Sunsets on Lake Vembanad in Kerala

The warm colors that you see in these photographs are very genuine. The sunset we saw on Lake Vembanad was colourful with oranges and yellows fading into darkness. In the foreground you can see fishing boats silhouetted against the fading sky.

A canoe silhouetted in the distance with two people fishing.

This is a cropped photographed of the one above. Two fishermen in a canoe silhouetted against an orange sky.

A photograph of this yellow glowing ball of the sun sinking fast. A fishing trawler is silhouetted against the horizon.

You might also like Sunrise and Sunsets or Two boatmen in a canoe in the ocean or Canoes on the river Hooghly or Fishing Trawlers in the Gulf of Thailand

For panoramic nature scenes or blog headers try Nature headers of a lake-side or for other nature scenes try Nature headers of beach scenes or Panchgani scene of lake and hills or Free Headers of Nature Scenes - Lake and Trees
Try the label "Nature Headers" if you are looking for more free nature headers for your blog. For Urban landscapes which can be used for headers click the label Urban Landscapes.
If you click the label Headers, you will find both nature as well as urban scenes or try any of the labels below this post.

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Free Desktop Wallpapers or Backgrounds

These are simple desktop wall papers, just a clean dark sky with a hill in the foreground and the sky. Suitable for laptops.

A dark red sky with a glowing setting sun and the hills and trees silhouetted against the red and yellow sky.

A rainbow type dark violet and blue sky with a half moon and a dark hill in the background.

A lighter version of the same image.

A dark blue sky fading into white and a half-moon hanging in there. A dark hill silhouette against the sky.

A simpler verson of the violet sky with the half-moon.

You might also like some different types of backgrounds or wall papers: Textile graphics or textile art or Fish Tank images or just simple colorful geometric backgrounds
Or check out all the photos filed under the label "Wallpapers" where you will find pictures of scenes and flowers.


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Masked girls and women of Pune

The masked women of Pune are an anomaly. They are modern, drive their own vehicles, work outside the home, and are well educated. Yet they tie a scarf which covers their face and hair. A visitor might think this is some sort of repression going on. A gang of visiting Muslim girls from Kashmir asked one of the masked girls why they did this when they don't have to! Well, the answer was "Pollution!" Pune air is polluted and the sun is harsh. Driving a two-wheeler on a regular basis spoils the hair not to mention the delicate facial skin.

A young girl riding a scooter with a white scarf covering her face.

A young woman driving a scooter with a light blue scarf covering her face and head.

And the kids are learning young to protect themselves against the elements! Here is a small child with a mask and goggles.

A saree-clad woman in a pink mask and another woman in a salwar kameez riding double seat behind her, also in a mask, a purple scarf. Behind her is another jean clad young lady in a white scarf!

Rani of Jhansi Statue in Pune or Women cycling in India or Young girls enjoying an ice-cream bar
Or you might also like other pictures on Indian Women.
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Boy on cycle with his mother in rural India

This picture of a young boy on a bike with his mother speaks a thousand words...about working children, about poverty, about the bond between mother and child, about the poor state of roads in rural India. It is a photograph of a young boy, barely 12 years old, carrying his mother double-seat at the back of a bicycle.

You might also like Mothers and children or Fathers with their children or  Rural Schools and playgrounds in India or School children from rural India or Children playing Holi in semi-rural India or Child Labour or Working children
More images of Children or Rural India.


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Pune city schools

Here are a few snapshots of two premier educational institutions in the city or Pune. The first pictures are of St Mary's School in Pune.

This is a back yard behind the classrooms at St. Mary's.

This is the building on the left, just after you enter the school

A closer look at the classrooms.

These is part of St. Mary's school Pune. Smart and sleek. A new building on the right.

This is St. Joseph's School in Pune which teaches the SSC (state board) curriculum.

You might want to see Mumbai city schools which has photographs of several Mumbai schools like the American school, Jamnabai Narsee School and Reliance International School.
Or check out IIM Ahmedabad Pictures - IIMA or Urban school children in India
Or all the images filed under Education

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Kom Ombo Temple in Egypt

The Temple of Kom Ombo was built during the Ptolemaic dynasty in the town of Kom Ombo in Egypt and construction started in 180 BC. It is on the banks of the river Nile. After that there was additional construction during the Roman period. The temple consists of courts and halls. It is a "double" temple in the sense that it is two temples in one - for two different dieties - The crocodile god Sobek (God of Fertility) the Falcon god Haroeris. At one time in its history Egyptian Christians (Copts) sacked the temple and used it as a church. In 1893 the temple was restored by a French geologist and archaeologist - Jacques de Morgan.

