photographers, jordan desert, jordan images, night in the desert, photographer in India, photographers in delhi, photojournalist india, travel photographer in India, wadi rum desert, wadi rum images | 2 Comments »
Known as `Valley of the Moon’ Wadi Rum in Jordan is not just a nature lover’s moonscape. Its also a great place for sport aficionadas. The sheer cliffs and escarpments of Wadi Rum desert offer enough challenge to the hardiest of climbers. No wonder serious mountaineering and trekkers flock to these huge sandstone mountains all the year around.
Oct 08, 2011 | Categories: Travelogues | Tags: documentary photographer india, indian photographers, jordan middle east, middle east desert, mountaineering in Jordan, mountaineering in wadi rum, photographer in India, photographers in delhi, photojournalist india, rock-climbing, travel photographer in India, wadi rum desert | Leave A Comment »
If you fly into Zanzibar you will be rewarded with fantastic aerial views of turquoise and blue waters and views of the emerald eden-like islands of the Zanzibar archipelago. Zanzibar is indeed quite an African oasis. Who would imagine white sand beaches on the African continent? But every year this beautiful island attracts thousands of tourists from around the world- chiefly from the Middle-East , Europe and Asia. Most tourists visiting the mainland for its wildlife round off their trip by cooling their heels in the cool , calm waters of Zanzibar.
Sep 16, 2011 | Categories: Travelogues | Tags: african island zanzibar, beaches zanzibar, documentary photographer india, photographer in India, photographers in delhi, Photographs of zanzibar, photographs of zanzibar archipelago, photojournalist india, spice tours zanzibar, stone town zanzibar, travel photographer in India, white sand beaches zanzibar, zanzibar archipelago, zanzibar tanzania | Leave A Comment »
Like all summits in the hills, Hatu Peak is also a religious place with its temple and designated deity. Once a year (June 20) people from all the apple growing villages lying below Hatu gather here for a traditional festival that has been celebrated for generations. In the past the villagers would walk up to Hatu. But today a motorable road cuts up through the dense forest and meanders to the top. The economy of the apple growers has thrived over the years and now they drive up to Hatu in their new four-wheel drives.
Sep 12, 2011 | Categories: Travelogues | Tags: apple orchards himachal, documentary photographer india, hatu peak, himachal, himachal pardesh, images himachal pradesh, images narkanda, indian photographers, narkanda shimla, photographer in India, photographers in delhi, photojournalist india, rural himachal, shimla himachal, travel photographer in India | 5 Comments »
If Petra is Jordan’s historical heritage, Wadi Rum is its Arabian Nights. Its in Wadi Rum where folklore meets imagination. No matter which part this small peaceful Middle-Eastern country you travel in, all reference points are invariably of the desert. Its just as well. Over thousands of centuries, the life of the Jordanians have been shaped by the deserts. Almost seventy five percent of Jordan is desert-like, much of it uninhibited. The civilization is squeezed to a narrow strip around river Jordan and the Dead Sea.
Sep 07, 2011 | Categories: Misc, Travelogues | Tags: desert middle-east, documentary photographer india, images wadi rum, indian photographers, jordan images, jordan wadi rum, photographer in India, photographers in delhi, photojournalist india, travel photographer in India, wadi rum deserts, wadi rum jordan | Leave A Comment »
Hornbill festival like most cultural festivals is essentially manufactured exotica. It is a big draw for exotica seeking tourists and for lazy journalists like myself who get to see the shoot Naga tribes in their tribal finery all under one roof without getting into the trouble of going into the hinterland where the real tribes actually live. That of course takes a lot of perseverance, time , sweat and given the condition in Nagaland some degree of personal risk. Unfortunately I had stomach for none
Jul 13, 2011 | Categories: Travelogues | Tags: documentary photographer india, hornbill festival in nagaland, india, indian countryside, land of the nagaa, naga dance, naga tribes, naga warriors, nagaland, nagaland insurgency, nagaland state, nagas, north east India, north east India photographs, north east Indian states, north eastern states of India, photographer in India, photographers in delhi, photographs of north east India, photographs of the hornbill festival in Nagaland, photojournalist india, rural india, rural indian in north east, seven north east states of India, state of nagaland, strife torn north east, travel photographer in India | Leave A Comment »
Why would Prince William and Kate Middleton want to spend their honeymoon in Jordan of all the places in the world? Like everyone else I had wondered about it when I read the news. But on a recent trip to this middle-east country I realised why. Jordan is an oasis of peace in an area where suicide-bombings, repressions, reprisal shellings and political uprisings are a daily norm.
