A blue Mumbai!

Any Mumbaikar would know the significance of the blue tarp in the life of Mumbai. Poverty and a heavy monsoon ensures that middle class people use this blue tarp to cover their homes and balconies, their vehicles and well, just about everything. This series of little drawings were seen at the SKIN art festival in Mumbai in December 2013 at the Godrej Company.

As this artist Sameer Kulavoor explains it: It is an illustrated documentation of the use of Taad Patri. The second skin of Mumbai

Cycles, scooters and other vehicles as well as small shops all use the blue tarp.

A row of hutments covered with blue tarp.

Even buildings are not immune to the blue tarp. They are used to protect water from seeping into the house from the balconies during the heavy rains.

Check out all the images filed under the label Mumbai.

Covered Hindu women

Traditional Hindu women in a few states in North India cover their faces with their sari pallav. This is unheard of in South or East of India. It is believed that this is due to the Mughal influence.

A closeup of women in red saris with their heads covered.

Gujarati women with heads covered.

Gujarati tribals at the Somnath temple.

Masked girls and women of Pune or Women in burkhas or burqas - photos or Women in Burkhas - Silhouettes or Silhouette profile of an Indian beauty or Tribal women in India or check out the scores of photographs of Indian Women on this blog.

Naida caves in Diu Gujarat

Naida caves in Diu are artificial caves. They are a network of hollows and tunnels on a rocky mountainside. Large slabs appear to have been hewn out of the porous rocks. Material from here was hewn out during the rule by the Portuguese and it is believed that they used it for building material. Due to the unique cave like structure of the caves they have become a tourist attraction.
There are so many caves that one can get easily lost in them and it is fun exploring them.

This is the entrance to the caves and apparently it is formed naturally.

A peek inside of the caves. There are openings at the top in most of the caves.

It is quite an interesting experience to see these caves. They are huge and very picturesque. There is no fee to see these caves.

You might also like Beach at Diu in Gujarat in India or another tourist attraction in Gujarat: Somnath Temple photographs

Somnath Temple photographs

The Somnath Temple on the western coast of Gujarat, India, is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of the god Shiva. Somnath temple was destroyed many times by Islamic kings and rulers and regularly re-built. The last time was in 1947.

The unique thing about this temple is that there is no land between it and Antarctica, The fact that the ancient Indians had this knowledge is amazing. In fact much of the ancient scienctific knowledge of ancient India was lost when the Mughals burnt down a precious library at Nalanda. The barbarians were evil akin to the terrorists of today.

This is the way to enter the Somnath temple.

A closer look at the temple. Shoes have to removed beyond the fence. Unfortunately no cameras are allowed inside.

You might also like Group of temples at Mahabalipuram or Mammallapuram or Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram or Mammallapuram or Meenakshi Temple or Tiru-alavai images
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.
Or see 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.

African orgin tribe of Gujarat the Siddi

The Siddi or the Siddhi are people of African origin, primarily from South East Africa who migrated to the Indian subcontinent almost 2000 years ago. They are thought to descend from the Bantu people. They did not arrive in the Indian subcontinent of their own free will, but were brought as slaves by Arab and Portuguese merchants. This ethnic group can be found in Karnataka and Gujarat and some are also believed to be in Karachi, Pakistan. They are Sufi Muslims although some groups have converted to either Christianity or Hinduism.

From the maternal side, the Siddi peoples have mixed blood, mainly Indian. This intermingling of blood is believed to have happened in the last 200-300 years.

These are pictures of the Siddhi tribe from Gujarat, India. They are performing a tribal dance.

Two brightly painted faces.

The Siddi dancing around the fire.

You might also like The Tarpa Wind Instrument of Indian Tribes from Maharashtra, or Adivasi Dancers from Matheran or Pilgrims singing and playing the Manjira musical instrument or Martial Arts from Kerala

Para sailing

These are photographs of para sailing. Para sailing can happen on water (sea) or on land too, like the beach. The sail is tied either to a boat or some type of vehicle on land. The person goes up due to the wind/breeze. The vehicle or boat keeps moving giving the person a ride. While coming down the rope is gently pulled in.

