Cotton Mattresses

These is a picture of workers packing cotton into thick material to make a mattress. Such shops are common in all the cities and town of India. Cotton mattresses are comfortable to sleep on but unfortunately lose shape quickly. Re-packing them after treating the cotton inside is the common practice after a few years.

Cotton mattresses are now out of style in developed countries, and have been so for more than a century. Spring mattresses are popular.  Rubber, foam, coir are all used today but in poorer countries cotton mattresses are still used as they are cheaper.

Production of cotton mattresses is a labour-intensive activity.

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Group of temples at Mahabalipuram or Mammallapuram

Mahabalipuram, also known as Mamallapuram is a place near Chennai in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. Mahabalipuram is a historical place, and was a bustling sea-port and trading centre in ancient times around the first century CE. Many temples were built in this town and these photos are of the temples built in the 7th Century by the Pallavas dynasty of South India. This area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

These photographs are of a small group of temples in close proximity to each other in a small compound, and this cluster is near the famous Shore Temple and other famous Mahabalipuram temples in the vicinity.

Note the small independent temples in this temple compound at Mammallapuram. Sculptures of Elephants are often find in and around Indian Hindu temples as this animal is considered sacred to Hindus. The elephant  connotes attributes like abundance, fertility, strength and wisdom.

A view of the temples at Mahabalipuram with the blue sky in the foreground.

A closer look at the carvings and figures of the temples.

You might also like to see pictures of the Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram or Mammallapuram or photographs of Meenakshi Temple or Tiru-alavai images or check out the scores of images filed under the label "Temples" where you will find temples from different parts of the world, as well as sketches and silhouettes.

Or check out all the carvings, sculptures and paintings at Ajanta or Ellora, where you will find photographs of both the Ajanta and Ellora caves and the art.

Crowded and overflowing public transport

People in the West Bengal traveling comfortably on the roof of a bus, quite unmindful of the dangers. The bus is traveling from Siliguri to Gangtok.

Even when the bus is in motion, people think nothing of scrambling atop a bus.

This man is perched precariously on top of the luggage on the roof of a taxi.

Another photograph of passengers on the roof of a bus.

You might also like Families on two-wheelers or Pune Municipal Corporation Buses or Taxis and auto rickshaws crammed with people or Accidents scenes - overturned and smashed vehicles photos or check all the pictures filed under the label Transport.

Road being surfaced with tar

These are photographs of roads being tarred with the common material used for it - Asphalt. Also called bitumen, tar is a sticky, black and viscous substance, a derivative of petroleum. This material is used in road construction where its stickiness binds together various other substances to create a hard mixture used for surfacing roads.

Here the workers are spreading the loose tar on the road and the supervisor is shouting instructions.

A worker spreading the loose gravely bits of tar so that it evenly coats the road.

A road roller flatting and pressing down the tar to create a hard, smooth surface.

You might also like to see images of Road Construction in India (concrete roads) or Buildings under construction or Earth Movers
Images of workers at construction sites: Working without protective gear or  Workers taking a break or
Women construction workers in India
Other related images: Images of empty or unused pipes or Laying underground pipes


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The Coronation Bridge in North-East India

Phoographs of the famous Coronation Bridge (or Sevoke Bridge or Iron Bridge) in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India on the River Teesta. It connects the two districts of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri.
It was built during the British Raj, and named the Coronation Bridge in memory of the commemoration of King George VI in 1937. The bridge was completed in 1941.
The Teesta river currents are strong, and that is why this Teesta river bridge needed the support of a fixed arch. This arch is fixed on both sides on rock layers on the sides of the river.

Another view of the Coronation bridge with the mountains in the background.

You might also like Vidyasagar Setu or the second Hoogly bridge or photos of the old Howrah bridge: Howrah Bridge of Kolkata Photographs and Sketch

For photos of the Mumbai Sealink: Bandra Worli Sea-Link Mumbai photos, sketch, silhouette and painting.


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Knife Sharpener from India

Here is how a poor man is making his living - sharpening knives and other objects. He lives and works in the same area. The first pictures speaks a thousand words about his lifestyle. The wood stoves, the small bed and the hanging blanket. Pots and pans lying around.

The knife sharpening tool or machine he is using is rarely seen in the modern world. It's an old machine.

The knife sharperner is checking to see whether the sickle is sharpened enough.

Sparks flying off the sickle he is sharpening.

You might also like: Indian Cobblers or Artisans in India or Glass making - photos of a glass maker at work or Indian Artisans making small statues or Masons at Work

There are also a lot of photographs of other occupations ranging from weaving, tailoring to painting and you can check out the label Occupations  or Skilled Labour

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Bottles of Nail Polish - a graphic

Rows of different coloured nail polish or nail enamel kept on a shelf against a black background. Blues, greens, yellows, oranges and blacks are the colours represented here in these cosmetics.

These are nail enamel bottles of different colours like violent, burgundy, a dark pink, yellows, blues and greens, against a white background.

These is a photograph of nail enamels or nail polishes, all kept on a row in a shelf in a shop.

(larger versions of these photos available)

Weighing Scales Sketches

These are sketches of weighing scales. The large one is usually found godowns and warehouses for weighing grains.

A sketch of the smaller manual weighing scale which is most used in bazaars across India, to weigh fruits and vegetables. Usually made of the durable cast iron. 

(Higher res sketches are also available)
You might also like Weighing Scales Silhouettes or actual photographs of Balance weighing scales or Manual Weighing Scales which have a short description about their use and their function.

Poor but spirited

Images of poor children from the streets of Mumbai.

This young boy at a traffic light was high-spirited and cheerful despite not having any clothes to wear. When he saw my camera he saluted, a kind of mock salute I guess.

I was photographing the traffic when this young boy came and stood in front of me, kind of defying me to click his picture. And I did. He posed.

You might also like to see more pictures about poverty like Homeless in India - Photographs or Street kids playing cricket or Children playing without toys or Child Labour or Working children or Child Beggars

You can also check out these pictures: Boy on cycle with his mother in rural India or Young girls enjoying an ice-cream bar or Photographs of children studying outdoors or
Young Muslim boys
Or more images of Children 

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