In kolkata when I roamed the city i surprised one thing was the "mode of Transport", Yes there are many different types of transport like Bus, Train, Tram, Ferry, Taxi, Auto and the Rickshaw pullers. I am very much heard 2 things about Kolkata one is Taxi and the other one is Rickshaw pullers. The moment we planned the trip to Kolkata I decided to have a story about the Rickshaw pullers.

I tried to capture them with the environment they live, where they pull the rickshaw and the people to interact. I tried to covered as much as possible with their actual daily activities rather than having a staged one. My photographs may not fully convey their life and work style but i tried my level best.

I personally felt very bad since they almost all are over 40 years old and they pull the rickshaws in the hot sun and dusty, crowded and narrow streets.

few points about the Rickshaw pullers from the existing documentary around the world;

Hand-pulled rickshaws came to India most likely from China during early 20th century. Kolkata is the only city in India, and one of the few around the world where hand-pulled rickshaws are still operating. Most of them are from the neighboring states like Bihar and Jharkhand and belong to uneducated and poor families. Most sleep, eat and live on the city's crowded pavements.

In most cases they do not own the vehicles, but pay a sizeable portion of their earnings to hire them.

According to the statistics, there are 6500 registered, and a few more thousands unregistered, hand-pulled rickshaws on the streets of Kolkata.

In 2006 the Government of West Bengal proposed a ban on the hand-pulled rickshaw; the authorities had decided the sight of barefoot humans pulling other humans around the city was bad for Calcutta’s image. Their union went to the High Court to oppose the ban and now this case is pending before the court of law since August 2006. All of them are contributing from their earnings to fight against the ban.

The Government is planning for other alternative work to provide them with because if they will stop working as rickshaw pullers they will lose everything they own.

A rickshaw puller sleeping on his tricycle, in tree shade.

Hand-pulled rickshaws have been a part of Calcutta's daily commuting since the turn of twentieth century. Today, mostly the northern parts of the city ( adjacent to the river 'Ganges' ) hold fort for this age old means of local transportation, after the communist govt. banned it in 2006.

While governments have came up with various proposals for these people over the last 10 years or so (and nothing being executed at ground zero), rickshaw-pullers cling on to the footpaths at night for survival, in the 'City of Joy.'

I am now back in the Shirakwa area in the Gion district of Kyoto, Japan, in front of a tiny lane which has an almost celebrity status as it has featured in several Japanese films and tv serials. Of course I could not relate as most of the visual media it has appeared in is Japanese. I had passed this street very briefly on a human powered tourist rickshaw where my rickshaw-puller guide had told me of this street. I dediced to walk down here later to take more pictures at leisure, and to also explore the geisha street on foot if at all possible. Sadly, I was going around in loops walking around a totally wrond part of Gion and by the time I got here, a good 2 km away, it had started raining. I was not able to locate geisha street again as no one seemed willing to give directions, and one elderly gent at a pharmacy even appeared to be scandalized when I asked him! (Kyoto, Japan, Apr/ May 2019)

(Representative image) A geiko and meiko head out to meet a customer It’s easy to tell the difference between a maiko and a geiko: maiko wear colorful kimono with long sleeves and appear with their own hair worn up with a variety of extravagant hairpins (known as kanzashi), while geiko wear plainer kimono with shorter sleeves and appear wearing relatively unadorned wigs. Both maiko and geiko entertain guests and they often appear together at various functions. It is impossible to meet geiko (the local Kyoto term for geisha) and maiko (trainee geisha) without invitation or being introduced by a local, so such a photograph is impossible to take, really. Hats off to the photographer who managed this. The lady clad in jeans and t-shirt standing in the doorway is proof enough that off duty, geisha and maiko are actually simply regular people like you and me. (Kyoto, Japan, Apr/ May 2019) (photo by Nullumayulife downloaded from Wikipedia) www.flickr.com/photos/41265963/4756383032

Kolkata 2008

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Unauthorized use or reproduction for any reason is prohibited

A rickshaw puller is relaxing on his rickshaw in Dhaka.

Street Photography

Still in the Shirakawa area of Kyoto, Japan, finding a relatively lush sakura *cherry blossom) tree in full bloom (there are over twice as many flowers in season but this was still lush enough for me, considering that this is a bit off season), I decided to request a passing tourist to take one more selfie of me against this tree. This is all the more considering that this will probably be my last couple of pictures in Kyoto- I was leaving for Osaka the following morning. (Kyoto, Japan, Apr/ May 2019)

Jahangir is currently a rickshawpuller who once used to drive CNG driven taxis.

