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The Jat - one of the hidden tribes in Gujarat (India).
Dhaneta Jat woman.
The Jats who live in Kutch are particularly conscious of their identity as a group and their sense of unity comes from a perception of shared historical traditions and a belief in common ancestry.
Originally the Jats were herders who lived in an area called Half in Iran. Five hundred years ago these shepherds migrated from Half and came to Sindh and Kutch to search for new grazing lands. They crossed the Rann of Kutch and settled there taking up farming, they became known as Dhaneta Jats. Some have devted themselves to the study of the Koran and are known as the Fakirani Jats. All the Jats in Kutch are Muslims and have similar marriage and dowry customs.
The Dhanetas are the largest of the Jat Communities. They live throughtout north western Kutch. The Dhanetas live in the Banni, herd cattle. The men care for the animals and women remain in camp looking after their families.
Kumartuli & Kalighat are the potter's quarter in Northern Kolkata. It's the area where most of the idols for Durga Puja festivals are prepared. Some of the idols are also exported to various parts of the world.
© Rajesh Pamnani 2012
We ate at Karim's historic restaurant located near Jama Masjid in Old Delhi (one of the largest masjids in India). The restaurant was started in 1913 by Mohammed Aziz, who was a chef in the royal court of Mughal Emperors. His idea was to bring royal-quality foods to the locals. Karim's has now expanded to other sites, but still today, the fourth generation is still running the place at this original site in Old Delhi.
The highlights of our visit were the delicious naan bread, the mutton stew and the tandoori chicken. Besides the food, I was impressed with the way their kitchen areas are divided up into station by types of food. This photo is of the bread/naan/roti area. We enjoyed watching the bread maker continuously pick up freshly baked naans from the tandoori oven, and throw them perfectly over to the waiter waiting to catch them one by one.
War Memorial Arch (World War I), New Delhi, India. Complete indexed photo collection at WorldHistoryPics.com.
On the way to the market at Mundiguda, where a lot of people are Bonda; others are Didayi tribal people.
Treasure of the monastery of Lamayuru.
Lamayuru Monastery is situated in Ladakh, in between Bodhkharbu and Kha-la-che, on a steep rock mountain. It lies at a distance of approximately 127 km to the west of Leh town. Lamayuru Monastery belongs to the Red-Hat sect of Buddhism and houses approximately 150 Buddhist monks. The monastery is made up of a number of shrines and also has a very rich collection of thankas and magnificent wall paintings. At the outset, the Lamayuru Monastery consisted of five buildings, out of which only the central one exists today.
Every year the Lamayuru Gompa plays host a masked dance, which takes place on the 17th and 18th day of the 5th month of Tibetan lunar calendar. The monks from the monasteries of the nearby areas also come to take part in the celebrations. There is an interesting legend associated with the Lamayuru Gompa of Leh Ladakh. It is said that the Lamayuru Valley used to be a clear lake, at the time of Sakyamuni (the Historical Buddha). And, nagas (holy serpents) used to reside in the lake.
Bodhisattva Madhyantaka had once a prediction quite a long time back that the lake would eventually be dried, making way for the construction of a Buddhist monastery. The legend moves further to state that Mahasiddhacharya Naropa, an 11th century Indian Buddhist scholar, sat in meditation for a number of years in one of the caves in Dukhang. He was the one who caused a crack in the hillside surrounding the lake.
Through this crack, the lake started draining. When the lake dried out, the scholar found a dead lion lying inside it. On the same spot, where he found the tiger, he constructed the first temple of the area, known as the Singhe Ghang (Lion Mound). Another legend has it that the building of Lamayuru Monastery was constructed, as per the instructions of King of Ladakh, under the direction of Rinchen Zangpo, the Translator. After this, the monastery came under the administration of the Zhwa-mar-pa (Red Hats).
Khajuraho.
Eastern cluster temples.
The Khajuraho Group of Monuments is a group of Hindu and Jain temples in Madhya Pradesh.
The temples are famous for their nagara-style architectural symbolism and their erotic sculptures.
Most Khajuraho temples were built between 950 and 105 by the Chandela dynasty.
The most famous temples of the eastern cluster are the Adinatha temple and the Shri Shantinath temple.
Campaigning continues across the country as India presses on with its marathon five-week vote.
Photo by Goutam Roy
Ganga Aarti in Varanasi.
Every evening, as dusk descends, it's time for the Ganga Aarti to be performed at the holy city of Varanasi.
It's a very powerful and uplifting spiritual ritual.
An Aarti is a devotional ritual that uses fire as an offering.
The offering is made to the Goddess Ganga, goddess of the most holy river in India.
The Varanasi Ganga Aarti takes place at holy Dasaswamedh Ghat.
An inhabitant of the Agra fort!
Agra fort is a historical fort in the city of Agra in India. It was the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty in 1638, when the capital was shifted from Agra to Delhi.The Agra fort is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The fort can be accurately described as a walled city.
Konark is famous for its 13th-century Sun Temple (a World Heritage Site).
The Sun Temple of Konark often called as the Black Pagoda was constructed in mid thirteenth century by Raja Narasinghs Deva-I of the Ganga Dynasty. Conceived in form of a huge chariot drawn by seven spirited horses on twelve pairs of exquisitely decorated wheels, after the mythical seven horse chariot of Sun God, the temple was a unique in its architecture and implementation.
Intricate carvings on the walls of the main temple and the Natya Mandap (a separate structure just in front of the temple) are a sight to behold. It is often considered to be the most artistically superior among the other temples of Orissa. Sun Temple has lost its many of its original structures to time and disrepair but the remaining structures and the remainder of the structures confirm till today the infinite imaginative power of the artistes of the time and their inspiring contribution to Vaisnav Culture.
Mandawa.
Mandawa is part of Shekhawati region. The town has been referred to as the "open art gallery" of Rajasthan become the entire Shekhawati region and not just Mandawa is dotted with fascinating havelis (mansions) that have lavishly painting walls.
The fort of Mandawa was founded in 18th century. Situated in the middle of town, the Mandawa fort has been converted in a heritage hotel.