A hardening of the heart in the land of the economic miracle.

Asia » India
March 4th 2006

Published: April 30th 2006

To the casual observer the engine behind the world's 3rd largest economy might well appear to be India's numerous hawkers, con-men and beggars, the persistance of whom would please any hard-nosed western capitalist. Of course, in the Britain of Norman Tebbit and John Major, beggars were either indolent miscreants too lazy to get on their bikes to look for the jobs that, unskilled and with no emplo... Read Full Entry

Photos are below

Photos: 75, Displayed: 21

Sunset, West Gopuram, Minakshi Temple, Madurai

Quiet worship, Minakshi Temple, Madurai

Bringing Sundareswarar to Minakshi

Minakshi is Shiva's consort, but it is her temple, so every night he goes to her bedchamber, and every morning he is brought back. This ceremony has been practiced unchanged since the time of the Ancient Greeks and Romans

Noisy devotion, Minakshi temple, Madurai

Pre-dawn, West gate, Madurai Temple

Nelly the holy elephant, Madurai Temple

Stationed at the East entrance to Sundaresvarar's shrine, she will bless you by forming a skull-cap on your head with the end of her trunk, but only if you cross her keeper's palm with silver.

Daisy the holy cow, Madurai Temple

I was trying to get a nice picture of Nelly waiting for punters when suddenly this ceremonial cow rounded the corner, catching me rather by surprise.

Early morning, North Gopuram, Minakshi Temple

Devotee, Minakshi Temple, Madurai

Families, Minakshi Temple, Madurai

The Hall of a Thousand Columns, Minakshi Temple, Madurai

Sadly, this rather impressive room has been made into a museum, which breaks up the feeling of vastness it must have originally had.

I didn't know where to look.

The hall of a thousand pillars, Minakshi Temple, Madurai. In the Age of Kali William Dalrymple uses the words fecund and fecundity regularly in relation to the temple. I had to look it up.

Hampi

The extensive ruins of the 14th - 16th century temples and fortresses of the Vijayangar kings, spread across 26 square kilometres of boulder strewn rock landscape.

Virupaksha Temple, Hampi

Hemakuta Hill, Hampi

Sunset, Hampi

Glowing rocks, cool.

Local ferry, Tungabhadra River, Hampi

26th March 2006

Gerry Aitken
non-member comment

Loved the photos. I can relate to all your comments about India, beautifully observed. I wondered whether my photos were as good as yours (I think I need to read that Simon Callow book!), but one things for sure I can't match the length of your prose! See http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Varanasi/blog-1948.html "A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels, in the deepest sense, about what is being photographed, and is, thereby, a true manifestation of what one feels about life in its entirety" Ansel Adams

27th March 2006

deleted_899
deleted_899

Great pictures as usual - sorry I couldn't read the whole thing, but really enjoying your travels!

29th March 2006

ALB
non-member comment

Cumberland Sausage
Hey Cumberland Sausage, yeah your photos are absolutely stunning, truly straight out of National Geographic (any offers yet?!), but have you ever seen sausage like on Weez n Wife's lateast blog?! Check it out. Now that's some serious sausage! Safe travels.

30th March 2006

Shugster
non-member comment

Great Photos
some AMAZING shots... makes me want to go right now!

30th March 2006

Adrian
non-member comment

See you in Thailand
WHERE ARE THE CRICKET PICS?????? From a disappointed fan

25th April 2006

Cumberland Sausage
Kim Buckley and Richard Baxter

Where are the cricket pics ???
They wouldn't let us bring cameras into the ground, for fear we would angrily toss them at Rahul Dravid in an attempt to get the run rate moving (great batsman, India would have been lost in the tests without him). Apparently when Pakistan visits they have to watch for this sort of thing.

25th August 2009

Graciela
non-member comment

amazing
I haven´t been to India yet. I don´t have time to read the whole blog but I have had a look at the pictures which are fabulous, great work. It seems India is full of colour and surprises. A friend of mine said the South is much spectacular that the north. I don´t know yet.

11th March 2010

nazeerkutty
non-member comment

good photos and good comment
saw the pics . it is very nice shots and comment also real thanking you guys .. i am from gods own country ..

5th May 2010

Graciela
non-member comment

what a place!!!!!!!!!!!
What a lovely place!!! What a lovely planet we have. Amazing pictures, dear friend-traveller. Thank you. Love, from Argentina.