Father of two, when asked if they go to school, he frankly replied that he cannot afford bearing the school fees of a school in the city.

What could I say, I just told him to see if there's a way for him to send them to school,its essential.

Hillview H/S, Chittagong.

-------

This picture is #54 in my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at www.100strangers.com

Press L

Geisha houses with a poster for a geisha show in a lane dedicated to the art. I am on a human powered rickshaw in the Gion area of Kyoto, Japan. I wanted to get off to take some pictures but my rickshaw puller-guide said there are restrictions on him stopping here and letting tourists take pictures so whatever I do, to do on the run. Heck, he he even refused to take a picture of me against a geisha house. The most popular area of the Gion district in Kyoto is Hanami-koji Street from Shijo Avenue to Kenninji Temple. A nice, albeit expensive place to dine, the street and its side alleys are lined with preserved machiya houses many of which now function as restaurants, serving Kyoto style kaiseki ryori (Japanese haute cuisine) and other types of local and international meals. Interspersed among the restaurants are a number of ochaya (teahouses), the most exclusive and expensive of Kyoto's dining establishments, where guests are entertained by maiko (trainee geisha) and geiko (the local Kyoto term for geisha). Detailed notes about geisha appeared earlier in this album (see previous pictures) and also appear later in this album. (see subsequent pictures). (Kyoto, Japan, Apr/ May 2019)

In kolkata when I roamed the city i surprised one thing was the "mode of Transport", Yes there are many different types of transport like Bus, Train, Tram, Ferry, Taxi, Auto and the Rickshaw pullers. I am very much heard 2 things about Kolkata one is Taxi and the other one is Rickshaw pullers. The moment we planned the trip to Kolkata I decided to have a story about the Rickshaw pullers.

I tried to capture them with the environment they live, where they pull the rickshaw and the people to interact. I tried to covered as much as possible with their actual daily activities rather than having a staged one. My photographs may not fully convey their life and work style but i tried my level best.

I personally felt very bad since they almost all are over 40 years old and they pull the rickshaws in the hot sun and dusty, crowded and narrow streets.

few points about the Rickshaw pullers from the existing documentary around the world;

Hand-pulled rickshaws came to India most likely from China during early 20th century. Kolkata is the only city in India, and one of the few around the world where hand-pulled rickshaws are still operating. Most of them are from the neighboring states like Bihar and Jharkhand and belong to uneducated and poor families. Most sleep, eat and live on the city's crowded pavements.

In most cases they do not own the vehicles, but pay a sizeable portion of their earnings to hire them.

According to the statistics, there are 6500 registered, and a few more thousands unregistered, hand-pulled rickshaws on the streets of Kolkata.

In 2006 the Government of West Bengal proposed a ban on the hand-pulled rickshaw; the authorities had decided the sight of barefoot humans pulling other humans around the city was bad for Calcutta’s image. Their union went to the High Court to oppose the ban and now this case is pending before the court of law since August 2006. All of them are contributing from their earnings to fight against the ban.

The Government is planning for other alternative work to provide them with because if they will stop working as rickshaw pullers they will lose everything they own.

Of course the iPhone gave better colours- wish I had shot in landscape format! This is what is in all probability a high class restaurant over looking a sakura (cherry blossom) tree lined canal in the Shirakwa are in the geisha district of Kyoto, Japan. I had taken this picture with a view to putting it on Instagram- I sort of liked the traditional Japanese wooden building with the sakura (cherry blossom) blooms in the foreground. Between me and the building is a canal. I had to beat a hasty retreat here as the heavy drizzle had turned into a heavy shower so I had to jump into a taxi- one fortunately came by almost immediately, once I reached the main street- and dive into the comforts of my hotel. This is my last picture in Kyoto- tomorrow morning I am off to Osaka. (Kyoto, Japan, Apr/ May 2019)