Jun 01, 2011 | Categories: Travelogues | Tags: ancient caves at petra, ancient city of petra, aqaba jordan, aqaba sea port, biblical sites in jordan, dead sea jordan, desert in jordan, floating in the dead sea, jerash jordan, jordan, jordanian girls, jordanian people, jordanian women, middle east asia, middle-east, middle-eastern country, middle-eastern desert, monuments in jordan, mt nebo, petra, petra by night, petra monuments, photographs of jordan, photographs of middle-east, photographs of petra, rock-climbing in wadi rum, seventh wonder of the world petra, wadi rum, wadi rum cliffs, wadi rum desert, wadi rum mountains | Leave A Comment »
Having chased tigers unsuccessfully in tiger reserves across India , Sunderbans is the last place where I expect to see the elusive cat. Tiger sightings are the rarest in Sunderbans. Even the guides mark it as a special event on their calendar if they happen to site a tiger. Its easy to see why.
May 21, 2011 | Categories: Travelogues | Tags: documentary photographer india, indian tigers, largest mangrove forest in the world, man-eating tigers, man-eating tigers of sunderbans, mangrove forest india, north east India, people living in sunderbans, photographer in India, photographers in delhi, photographs of sunderbans, photojournalist india, sunderban tigers, sunderbans bengal, sunderbans delta, sunderbans mangrove forest, sunderbans tiger reserve, sunderbans travelogue, the royal bengal tiger, tiger-man conflict in sunderbans, tigers in india, tigers in sunderbans india, travel photographer in India, west bengal, world heritage site nature, world heritage site sunderbans | 4 Comments »
It can be pretty cheesy doing the usual exotic activities a country is famous for. Riding a reindeer sledge in the Arctic a la Santa is certainly one such. Its almost like jumping onto a bullock cart or a rickshaw ride in India. But Reindeer Sledging is something much more. No matter how old you are you cannot help but think of partaking in a Christmas legend you grew up reading through school.
May 17, 2011 | Categories: Travelogues | Tags: arctic circle, arctic cold, arctic in finland, arctic in Lapland, arctic snow, arctic winter, beyond the arctic circle, cold, cold countries, cold temperatures, Europe, European country, Finland, finland in spring, finland in winter, Finnish people, finns, land of santa clause, Lapland, life in the arctic, near the north pole, north European country, northern lights, photographs of finland, photographs of Lapland, photographs of snow, santa clause, Scandinavia, Scandinavian country, snow, snow bound countries, snow in the arctic | 7 Comments »
Imagine a man thinking of making a 347 room luxurious villa for himself out of the misery of the people he is supposed to serve. Surprisingly the Maharaja is glorified to this day for this `noble’ gesture. Today Umaid Bhawan Palace is divided between a luxury hotel , a museum and the residence of the Maharajas’s successors. It still remains the largest private residence in the world.
May 07, 2011 | Categories: Travelogues | Tags: cenotaphs of mandor, colours of rajasthan, documentary photographer india, forts of rajasthan, indian forts, indian photographers, jodhpur, jodhpur eatries, jodhpur sweets, mandor, mehrangarh fort, monuments in rajasthan, omelette shop, photographer in India, photographers in delhi, photographs of jodhpur, photographs of rajasthan, photojournalist india, rajasthan, rajasthan people, rajasthan photographs, rajasthan sweets, sashi samosa shop, shri mishrilal hotel, street photography jodhpur, street photography rajasthan, streets of rajasthan, travel photographer in India, Umaid Singh Bhawan | Leave A Comment »
What do you do with at a place that has only one season? Cherrapunji the land of perpetual monsoons has the same scenery of mist , clouds, fog and the rain-washed hills no matter what time of the year you arrive here. It has already begun to rain in Shillong when I take the undulating road to Cherrapunji approx. 60 kilometers away. Thankfully by the time I reach Cherrapunji the rain has spent itself and is reduced to occasional busts of drizzle.
Apr 28, 2011 | Categories: Travelogues | Tags: caves in cherrapunji, cherrapunji, cherrapunji wettest place on earth, documentary photographer india, highest rainfall in the world, indian countryside, indian photographers, khasi hills meghalaya, khasi people, meghalaya landscape photographs, meghalaya state, north east India, north east India photographs, north east Indian states, north eastern states of India, people of north east, photographer in India, photographers in delhi, photographs of north east India, photojournalist india, rural indian in north east, seven north east states of India, sohra meghalaya, travel photographer in India, waterfalls in cherrapunji, waterfalls in india, wettest place on earth meghalaya | Leave A Comment »
Whenever you enter a Tiger Reserve you are told – enjoy the rest of the forest and the other mammals and birds too. But that’s impossible. Everyone has eyes out only for the tiger.
