Women's Cooperative, India 2015

Women's cooperatives are places were village women can come to produce various products, usually fabric based, that then are sold to supplement their income.  The cooperatives also provide them with a feeling of self-confidence, and give them a chance to socialize and find out whats news in the villages.  We visited one such cooperative and watched women working at sewing machines producing shirts, pants, etc., using an heritage block printing technique to pattern long lengths of cloth, making quilts and other processes.  Usually one or more of their children were close bye.
 

School Visits, India 2015

During our recent trip to India we had an opportunity to visit two schools in small villages, one in the north near the Ranthambore Tiger Park and the other in south India along the waterways near Kochi. The teachers were very happy to have us visit and the kids were delighted.  The kids were all over us to make pictures of them, and of us, and were also looking for handouts.  They tried out their english skills with standard phases such as "What is your name?", "Where do you come from?", etc.  It was of course nice to see the mix of boy and girl students.  In the northern school the kids covered a relatively wide age range but the school in the south had kids of about the same age.

Amber Fort, India 2015

The Amber Fort was the palace and fort of the Kachhawaha until the 18th century.  Major buildings added by Jai Singh I (reigned 1621 to 1667) created the jewels of the Fort and it's spectacular decorative elements.  Visiting the Fort today one can imagine the time when the rulers were active with all of the royal entourage.

 

The Red Fort, Agra

The Red Fort is where Shah Jahan ruled in the 17th century and where he was imprisoned by his son until his death.  The fort was built by Akbar between 1565 and 1573.  Good views of the Taj in the distance and the surrounding country side.

South India, India 2015

Arriving in Kerala we transferred immediately to a house boat for two days of exploring the waterways north of Kochi, with excursions on the shore to see various sites.  The "South India on the Water" is a photo story of the sites from these two days on the water, and "Kochi" is a story from the sightseeing in Kochi itself.  This area is strikingly different than the other parts of India that we had toured earlier.  Very tropical, lots of tea, spices, banana trees, rice fields; beautiful flowers and birds; not as littered as some other areas we had seen; and a number of Christian churches from the heritage of the Portuguese, Dutch, and British.  We visited a synagogue but were not allowed to photograph.  We were also not allowed to photograph inside the Dutch Palace and this contained spectacular wall paintings illustrating the Hindu mythology.  The classical Indian dance was tremendously arresting, colorful and powerful.

Taj Majal, India 2015

One of the iconic monuments  we visited in India was the Taj Mahal in Agra.  We viewed it in varying lights, in the evening from across the Yamuna river, in the morning, where the plan was to be there at sunrise but the skies were overcast and it rained so we came a little later than originally planned.  Anticipating the visual scene in the minds eye (and from photos) did not prepare us for the overarching impact of the actual building.  It is highly elegant and simple and at the same time imposingly large.  It is a really large structure with incredibly delicate decorations.

We also visited the "little Taj," Itimad-ud-Daulah's tomb.  This tomb was built over six years starting in 1622 and served as a model for the Taj.  Photos are included of this tomb in the photo story below.

Both tombs are in a garden setting on the Yamuna river and sit on a raised platform that enhances the visual impact.

On the Road, India 2015

During our recent trip to India we spent a lot of time traveling from city-to-city and attraction-to-attraction, mostly by bus but also by air and train.  There were many striking images of the people of India in diverse activities and we often stopped and talked with the people or observed their activity, sometimes with a demonstration(especially for our group).  The photos collected in the following story are gathered from these encounters and observations.  There were of course many other striking scenes in the specific cities and attractions that are included under those stories, not here.