Cityscapes

Nostalgia

Every couple of years, I get pangs of nostalgia for India, and the yearning to visit my home town and see family increases. The cold days of winter, when work slows down, serves as an excellent opportunity to go back home, especially with its mild weather and pleasant temperatures.

I also use this time to indulge in the rich history of this country. This has been something I took for granted while growing up as I never had the appreciation for it. Now, my travels over the past decade have wisened my world view, and has provided me a better appreciation for the rich history and cultural heritage.

On one such visit, I got to explore the richly decorated cave complexes of Ajanta and Ellora, a UNESCO world heritage site located in western India. With sculptures and paintings dating to 480 - 1000CE, these cave complexes were an in-depth study of the ancient Indian art forms. I couldn't get enough of this destination, and I hope to go there again when times are better

Ajanta and Ellora Caves

Maharashtra India

Cats of Chefchaouen

During the downtime of the winter days, I often go back to clean my archives and find interesting photos from them. In trying to juggle different priorities in the summer, I hardly get time to do this, and hence, I get perennially backlogged, to the point that I am editing photos from more than 3 years ago.

I discovered this group of images of cats in a medina while editing photos from my travels to Morocco. I was wandering around the narrow alleyways that wound through the blue-washed walls of Chefchaouen when I noticed that there were cats everywhere. Having grown up in human presence, they were completely unperturbed by the thronging crowds of the medina, and were hard to photograph. Hence I returned to those locations early in the morning, and found the cats to be far more active and playful. Here are few that caught my attention and became strong memories of my travels to Chefchaouen.

Chefchaouen

Morocco

Gateway to Heaven

In Japanese culture, the Torii (gate) is a symbol that marks the entrance from the mundane to the sacred. Almost every Shinto shrine has this unique structure, clad in vibrant orange, standing guard at or near its entrance. And relatives of this structure are found as far away as India (from where the concept seems to have originated).

The Fushimi Inari-taisha in Kyoto is unique in its long rows of torii gates, known as Senbon torii. There are more than a 1000 torii gates densely packed along the main pathways, attracting casual tourists and devout clerics in equal numbers. I found the long alleyways lined with the vermilion orange a fascinating subject to photograph, though trying to frame a shot without people seemed quite foolhardy! But just the walk around the shrine was rewarding enough.

This was one such attempt of the many trying to capture the essence of the Fushimi Inari Taisha

Kyoto

Japan

Travel Memories

It seems so strange of travel as a past-time that allowed us immerse in the community of the world, open our minds and enrich our souls. But the lack thereof is the new norm now.


A few years ago, I got the opportunity to spend a couple of days in Luxembourg. Having established that there wasn't anything worthwhile to do in this city, I decided to wander around the old town. I came across a small grassy lawn while exploring the historic ruins of the Casemates du Bock, an area of Luxembourg that had been inhabited for over a millennia. The warm afternoon sun shining on a daisy-filled meadow provided the perfect ambiance for a relaxing siesta.

Luxembourg City

Nostalgia on the Wine Route

Sunlight had yet to reach the narrow deserted alleys of Eguisheim in the early morning. But the pastel-colored timber-framed houses dating to the middle ages still glowed brightly. This early in the spring season, the houses looked bare without the baskets of petunias adding vibrancy to these inner streets. And yet, it was a pleasure to walk around and find this oft-painted location in this beautiful village along the Alsace Wine Route

Eguisheim
Alsace, France

Urban Jungle

The heart-throb of a vibrant urban jungle, which I tried to capture here, seems a far cry from the shutdown induced isolation. The bustling streets of Toronto, pulsing like arteries and veins, moving people and commerce all over the rectangular grid of the cityscape I visited a few years ago, seems a distant memory, representing a moment I may never get to revisit.

Toronto
Ontario Canada

,

Pandemic Pursuits

,

As spring turns to summer, the waterfalls roar once more, the wildflowers rear their heads again, and crisp blue skies beckon adventure seekers everywhere. Such is the magnetic draw of the few glorious months of summer in the Pacific Northwest. It is those few months which I yearn every year to go and seek solace in nature after the harsh winters.

And this year, the pandemic has put a pause on these pursuits, leaving me nervous to venture out anywhere but the nearest wilderness. But, in the heart of the evergreen state, nature is but a hop, skip and a jump away. And I am truly blessed to be here.

WA
USA

,

Responsibility in the Outdoors

,

We seek the great outdoors not to escape life, but for life not to escape us...

As the nations start opening up, there is a yearning in all of us to escape to the great outdoors, and gain a little bit of sanity that we may have lost over the last few weeks. But as you do spread out to wilderness areas all over, make sure you enjoy the outdoors responsibly. WTA, one of my favorite outdoor stewards, has compiled a helpful list here:

  1. While passing people on trail, give space to others, and give way to the opposite direction

  2. Pack in and pack out: trailheads are likely not serviced so avoid using the restrooms if you can. And if you really need to attend nature's calls, carry a small shovel and be prepared

  3. Leave no trace: take only memories and leave only footprints

  4. Avoid crowded trailheads: there is more of the outdoors to explore.

  5. And if you are sick, please stay away from where people might congregate

When I traveled around in Germany a few years earlier, I was struck by how quickly I could get from the busy urban areas to the beautiful outdoors. Having that balance of nature and nurture certainly improves mental well-being, and increases appreciation of what life is all about.

Germany

,

Seeking Nature

,

The last few months have left their mark on this planet, in more ways than one. It is certainly a stressful time for many, especially when stress relief is not easy to come by.

My stress relief has been to go out in nature, smell the fresh scent of a morning forest, see the majesty of the mountains from a bird's eye view, and hear the rustle of trees, the gurgle of brooks and the chirp of birds. Being outside, and maybe photographing these scenes, were the ways to warm my soul and clear my mind. And it is exactly these that I have striven not to do for the last few months.

It hasn't been easy, but it is necessary. These scenes will be waiting when I get back to nature.

Seattle
WA USA

Life on a May Day

4 May Days ago, I found myself in Kreuzberg in Berlin, amidst masses of people protesting for workers rights. Despite the worker movement being strong in Germany in general and Berlin in particular, apart from a few hastily scribbled signs, this "protest" carried a celebratory atmosphere. Humanity greeted me whichever direction I turned and whichever street I took. People were certainly enjoying the "Punk Life"

I can only imagine how the situation right now is. Social distancing protests certainly doesn't carry the same carnival atmosphere as what I had witnessed in Berlin in 2016

Berlin
Germany