I am now on a human powered rickshaw run by the Kyoto- EBISUYA Higashiyama Rickshaw company- a ride I have taken with much discomfiture having another human being pull me along the streets of Tokyo. As my rickshaw puller- guide points to something, (the Yasaka pagoda down the alley alongside- see previous picture) I was admiring the colour co-ordination all around. Straight ahead in the so called three monkeys temple, so named due to a tiny statue of the three monkeys set above the arch. (this is only a colloquial name for the temple the actual three monkeys temple is in a far off suburb of Kyoto, near the Kiyomizu-dera temple). This is a landing at the end of a street barely as wide as the rickshaw itself and although I wanted to photograph the fabulous colours stemming out of the sakura cherry blossom) flowers in bloom, the bright vermilion of the gate and a bunch of Korean or Chinese tourists clad in colorful kimonos which co-ordinate perfectly with the pink sakura flowers, the rickshaw was not permitted to stop there and I had to make do with this shot from the rickshaw itself- meaning I could not get off the vehicle to take a better picture. (Kyoto, Japan, Apr/ May 2019)

aruna asif ali marg, sanjay van, delhi

Rickshaw pullers getting ready at dawn near Jadavpur railway station.

I am now on a human powered rickshaw ride around the Gion district of Kyoto in Japan, a ride I took despite my reservations about sitting in a vehicle powered by another fellow human being. We are now in an interesting part of town, Geisha lane. Detailed notes about geisha- called geiko here in Kyoto, and maiko (trainee geiko) appear later in this album (see next picture). I later walked around Gion on foot and wanted to take more pictures here but I sort of misjudged where this lane was, and ended up walking in loops in a totally different direction. A wizened old shopkeeper in a local pharmacy looked offended and scandalized when I asked for directions to 'geisha lane' and gestured to me to get lost! Oh well! I later did head in the general direction but it started raining heavily at that point due to which I jumped into a cab and headed back to my hotel, hence never finding this street again! (Kyoto, Japan, Apr/ May 2019)

A rather stone faced Japanese gentleman in a suit emerged from this gap between two geisha houses in the Gion district of Kyoto, Japan. I did not point my camera at him as although not frowned upon, visits to geisha houses is strictly private. Kyoto's Gion district attracts tourists with its high concentration of traditional wooden machiya merchant houses. Due to the fact that property taxes were formerly based upon street frontage, the houses were built with narrow facades only five to six meters wide, but extend up to twenty meters in from the street. Whether you are Japanese or foreign, you cannot experience geisha entertainment without a personal introduction from an existing client of a particular geisha house, and that too at eye wateringly high prices which border on the extortionate. Detailed notes about geish (called geiko in Kyoto) and maiko (trainee geisha) appeared earlier in this album. (see previous pictures). (Kyoto, Japan, Apr/ May 2019)

Taken while I was sitting back on a rickshaw amidst traffic jam.

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I am in the Shirakwa area in the Gion district of Kyoto, Japan, in front of a tiny lane which has an almost celebrity status as it has featured in several Japanese films and tv serials. Of course I could not relate as most of the visual media it has appeared in is Japanese. The lane appeared to be very popular with tourists as well, as you can see here, although most people only seemed to be milling about at the entrance. (Kyoto, Japan, Apr/ May 2019)

I am now on my second ride on a human powered rickshaw, this time in Kyoto (the last time was in Tokyo- see my Tokyo album). And while I have my own reservations about having another human being playing beast of burden while I sat on his vehicle, especially considering the graded streets of Kyoto, my rickshaw puller, a jolly chap, assured me that this is a tourism promotion measure encouraged by the Japan government and they in fact encourage more and more people to ride these human powered rickshaws. My rickshaw puller has made a brief halt here to take a picture of me against an old wooden office building of yore. (Kyoto, Japan, Apr/ May 2019)

I am, as you can see, on a human powered rickshaw side around the historic Gion district of Kyoto, Japan, a ride I took after much persuasion by the enterprising rickshaw driver-guide as I have y reservations over riding on a vehicle powered by another human being. Be that as it may, my rickshaw puller-guide has not stopped before a private tea garden- of course being private, it was out of bounds to the public. My guide informed me that the owner brought in various types of tea bushes from all around the world and has planted them here. (Kyoto, Japan, Apr/ May 2019)

In kolkata when I roamed the city i surprised one thing was the "mode of Transport", Yes there are many different types of transport like Bus, Train, Tram, Ferry, Taxi, Auto and the Rickshaw pullers. I am very much heard 2 things about Kolkata one is Taxi and the other one is Rickshaw pullers. The moment we planned the trip to Kolkata I decided to have a story about the Rickshaw pullers.

I tried to capture them with the environment they live, where they pull the rickshaw and the people to interact. I tried to covered as much as possible with their actual daily activities rather than having a staged one. My photographs may not fully convey their life and work style but i tried my level best.