Apr 21, 2011 | Categories: Travelogues | Tags: animal conservation, animal photos, animals in nature, asian mammals, bandavgarh fort, bandavgarh photographs, bandavgarh tigers, bandhavgarh national park, bandhavgarh tiger reserve, documentary photographer india, Indian animals, Indian eco-system, Indian environment and forests, Indian forests, Indian jungles, Indian national parks, Indian nature reserves, indian photographers, Indian wildlife, man animal conflict, photographer in India, photographers in delhi, photographs of animals in India, photojournalist india, preserved animal habitat, tigers in bandavgarh, travel photographer in India, wild animals in India, wildlife, wildlife in asia, wildlife in India, wildlife photographer india, wildlife photographers india | Leave A Comment »
Its not just the deer the animal loving Rajasthani’s idolize. At the Karni Mata temple 30kms short of Bikaner you encounter the wildest freak show of your life. Known as the `Rat temple’ around the world, the devout here however mean serious business. The temple run over by more than 20,000 rats are revered, fed and encouraged to crawl over your feet for good luck. This temple is definitely not for the squeamish and we beat a hasty retreat from the threshold.
Mar 26, 2011 | Categories: Travelogues | Tags: ancient cultures, ancient rituals, bikaner and jodhpur highway, bikaneri foods, colourful turbans of rajasthan, colours of rajasthan, culture of rajasthan, desert in India, desert state of India, documentary photographer india, exotic indians, god of rats, highway in rajasthan, hindu temple of rats, Indian colours, indian photographers, indian temple, jodhpur and bikaner, karni mata temple, karni rat temple, mata karni temple, photographer in India, photographers in delhi, photographs of rajasthan, photographs of rat temple bikaner, photographs of rats, photojournalist india, photos of rajasthan, rajasthan, rajasthan culture, rajasthan state, rajasthani cuisine, rajasthani dress, rajasthani food, rajasthani women, rat god, rat temple, rat temple in bikaner, traditions of rajasthan, travel photographer in India, worshiping rats in india, worshipping rodents in india | Leave A Comment »
(Whenever you meet a foreign tourist in India you inevitably get asked about Goa. I had never been to Goa and had no intention to go there until work took me there in november 2010. I am not a beach person though i have frolicked in some beaches in Malaysia and Zanzibar. In comparison Goa was a disappointment. A magazine however asked me to write a travelogue on the carnival atmosphere in Goa during the year end. I must admit i have not really written so much about my disappointment in the piece.)
Mar 11, 2011 | Categories: Travelogues | Tags: arabian sea, beach, beaches in goa, best beaches in the world, documentary photographer india, exotic beaches, goa, goa beach, goa beaches photos, goa photos, goa state, images goa, indian beaches, indian photographers, photographer in India, photographers in delhi, photographs goa, photojournalist india, tourist destination in india, tourists, travel photographer in India | 3 Comments »
Jaisalmer itself is exotic enough and the smell and feel of the
desert emanates from every street. If you have made the traditional touristy circuit
like I did- arriving first in the capital Jaipur then Jodhpur and now Jaisalmer, you
will see the colour palate of cities shifting dramatically from pink to blue to golden.
Mar 08, 2011 | Categories: Travelogues | Tags: camel man, desert photos, documentary photographer india, exotic india photographs, indian camel, indian countryside, indian desert, indian photographers, jaisalmer, jaisalmer photographs, khuri village, khuri village dunes, photographer in India, photographers in delhi, photographs of rajasthan, photographs of sand dunes, photojournalist india, photos of camel, photos rajasthan, rajasthan, rajasthan photographs, sunset in the desert, sunset photographs in rajasthan, travel photographer in India, travelling in jaisalmer, travelling in rajasthan, travelogue on rajasthan | 5 Comments »
I travelled to Sarahan with my mom in the winter of 2007. A devote and a non-believer we both found our own meaning in this small Himachali hill town. ( Published in Deccan Herald 2010)
Feb 25, 2011 | Categories: Travelogues | Tags: documentary photographer india, hill architecture, himachal, himachal pradesh, himachali architecture, himachali temple, himachali town, himalayas, hindu, india, indian photographers, mountain photos, pagoda roof, photographer in India, photographers in delhi, photographs himachal pradesh, photographs of himachal, photographs of mountains, photographs of the hills, photojournalist india, photos himachal, pilgrim town, religion, sarahan, shimla, temple, temple architecture, travel photographer in India, travel photos himachal, travel photos india, wooden house | 2 Comments »
However I was so busy capturing them in my camera that I forgot to observe. Today I realise how photography can often be done at the expense of observation. I had even read somewhere that a man can at best work on one of his faculties at one time. Engaging oneself in more than one does justice to neither. I must admit that while I try to keep my angle right my focus and exposure right I often miss out on the human details that can be observed in stillness of mind and contemplation.