10th May 2010

viru
non-member comment

nice
its very nice photos

14th May 2010

sheetal khajuria
non-member comment

pictures by heart
wonderful,beautifulpictures amazing

1st June 2010

swapnil
non-member comment

good photos
i have seen all of ur portfolio photos i think in mumbai u have not seen good places as there are photos of dhobi ghat and dharavi.which dont worth to see. next time u visit mumbai ask for diffrent good places such as nehru science center,malbar hill,nationla park,rani bagh etc

12th June 2010

pn patel
non-member comment

kee
very good

14th July 2010

sanoj
non-member comment

varkala beach
very beautiful beach in the world

18th July 2010

Henrich Andrews
non-member comment

feel mircale
Hi Working in UAE from last 6 Years in between that i was in kerala for 15 only days. when i see this photos i feel very cool how beautiful my land is. here all the motors are runing here and there now very hot season only going to duty coming from duty just sitting before my computer and wasting my time

19th July 2010

binu
non-member comment

gods won country very good country but the political leaders destroy

27th July 2010

Brendan
non-member comment

Wow thanks!, india hey... i should look at a photo. From a mumbai image search to this page. I have heard that india is not a good place to travel but i instantly realise im talking to the wrong ppl!! And then i read mountain biking india. Dude your site gave some very serious inspiration. Such a great read, i feel like i have been on a journey reading it.

5th September 2010

jahfar sadiq
non-member comment

kerala
god's own country

13th September 2010

segun ogundeji
non-member comment

incredible
The picture of this slub and the imagination that men inhabits the place and raise children in that environment is simply incredible

28th September 2010

anshad
non-member comment

kerala
this name is devalapid to cocanut(kera).now kerala no cocanaj tree.what is thf name of kerala?

2nd October 2010

remean
non-member comment

superb
alleppey back water journey fantastic

7th October 2010

anonymous
non-member comment

awwwwwsummm

9th October 2010

anisha
non-member comment

nice photographs

10th November 2010

Zeremi fernandes
non-member comment

Black spot on MUMBAI (NIGHTINGALE)
Dear, friends its so horrible to see the back side of MUMBAI means the DHARAVI no matter to see its a black spot on MUMBAI so pity on the person s living in DHARAVI what they think they should not deserve this.

23rd November 2010

Elma
non-member comment

the goverment should do something how can they live wid this?

6th December 2010

shukoor
non-member comment

dharavi(mumbai-bombai)
in mumbai dharavi teaching peoples how is life running . everything in mumbai cheep / high excpence if youn have one rupee running life if you billion or running life the place that the mumbai

22nd December 2010

aysha.t.a
non-member comment

truth is wonderfull
reflection of economic growth implies what?

20th January 2011

sajid
non-member comment

beatuful location
plz. send full address this location.thanks

25th January 2011

Philip
non-member comment

Wonderful country
too good! lovely places. u've seen so many beautiful places..u guys rock.. Hi Binu - very true, Indian politicians have brutally crewed up the country.

27th January 2011

Ola
non-member comment

Hey, I needed a photo of Dharavi for my blog and used this one. If you have anything against it, please let me know, I will delete it immediately. Cheers! Ola (http://przygodyoli.blogspot.com/)

2nd March 2011

doreen jones
non-member comment

go on bugger off
NASTY AND SELFISH ATTITUDE

6th March 2011

nana saheb
non-member comment

super cool photos ,dude

9th March 2011

Cumberland Sausage
Kim Buckley and Richard Baxter

Bugger off yourself Doreen.
We don't give money to kids (most of the time) because that means they get exploited for the purposes of begging. There are lots of ways to help the poor in India and across the world that are less likely to promote these practices.

18th March 2011

chandrashekhar p chavan
non-member comment

Good image
nice image

11th April 2011

mahesh
non-member comment

nothing
kerala is best butifful stet and vere looking pleses thats all

26th April 2011

zeinab
non-member comment

the beautiful india
hi.i love india and ur pic.they r great and so profftional .thank you for them!!!

19th June 2011

alenia
non-member comment

unbelievable
wow ,after watching slumdog millionaire,i just could not believe what i was seeing.though iv'e seen when the 700 club do some of their shows on this type of living conditions,still seeing the movie just moved me greatly.i have been thinking about this for days.this to me is so unreal.how and why would any human have to live like these is beyond reasoning .humans,humanity living like this.when animals live better.to god be the glory for even beeing poor in america.for even the project is better.

9th April 2012

GG
non-member comment

there happy
the slum dwellers actually like to live in there make-shift houses because they say its culture!!! the developers need to take into account that they actually like it there!

18th September 2012

Mathew
non-member comment

Nuts!
Good picture. Bad coconut tree. This climber should have picked a tree that had plenty of coconuts.

7th December 2012

Bhupendra Roy
non-member comment

its best for everlasting seen temple.
its awesome . india rocks.

7th December 2012

Bhupendra Roy
non-member comment

Awesome .
no comment about it, b,coz no one can explain.

7th December 2012

Bhupendra roy
non-member comment

invite n focus foreigner for know our culture indeed.

12th January 2013

leelasri
non-member comment

it is very nice and i know the new information

12th January 2014

habib husain
non-member comment

amazing place
which part of western ghats

Tot: 0.09s; Tpl: 0.017s; cc: 8; qc: 57; dbt: 0.0568s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1; ; mem: 1.2mb

Do not copy images or text from this page without requesting and receiving permission. All rights are reserved by the author and photographer.

Contact Kim Buckley and Richard Baxter (Cumberland Sausage) - a lack of a response does not mean that you have permission to use material from this page.

A hardening of the heart in the land of the economic miracle.

Copyright Notice: All Rights Reserved