Here is a view of the Kom Ombo Temple from the side.

A spectacular view of the Nile in the foreground with the tourist ships which stop at Kom Ombo. The temple can be seen in the background.

An Egyptian local man sitting quietly, leaning against the carved pillar of this ancient temple.

A flood of tourists entering the Kom Ombo Temple

More photos of Egyptian Temples: Karnak Temple and Pillar Designs or Temple and statues of Queen Hatshepsut of Egypt or Edfu Temple in Egypt
You might also like pictures of The River Nile
Or try the label "Monuments" for photographs of monuments from different parts of the world including the pyramids, or for all posts on Egypt.

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Cellphone graphic backgrounds

Today electronic goods like ipads, ipods, and cell-phones have become essentials. These are background graphics of these gadgets.

This one has a dark black background with the outlines of the electronic gadgets and their boxes in different colors.

This one is more like a photograph of a shop window of a mobile phone shop, a graphic representation.

A dark dotted effect is given to the above photo.

You might like: Cell or mobile phone images and sketches of different types or Laptop Sketches
Or try all the images filed under Graphic Art or Backgrounds
For more electronic items: Apple Ipod stock photo
For photos of cell phone towers: Mobile phone towers in urban areas

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Fruit Vendors vs supermarkets

This is how easy it is for consumers to access produce. Simply walk out of their building and usually they will find some vendor selling fruits or vegetables. They need to do it, as most Indians are poor and do not own personal transport. Or if they do, the expense of gas or petrol pinches their pocket. And these fruit vendors are willing to bargain but there is a catch. If you do not know the current prices you can be taken for a ride. In fact alighting from a car guarantees that the prices will be jacked up.

Here are two women in South India chatting with each other as they sell fresh apples, bananas, tangerines and grapes.  This picture was taken in Madurai.

All types of fruits can be found on the streets in India, just a short walk away. This includes even produce such as sugarcane which many Indians love to eat raw.  Here is a woman on a Thane's Gokhale Road selling bananas and sugarcane sticks.

These fruit vendors line up on the highway to catch customers leaving town. Usually the produce is fresher than what one can get in city markets. These fruits are not cheap, but they are good.

Another fruit vendor on a highway. He is selling custard apples and guavas which are bright red from the inside.

Here is an antiseptic environment of a supermarket. Fruits and vegetables are stacked in the centre of the room. This photograph was shot in Pune.

The section of a supermarket where fruits and vegetables are sold. Cleaner and as there are fixed prices at least you know that the shop is not cheating you. There is not hassle of bargaining. This photograph is from D-Mart.

More images and sketches of Fruits or photos of Markets.

Or you might also like Juices and Milk display at supermarkets in India or Supermarket pictures - crockery, tomato puree, coconut milk, cheese and butter

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Diwali Air Pollution

This is a view from a high-rise building of the Diwali air pollution and contamination because of bursting of fire-crackers. It's worse than smog. A pity the noise pollution is not reflected here because as this photograph was being taken the sounds were deafening - over 100 decibels and this was from a high-rise Cannot imagine what it was like down there. I wonder how many people's ears, specially children's were damaged forever. Check this site which tells you what harm you have done to yourself.

If a sound reaches 85 dB or stronger, it can cause permanent damage to your hearing. The amount of time you listen to a sound affects how much damage it will cause.

Many crackers are around 120 DB and even a one-time exposure can cause permanant damage!

If so much smoke can be seen you can imagine the number of chemicals being released in the air. And ofcourse the amount of noise.

It's amazing that educated people are not aware that the noise will damage their children's ear-drums, not just theirs. As for the air pollution, asthma patients are holed up. And a lot more are being born. Every Diwali more and more people with respiratory problems surface.

I do not think the Gods will forgive humanity for ruining the earth in their name. Yesterday was the most auspicious day of Diwali, and it was hard to see educated people make deafening noises and polluting the air with not just smoke but noxious chemicals. But ofcourse there will never be any laws on this. In this country lecherous and drunken behavior is allowed in religious processions. Noise and air pollution too is allowed in the name of religion. Let us hope that the next generation of Indians are better informed.

