North India

The Entry

He was blowing his shell to announce the entry of Gurus and their Sadhu followers in Haridwar today at evening fall.
A long procession of all representative Holy men went through the city to Har ki Pauri to receive the location of the tents for all the different divisions of Gurus with their followers.
For a moment I had to think at a painting of James Ensor ...

Publication Map my India CE Info Systems Pvt Ltd Mar 2010
Haridwar - Kumbh Mela 2010-02-02 oochappan ©®

Haridwar - Har Ki Pauri

The enlightened diyas (floral floats with lamps) and incense floating on the Holy Ganga, remembering the deceased ...
A daily evening scene at Har Ki Pauri Ghat, a famous pilgrim destination to bathe in the Ganga during the Kumbh held after 12 years and Ardh Kumbh after 6 years.
It was my last photo from my visit to Hardiwar, 2.5 sec, taken out of hand, a ramp was the only support to my legs ... then I returned back to peaceful Ram Jhula.

Uttaranchal - Haridwar 2008-03-20 oochappan ©®

A town of Shrines

Near to the station this red sanctum brings arrivals straight in the mood of pilgrimage.
A blanked keeps the priest warm on this cool misty day.

main street of Haridwar 2010-01-22 11:30 oochappan ©®

Ganga in the mist

Whole North-India was completly surrounded in a thick mist for several days which revealed the Ganges in this pale foggy winter-gown at noon.
Har Ki Pauri - Haridwar 2010-01-25 oochappan ©®

The Holy Trinity

Naga Sadhu living in tents near the Ganga.

Haridwar - Kumbh Mela - Juna Akhara 2010-02-17 oochappan ©®

Going up in Divine Smoke

Walking through the Juna Akhara , you get a free spiritual treat by all the smoke rising from the Sadhu tents.
When he started caughing, inhaling too much at once, I told him Don't smoke too much,it is bad for health ! while taking a cigarette and he gave me a heavenly smile ... :)

Haridwar - Kumbh Mela - Juna Akhara 2010-02-17 oochappan ©®

The boy and his donkeys

You see a medley of all kind of people on the ghats, pilgrims spend their whole day here between salesmen and shops, a delivery of salesware carried by donkeys on a misty morning.

Har Ki Pauri - Haridwar 2010-02-02 oochappan ©®

Mango Pickle, Lemon Pickle, Mixed Pickle ...

Impossible to leave Haridwar without stuffing your bag with some items you find here in this most revered pilgrimage of India once you go along all the different shops on the main street to the Har Ki Pauri.
He was selling all kind of pickles orderly displayed to flavor your dishes ... Bon Appétit !

streets of Haridwar 2010-01-25 oochappan ©®

Well organized profession

Starting from left:
a lady going to get a free meal from the Narayan Temple with her messtim,
a man sitting against the wall reaching out his hand already for an alm,
a lady changing money into coins for the beggar,
a handicapped man by brth
Are they poor ?
No, they choosed the wrong profession, only the handicapped man had bad luck
but
they all accept their destiny ... after all not every one can become a Guru ...

Haridwar 2010-02-02 oochappan ©®

Power Cut

Always take your precautions in India for power cuts like this man, enlightening his food stall with candles and his dishes looked even more yummy ...

streets of Haridwar 2010-01-25 oochappan ©®

Ram Jhula Bridge

A view from Rishikesh to Ram Jhula

Rishikesh - Ram Jhula 2008-03-09 12:25 oochappan ©®

Living along the road

At night they pull down the black plastic to close their room. Their home with all the Gods on the wall. Taken from a rickshaw on the main road, going to Haridwar.

streets of Ram Jhula 2010-01-25 oochappan ©®

The little flying Guru - Ram Jhula

He was playing all alone, running and jumping on the stairs.
We took a wrong turn to this dead end stairs in the Swarg Ashram when I spotted this little jumping guru. After I showed him the photo, he showed me proudly his friends, monkeys jumping in the trees ...
His name is Suraj, playing in the garden of Mo (Hindi for Ohm) written on the pillar.
A fine young man learning us that we never should forget to play in the garden of Mo.

Ram Jhula 2008-03-15 oochappan ©®

Bandaged toe

An exquisite sunny healing spot for a bookworm with an injured toe ...
inspiring his soul on the ghats next to the Parmarth Niketan ashram.

Ram Jhula 2010-02-01 oochappan ©®

End of pray

The old Sadhu returns home to the Bhagirathi Ashram after his sunny pray.
Lakshman Jhula 2010-02-06 oochappan ©®

A stick at the doorway

A stick to chase away monkeys and cows from her salesware in front of her house, seen
on the way down from the Siva Temple back to town.

Lakshman Jhula 2010-02-17 oochappan ©®

Parmarth Niketan along the Ganga

It promised to be a rather cloudy Aarti.
Late afternoon I went to the roof of the ashram at the blue hour.

Ram Jhula 2010-02-09 oochappan ©®

Dinner is served

Mixture at night

Every region of India got their typical titbits generally called mixture based on chick-peas, rice, lentil, flour, potato, peanuts ... flavored with spices like chilies, coriander... crunchy fried in oil. My favorite is Murrukku believed from Tamil origin.

Ram Jhula 2010-01-31 oochappan ©®

Punjab is turban !

Without a turban you feel yourself almost naked ! Everywhere you look you see turbans, red, black, blue, safraan, all indicating their political preference.
Taken at the station of Ludhiana, a 5 minute stop, on the way to Amritsar, another 300Km, 8 hours, you follow ?

2008-02-23 14:47 oochappan ©®

Mirror, mirror on the Wall ...

The Sikh Temple Gurudawara Dukh Niwarn Sahib at Patiala is really a beauty and has all facilities for their devotees, you give your shoes for safekeeping to enter the temple barefoot passing a feet bath to keep the temple clean and when you come back, your shoes are even polished, all for free.
No gold on this temple but all is pure white, Sikhs welcome you as their guest and enjoy that you take a photo of them, women and especially the proud men with their impressive coloured turbans, of course the turban should be impeccable to be worn with dignity ... a long mirror at the immense water tank brings solace : mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the most beautiful of them all :).

2008-02-26 oochappan ©®

Free Yellow

Dancing in the sand dunes

She really enjoyed dancing on the tunes of father and her younger brother in the light of a late sun at 17:24.

Walking for an hour in full sun through this dunes of sand, it was quite surprising to bump in to them, less surprising that they imposed their performance. Jailsalmer is so besmirch by tourism that authentic life is hard to find in a circle of 100km around the city invaded by all the organised safaris.

Oh well, let's go tourist once and let them perform as the children were enjoying it ...
but
be aware here,
like Khan, a local business man, said: Before the white man was sucking out our country, it would be immoral not to take it back twice as much ...

Jaisalmer - dessert 2008-03-01 17:24 oochappan ©®

Walking in circles

Let's shake hands

At first he was rather serious in his tea stall in the middle of the dessert but he started to enjoy our visit and when we left he reached out, enthousistic, to shake hands.
A palmist can tell his future, reading his hand :).

Jaisalmer - Thar Desert 2008-03-01 14:56 oochappan ©®