Everything you’ve ever heard about India is probably true. It’s big, it’s hot, it’s cold, rich, poor, and stuffed to the gills with humanity. It’s not for the faint-hearted, but it is beautiful, the people are wonderful, and yes, there are cows everywhere.
Armed only with my first DSLR, I staggered out of our hotel in New Delhi to be greeted by the sight of an elephant walking by, directed by a child astride its neck. ‘India!’ I proclaimed, and looked around for breakfast. We found a vendor frying flat breads in oil, served with curry sauce and eaten standing in the middle of the street. I was dubious but took a tentative bite and was transformed, because the flavour was wonderful, the cost was negligible, and the food was hot enough to be safe. We ate on the street for the rest of the trip and suffered no ill effects, because nothing comes out of a tandoor or deep fryer alive.
New Delhi seethes with 30 million people, but it was the sheer disorganisation that made it so unlike any other city. A highway lane might end abruptly at a bridge support, and the bridge might not be connected to anything. Any open space tends to host an impromptu and never-ending cricket match, with teams made up of whoever passes by. Poverty exists cheek by jowl with wealth, and one doesn’t seem to notice the other. Cows wander like oversized stray dogs, safe in their holy status but tolerated rather than worshipped. Getting onto a train is something of a competitive sport, but somehow people manage.
The Taj Mahal in person is more impressive than I could have imagined, even if its reason for being is a sad one. We passed through metal detectors to get inside the grounds, and found out why when we saw that someone had carved their name into the blindingly white edifice. The poverty of the people who live right next door was perhaps the most stark contrast possible.
India loves a temple, and if you’re going to do some decoration then plainly it’s worth overdoing. The riot of colour on some of the facades would probably look gaudy if done poorly, but you just have to admire the commitment to flair. This carries over to the city of Varanasi, which is where people go to die if they can possibly manage it. The cremation pyres burn through the night, and people crowd to watch the astonishing and, to me at least, incomprehensible ceremonies that are held a short distance down the river.
India can be wonderful or horrible. The impression you take away largely depends on the attitude you bring.
1 - Sunrise in Agra, Uttar Pradesh
2 - A local resident at the fort that was our accomodation for the night
3 - A man and his camel
4 - A flower seller in New Delhi
5 - The 13 story deep Chand Baori stepwell
6 - 2 ladies in Karauli, Rajasthan
7 - The Taj Mahal
8- The Kandariya Mahadeva Temple, reputedly the inspiration for the Kama Sutra
9 - A traditional performer
10 - A bull, chilling in the crowd by the Ganges river
11 - Some kids checking their shots on one of our cameras
12 - The nightly funeral pyres of Varanasi
13 - This lady was a hoot
14 - A religious ceremony by the Ganges
15 - If you lifted a camera the kids were all about it
16 - Fishing nets in Kochi, Kerala
17 - A dance competition we chanced upon in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu
18 - The 11 story Meenakshi Temple, decorated from top to bottom
19 - A traditional martial arts performance in Kumily, Kerala
20 - India bid us farewell