Related Images: Plastic Pollution or Rocky Dadar Beach
Or Indian cities lit up at night with Diwali lights and Diya graphics and illustrations and Sketch

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Ancient Greek Auditorium - Odeon of Herodes Atticus

This ancient Greek theatre or audi on Dionysiou Areopagitou street in Athens was built in 161 AD by a rich man called Herodes Atticus in memory of his wife. It was originally built as an  amphitheater with a three-story stone front wall and a wooden cedar roof with a capacity for 5000 people. Music concerts took place here. It was restored in 1950. Currently the Athens Festival takes place here (from May to October).

A couple of tourists staring down at the Greek Auditorium in Athens.

A bird's eye view of the ancient Greek Audi - the Odeon of Herdoes Atticus. It is on a hill and the city of Athens can be seen in the background.

A slightly closer look at the audi with the city of Athens as a backdrop.

Related Images: Athens bird's eye view or Parthenon in Athens, Greece


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Toll Plaza on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway

Photographs of a toll collection plaza or toll naka as it's called here on the Mumbai - Pune Expressway or highway, which is a toll road. Users will pay toll till 2030 now, instead of the original cut-off date of 2020. That is because another road is being built for the ghat section to alleviate the heavy traffic. More road, more to pay.

This is a night shot on a rainy day of a section of the toll plaza.

A long-shot of the toll naka on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway with the hills in the background.

A closer view of the toll plaza on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.

Related Images Mumbai Ahmedabad Highway scenes or Mumbai Nashik Road Pictures or Photos of trucks

Or Expressway Accident Photographs or Accidents scenes - overturned and smashed vehicles photos

For some beautiful scenic views: Views from the Mumbai Pune Expressway Ghat section or  Mumbai Pune Expressway

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Textile graphics or textile art

These are graphic representations of the textile industry. Some of the illustrations are from cotton looms and some are simply that of folded fabric. This first one creates a geometric picture of thread being woven. Original photographs of a high resolution are available on which this textile art is based.

This is a graphic image folded denim fabric from the edge.

This is a graphical representation of wrapped thick cotton thread.

The next two graphics are a part of a cotton loom weaving fabric. The zig-zag glowing pattern can create an interesting background.

This is like falling candle wax, but is actually a cotton weaving machine or loom.

Just thin cotton threads being woven into cloth.

You might also like: Colorful geometric backgrounds or Diya graphics and illustrations and Sketch
Pylon or Transmission Tower graphics or Swastika graphics from India or Graphic symbolizing Music
Or try all the images filed under Graphic Art or Backgrounds

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Great Wall of China

Here are photographs of  the Great Wall of China. This wall was built in ancient times to protect Imperial China against invaders. It is built along the northern borders and has been built and re-built over many centuries, starting from over 2000 years ago. The actual wall is about 6,259 kms long but if trenches and natural barriers are counted, then this fortified border is 8,850 kms long. However, with all its branches is said to measure 21,196 km.
All types of materials were used to build the wall including stone, mud, wood and bricks. Some parts of the wall have been eroded or destroyed and these images were from Beijing where the all has been well preserved.

The wall snakes across the picturesque mountains.

A section of the Great Wall.

Here is a merged photograph showing the panorama of the Great Wall of China. You can see the wall snaking into the distance amidst the natural beauty of the mountains.

You might also like Tiananmen Square in China or The Great Mosque of Xian, China or the Shanghai Skyline in the daylight

Or check out all the photos on China which includes people, places, silhouettes and sketches.

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Cyclist Silhouette and Sketch

This silhouette is of a racer cyclist or biker. A professional cyclist silhouette.

A sketch of the same cyclist on a bicycle.

Related Images: Travelers or men with bags or Silhouettes of people skating or a portrait of a Man with camera silhouette and Sketch or Young Women Walking Silhouettes
You might also like silhouettes of men with trolley bags: Men with luggage or travel trolley bags or check out all the sketches and silhouettes on this blog, of places, monuments, and people.
You might also like: Women cycling in India or Boy on cycle with his mother in rural India or Cycle carts with three wheels or Cycle Rickshaws in India or Cyclist Silhouette and Sketch or Man ferrying cycle in canoe
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