India – the land of my forefathers – excites me a lot more than any other country and, I am not being biased as I was born here and I have practically spent a little more than a quarter of my life here. Besides, the innumerable religions and thousands of Gods and hundreds of languages, it’s a country ridden with flaws and contradicting in nature at every nook and corner. But, it’s this super multi-dimensional aspect of a country that I love.
It amazes me with its vast, barren landscapes in the East & West; to the beautiful, lush green hills of the North & South. The second most populated country in the world startles with regions that have absolute serenity with hardly a soul at these untouched places; but a mere 10 km hike down the road, it surprisingly amalgamates itself with narrow lanes full of chaos and filth. There are posh eateries that lay out a sumptuous spread for the privileged few; but right across the street in a comparatively unhygienic environment will house an even more famous, tastier spread in the form of street food that will hardly cost a dollar or two. And to its utter bewilderement it caters both - the rich incumbents as well as people coming from the lower strata of the society. On one side, I came across superbly constructed National Highways, luxury buses and super fast metros, but on the other side I was thrown into a whirlwind of local public transport crammed with hundreds of people on State Highways or rural roads, that can bless you with a broken bone or a muscle tear. But you tend to forget everything, when you experience the magnificent hospitality from the colourful faces accompanied with their equally colourful attire that easily distinguishes themselves from their respective regions.
Besides, our rich but forgotten history that abstains from the present scenario riddled with dirty politics and warped culture and tradition, I am yet to experience a lot more of my country. Of whatever I have seen and experienced, this is what I have tried to put across through my photographs.
It amazes me with its vast, barren landscapes in the East & West; to the beautiful, lush green hills of the North & South. The second most populated country in the world startles with regions that have absolute serenity with hardly a soul at these untouched places; but a mere 10 km hike down the road, it surprisingly amalgamates itself with narrow lanes full of chaos and filth. There are posh eateries that lay out a sumptuous spread for the privileged few; but right across the street in a comparatively unhygienic environment will house an even more famous, tastier spread in the form of street food that will hardly cost a dollar or two. And to its utter bewilderement it caters both - the rich incumbents as well as people coming from the lower strata of the society. On one side, I came across superbly constructed National Highways, luxury buses and super fast metros, but on the other side I was thrown into a whirlwind of local public transport crammed with hundreds of people on State Highways or rural roads, that can bless you with a broken bone or a muscle tear. But you tend to forget everything, when you experience the magnificent hospitality from the colourful faces accompanied with their equally colourful attire that easily distinguishes themselves from their respective regions.
Besides, our rich but forgotten history that abstains from the present scenario riddled with dirty politics and warped culture and tradition, I am yet to experience a lot more of my country. Of whatever I have seen and experienced, this is what I have tried to put across through my photographs.