A shot taken from the rope end of the para sail

You might also like Adventure Sports - Valley crossing and wall climbing or  Paragliding pictures or Dahi Handi Pyramid or try any of the labels below this post.

Little girl carrying firewood in the forest

A working girl. Barely ten years old. And carrying wooden logs almost as big as her.

These photographs were taken at the edge of the Gir forest.

Mother and daughter walking home after collecting firewood

The mother too is carrying a fairly heavy load. And balancing it on her head. No hands! Must have been doing it from childhood.

You might also like to see pictures of Child Labour or Working children or Children playing without toys or
pictures of Mothers and children or see the many pictures filed on this website on Children.

If you are looking for image of women try these posts: Urban women workers carrying loads on their heads
Rural women carrying water and firewood or Women construction workers in India or Tribal women in India or photographs of Women filling water from village well in India or Village women in Gwalior District, India

For sketches try this post: Village women from India - sketches and silhouettes

Chagda in Gujarat

An unique way of traveling in Gujarat. Public transport consists of what is called a chagda, and this is basically a motorcycle rickshaw. People stand and cling on. After all, it gets you there.

And pretty well too. It navigates the bad roads as well as anything else. No one expects a smooth ride.

No indicators necessary. Passengers simply put their hand out.

Families travel on chagdas routinely. The only way to travel.

You might also like to see photos of Crowded and overflowing public transport  or  Families on two-wheelers  or School Rickshaws with small children or Pune Municipal Corporation Buses or Taxis and auto rickshaws crammed with people or Unsafe trucks or Accidents scenes - overturned and smashed vehicles photos  or check all the pictures filed under the label Transport.

Dragon flies

Dragonflies have large rolling eyes, transparent wings and a long body. Their wing movement is incredibly fast, and are one of the fastest flying insects found. They are a predator insects good to have around because they eat pests like mosquitoes and ants. If you find that you are being innundated with ants and mosquitoes like all of us urban people, then blame the absence of the beautiful dragonflies. They are the most amazing creatures, because their design enables them to fly in all directions including in reverse!

Unfortunately they cannot survive in an urban environment as they are aquatic and need fresh water bodies around.

Those large pink blobs are its eyes. These huge eyes help them see in all directions. Although changing colour is not part of its camouflage technique, the dragonflies I found were hardly visible in the backdrop of the leaves and brush and the trees on which they were seen. Look at this golden one hardly visible to be naked eye in the bright sunlight. Its eyes appeared to be spots on the leaves, and its body a glint from the sun. These dragonflies have bodies which are barely 2-3 inches and are not easily seen if they are still.

I mistook this red dragonfyl for a pretty flower until I zoomed in with my telephoto lens.

This dragonfly has a yellow and black striped body and it merges with the dried grass and leaves in the background. Whether or not dragonflies change colour, they certainly know which area to hang around in! The large pink round orbs are the eyes and this dragonfly has a smile on its face!

A clearer picture of this beautiful yellow and black dragonfly. It's body reminds one of the stalk of a sugarcane plant! The straw and grass in the background merges perfectly well with the tiny body of this dragonfly making it very difficult to see in the brush.

The back of a dragonfly with turquoise blue netted wings. The wings of dragonflies are amazing, delicated netted things which move faster than the eye can see.

You might also like to see pictures of Big black fly with red eyes - Photos and Sketches or Bee Silhouettes and Sketch or Cobwebs or Spiderwebs or Photographs of brown and black bees or Citronella Orange Ants

Coke Calories

400 ml of coke is 170kcal, as it says so clearly on the pack, on the top left side of the label, just above the brand name Coca Cola. This contains 44 gms of sugar which = 10 teaspoons of sugar. All the best to those who drink this poison! All bottled drinks should carry a calorie label.

Not surprising considering that so much of it is just sugar. But wait, the main ingredient is carbonated water and then comes the sugar. And naturally to balance out all this acidic mix, they need an acidity regulator which is the third ingredient. And then the natural colours and flavous. What one can be sure of is that there is nothing natural about this drink. Alcohol is more natural. Banning coke is a better idea than banning alcohol.