May 02, 2010 | Categories: Kanchenjuna Expedition Diary 2004 | Tags: adventure in Himalayas, adventurous climb, army expedition, asia, climbers, climbing mountains, dancing, glaciers, Himalayan mountain photographs, himalayas, ice, ice cap, india, Indian army climbers, Indian army mountain expedition, Indian army mountaineers, Indian Himalayas, kanchendzonga, Kanchenjunga, Kanchenjunga mountain, mountain climbers, mountain expedition, mountaineering, mountaineers, mountains, Nepal, nepali dance, nepali dances, nepali sherpas, photographs of Kanchenjunga, photography, photography and observation, receding glaciers, Sherpa mountaineers, sherpas, sherpas dancing, snow, south east asia, third highest mountain | Leave A Comment »
take quite a lot of shots of the members climbing up from the `crampon-point. I was also in time there to catch them descending. Today the team members besides Jaidev who is in Ramche, consolidate in Base Camp. According to Kazi who himself arrived here today, after sorting our some issues with his large employees, there are 42 people in Base Camp tonight.
Mar 04, 2010 | Categories: Kanchenjuna Expedition Diary 2004 | Tags: advanced base camp, adventure in Himalayas, adventurous climb, army expedition, asia, base camp kanchenjunga, camp at kanchenjunga, climbers, climbing members, climbing mountains, glaciers, Himalayan mountain photographs, himalayas, ice, ice cap, india, Indian army climbers, Indian army mountain expedition, Indian army mountaineers, Indian Himalayas, kanchendzonga, Kanchenjunga, Kanchenjunga mountain, mountain climbers, mountain expedition, mountaineering, mountaineers, mountains, Nepal, nepali sherpas, photographs of Kanchenjunga, receding glaciers, Sherpa mountaineers, sherpas, snow, south east asia, third highest mountain | Leave A Comment »
The food had been very bland and tepid until Col Sharma arrived at the Base Camp with Lama-our cook and waiter on 16th. By 17th every member is in the Base Camp except for Jaidev who is looking after the steady supply of provisions from Ramche to Base Camp.
Mar 04, 2010 | Categories: Kanchenjuna Expedition Diary 2004 | Tags: adventure in Himalayas, adventurous climb, army expedition, asia, base camp, base camp kanchenjunga, camp, climbers, climbing mountains, glaciers, Himalayan mountain photographs, himalayas, ice, ice cap, india, Indian army climbers, Indian army mountain expedition, Indian army mountaineers, Indian Himalayas, kanchendzonga, Kanchenjunga, Kanchenjunga mountain, mountain climbers, mountain expedition, mountain expetidions, mountaineering, mountaineers, mountains, Nepal, nepal photographs, nepali sherpas, photographs of expeditions, photographs of Kanchenjunga, receding glaciers, Sherpa mountaineers, sherpas, snow, south east asia, third highest mountain, travelogue from nepal | Leave A Comment »
It is daunting to say the least and I seriously doubt if the likes of Amit who stands horrified next to us will be able to make it to Camp 1, let alone the summit. I am using the old Olympus Manual camera and the 600mm lens to take pictures of them crawling tediously over the sheer vertical climb of the mountain.
Mar 04, 2010 | Categories: Kanchenjuna Expedition Diary 2004 | Tags: adventure in Himalayas, adventurous climb, army expedition, asia, base camp, climbers, climbing, climbing mountains, glaciers, Himalayan mountain photographs, himalayas, ice, ice cap, india, Indian army climbers, Indian army mountain expedition, Indian army mountaineers, Indian Himalayas, kanchendzonga, Kanchenjunga, kanchenjunga base camp, kanchenjunga climbers, Kanchenjunga mountain, mountain climbers, mountain expedition, mountaineering, mountaineers, mountaineers in nepal, mountains, Nepal, nepal mountain photographs, nepali sherpas, photographs of Kanchenjunga, receding glaciers, Sherpa mountaineers, sherpas, snow, south east asia, third highest mountain | Leave A Comment »