A woman flower seller at her street side shop, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India

A woman flower seller at her street side shop, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India
Always a pleasure to capture smiles.

A woman flower seller at her street side shop, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India

A shepherd woman resting by the road side, near the river Ganges, Varanashi, Uttar Pradesh, India

A shepherd woman resting by the road side, near the river Ganges, Varanashi, Uttar Pradesh,  India
A shepherd woman resting by the road side, near the river Ganges, Varanashi, Uttar Pradesh, India

A shopkeeper crafting copper yantras in a small corner at Puthu Mandapam, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India

A shopkeeper crafting copper yantras in a small corner at Puthu Mandapam, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India
Yantra is a diagram of certain deity etched usually in copper plates and worshipped.

A shopkeeper crafting copper yantras in a small corner at Puthu Mandapam, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India

An agricultural labourer returning home carrying hay for his livestock, Vadakku Vandanam, Tamil Nadu, India.

An agricultural labourer returning home carrying hay for his livestock, Vadakku Vandanam, Tamil Nadu, India.
An agricultural labourer returning home carrying hay for his livestock, Vadakku Vandanam, Tamil Nadu, India.

A young man selling peacock feathers, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India

A young man selling peacock feathers, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India
Peacocks are considered sacred in India (it’s vehicle to Lord Muruga and Lord Krishna is always depicted with a peacock feather in his crown) and it’s feathers are used in worship.

A young man selling peacock feathers, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India

A worker returning in his tricycle, Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu, India

A worker returning in his tricycle, Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu, India
Tricycles are more popular amongst the transport workers as the lanes are narrow.

A worker returning in his tricycle, Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu, India

A man taking dip in the river Ganges, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

A man taking dip on the river Ganges , Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh,  India
Belief is that one’s sins will be washed away if you take a dig in the river.

A man taking dip on the river Ganges, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

Sunrise over the confluence of three oceans (Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean) behind the Thiruvalluvar Statue and Vivekananda rock, Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, India

Sunrise over the confluence of three oceans (Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean) behind the Thiruvalluvar Statue and Vivekananda rock, Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, India
Sunrise brings colors unparalleled.

Sunrise over the confluence of three oceans (Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean) behind the Thiruvalluvar Statue and Vivekananda rock, Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, India

A cycle rickshaw passing by the cows in the street, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

A cycle rickshaw passing by the cows in the street, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh,  India
Cows are considered sacred in this old city and humans live around them, it appears.

A cycle rickshaw passing by the cows in the street, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

A priest applying sandalwood paste on the forehead of a woman devotee at Ghats of Ganges, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

A priest applying sandalwood paste on the forehead of a woman devotee  at Ghats of Ganges, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh,  India
Marking on forehead with sandalwood paste is considered to have health and spiritual benefits and widely practiced when people visit temples.

A priest applying sandalwood paste on the forehead of a woman devotee at Ghats of Ganges, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

A young barber shaving off beard of a man who is offering it at Ghats of Ganges, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

A priest applying sandalwood paste on the forehead of a woman devotee  at Ghats of Ganges, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh,  India
People usually grow up hair for a few weeks or months and would shave off at the temples.

A young barber removing beard of a man who is offering it at Ghats of Ganges, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

A street vendor selling nursery plants in his push cart, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India

It’s always great to see interesting things like live flower plants are brought out in mobile carts

A street vendor selling nursery plants in his push cart, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India

An engraving craftist at work by the street side shop, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India

An engraving craftist at work by the street side shop, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India
An engraving craftist at work by the street side shop, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India

Terraced farming fields on the hillside at Poombarai near Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, India

Terraced farming fields on the hillside at Poombarai near Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, India
These terraced fields reminded me the rice fields of Bali. Here, they are farming onions, potatoes and carrots.

Terraced farming fields on the hillside at Poombarai near Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, India

A woman street vendor selling hair wigs, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India

A woman street vendor selling hair wigs, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India
A woman street vendor selling hair wigs, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India

A street vendor demonstrating his soap bubble kit, Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu, India

A street vendor demonstrating his soap bubble kit, Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu, India
A street vendor demonstrating his soap bubble kit, Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu, India

Sculpture of Shiva as Gajasurasamhara (“The Slayer of the elephant demon”) depicted in one of the pillar of the Puthu Mandapam at Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India

Sculpture of Shiva as Gajasurasamhara ("The Slayer of the elephant demon") depicted in one of the pillar of the Puthu Mandapam at Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India
This sculpture was hidden among the encroachments but revealed once they’re cleared recently. It’s a rare sculpture depicting the mythical story where Lord Shiva slayed a demon that came in the form of elephant. This Puthu Mandapam was built during the early 1620 CE Nayak rule.

Sculpture of Shiva as Gajasurasamhara (“The Slayer of the elephant demon”) depicted in one of the pillar of the Puthu Mandapam at Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India

Three young men selling colorful shawls for women in the streets, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India

Three young men selling colorful shawls for women in the streets, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India
They bundled it to carry as many and I felt good to see them in good spirits even in the midday hot sun.

Three young men selling colorful shawls for women in the streets, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India

A young boy among the crowd watching the temple procession lead by boom boom bull, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India

A young boy among the crowd watching the temple procession lead by boom boom bull, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India
A young boy among the crowd watching the temple procession lead by boom boom bull, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India

A young student waiting for a city bus in a shade, Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu, India

A young student waiting for a city bus in a shade, Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu, India
A young student waiting for a city bus in a shade, Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu, India