You might also like: Obesity statistics of the world or Images of overweight people or Obesity silhouettes  or Sketches and images of feet on a weighing machine
Or another high calorie food - Sausages and Fries or Pastries Croissants and cheesecake or Indian Sweets or Mithai or Chocolate Donuts photograph and illustration

More unhealthy food: Processed foods in India or Biscuit packs photos or Instant Noodles Stock Photo

Or try images of Muesli Nutrition Comparison and misleading labelling

Beach at Diu in Gujarat in India

This is a beautiful beach at Diu. Clean golden sand. Fresh air. A calm sea.

Gentle waves lapping on the shoreline at the beach

A panoramic view of a beach stretching out into the distance

A wide expanse of beach at Diu with the setting sen as the backdrop.

More pictures of beaches: Daman Beach Scenes - Black Sands or Nature headers of beach scenes or Beach Scenes of different beaches or Beach Scenes for backgrounds or Goa beach shacks
or Rocky Dadar Beach where the beach has been eaten up by the sea.
Or try the label Beaches for all photos with a beach.

Pigeons in the city

Pigeons are routinely fed in pigeon loving India. Grains are dumped outside housing societies and it's no wonder that their population is galloping by leaps and bounds. Pigeons being fairly docile doves, are tolerated, even loved by people. Perhaps that is why they are indiscriminately fed, and more often  by those who do not live near their nesting sites. As they give birth every other month, this means that the population of pigeons can increase rapidly if they find an easy source of food.
The nesting sites can become very dirty and germ ridden, specially when the pigeon population explodes like it has done in Mumbai. Pigeon droppings are also harmful for health and place for germs to breed. Be careful of the droppings as they are acidic, and over several years damage tiles and buildings.

As long as you don't breathe in their droppings or touch them, there is no fear of disease. But if by mistake you come into contact with their droppings or the birds themselves, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly. There have been reports of pigeon droppings contaminating the air and affecting some people with asthma and causing breathing difficulties.

In this picture note the large heap of grain dumped for the pigeons to feed, right outside a housing colony. Most people are ignorant of the health issues causes by feeding pigeons indiscriminately. At least until the pigeon starts to next right outside their own window!

A close up of a pigeon sitting on a cobbled rooftop. You can clearly see the orange coloured eyes with the large black pupils giving it a staring look.

These doves have adapted very well to city life because originally they inhabited rocky cliffs. The feral pigeon is the descendent of the rocky dove and find that ledges and window sills suit them fine! Being sociable they are found in flocks. Where you see one pigeon, be assured that many more are somewhere nearby.

The face of a pigeon, a portrait.

A pigeon perched on a ledge in a colony of skyscrapers.

Two pigeons standing on a building ledge with the city in the background.

You might also like to see photos or other birds: Emu the bird or Silhouettes of birds in flight or Fortune Telling by a parrot! or check out all the images filed under the label Birds.

Citronella Orange Ants

These are probably Citronella (Acanthomyops) ants although I thought at first they are Pharoah ants. They were surprisingly found on tree bark in Kerala, India although they are supposed to be native of North America. So I thought perhaps they are Pharoah ants (which are native to Indonesia and Africa) but finally concluded that they are Citronella as these type of ants make nests in rotting wood. Pharoah ants also have a darker coat on their belly and I did not see that here. These ants were found in the wild.

A close up of the orange, almost transclucent ant. A distinct black dot for the eye.

A swarm of the orange ant on a rotting tree.

A few orange ants crawling on the bark of a tree. Higher resolution pictures with far greater clarity are available.

You might also like to see pictures of Big black fly with red eyes - Photos and Sketches or Bee Silhouettes and Sketch or Cobwebs or Spiderwebs or Photographs of brown and black bees

Donkey Carts

In certain places like in Rajasthan, India, carts can be pulled by donkeys. As seen in these photos, a small two wheeled cart to transport goods is being pulled by a donkey.

Related Images: Camel cart and Bullock cart or Wooden hand carts with four wheels - Photos and Sketches or Bullock Carts in the country and in the city or Man with camel - photograph and silhouette

or Cycle Rickshaws in India or Hand-Pulled Rickshaws or try the label "Transport" for pictures of a variety of vehicles.