I personally felt very bad since they almost all are over 40 years old and they pull the rickshaws in the hot sun and dusty, crowded and narrow streets.

few points about the Rickshaw pullers from the existing documentary around the world;

Hand-pulled rickshaws came to India most likely from China during early 20th century. Kolkata is the only city in India, and one of the few around the world where hand-pulled rickshaws are still operating. Most of them are from the neighboring states like Bihar and Jharkhand and belong to uneducated and poor families. Most sleep, eat and live on the city's crowded pavements.

In most cases they do not own the vehicles, but pay a sizeable portion of their earnings to hire them.

According to the statistics, there are 6500 registered, and a few more thousands unregistered, hand-pulled rickshaws on the streets of Kolkata.

In 2006 the Government of West Bengal proposed a ban on the hand-pulled rickshaw; the authorities had decided the sight of barefoot humans pulling other humans around the city was bad for Calcutta’s image. Their union went to the High Court to oppose the ban and now this case is pending before the court of law since August 2006. All of them are contributing from their earnings to fight against the ban.

The Government is planning for other alternative work to provide them with because if they will stop working as rickshaw pullers they will lose everything they own.

My half hour ride of the Gion district in Kyoto, Japan is practically over now and I am in the Shirakawa Area of the city which runs along the Shirakawa Canal. We have been coming all this while along a very pleasant sakura (cherry blossom) lined path along the canal. (see previous pictures earlier in this album). My rickshaw has turned off the lane now and crossed a bridge to another part of Gion. Just before dropping me off, my rickshaw puller guide pointed out to me this tiny lane. He told me that this tiny lane in Gion has featured in many films and television serials. Of course, being all Japanese films and serials, I could not relate. However the tiny lane appeared to be very popular even with tourists and visitors as you can well see here. I later returned to this lane on foot, to take more pictures. (see subsequent pictures later in this album). (Kyoto, Japan, Apr/ May 2019)

In kolkata when I roamed the city i surprised one thing was the "mode of Transport", Yes there are many different types of transport like Bus, Train, Tram, Ferry, Taxi, Auto and the Rickshaw pullers. I am very much heard 2 things about Kolkata one is Taxi and the other one is Rickshaw pullers. The moment we planned the trip to Kolkata I decided to have a story about the Rickshaw pullers.

I tried to capture them with the environment they live, where they pull the rickshaw and the people to interact. I tried to covered as much as possible with their actual daily activities rather than having a staged one. My photographs may not fully convey their life and work style but i tried my level best.

I personally felt very bad since they almost all are over 40 years old and they pull the rickshaws in the hot sun and dusty, crowded and narrow streets.

few points about the Rickshaw pullers from the existing documentary around the world;

Hand-pulled rickshaws came to India most likely from China during early 20th century. Kolkata is the only city in India, and one of the few around the world where hand-pulled rickshaws are still operating. Most of them are from the neighboring states like Bihar and Jharkhand and belong to uneducated and poor families. Most sleep, eat and live on the city's crowded pavements.

In most cases they do not own the vehicles, but pay a sizeable portion of their earnings to hire them.

According to the statistics, there are 6500 registered, and a few more thousands unregistered, hand-pulled rickshaws on the streets of Kolkata.

In 2006 the Government of West Bengal proposed a ban on the hand-pulled rickshaw; the authorities had decided the sight of barefoot humans pulling other humans around the city was bad for Calcutta’s image. Their union went to the High Court to oppose the ban and now this case is pending before the court of law since August 2006. All of them are contributing from their earnings to fight against the ban.

The Government is planning for other alternative work to provide them with because if they will stop working as rickshaw pullers they will lose everything they own.

In kolkata when I roamed the city i surprised one thing was the "mode of Transport", Yes there are many different types of transport like Bus, Train, Tram, Ferry, Taxi, Auto and the Rickshaw pullers. I am very much heard 2 things about Kolkata one is Taxi and the other one is Rickshaw pullers. The moment we planned the trip to Kolkata I decided to have a story about the Rickshaw pullers.

I tried to capture them with the environment they live, where they pull the rickshaw and the people to interact. I tried to covered as much as possible with their actual daily activities rather than having a staged one. My photographs may not fully convey their life and work style but i tried my level best.

I personally felt very bad since they almost all are over 40 years old and they pull the rickshaws in the hot sun and dusty, crowded and narrow streets.

few points about the Rickshaw pullers from the existing documentary around the world;

Hand-pulled rickshaws came to India most likely from China during early 20th century. Kolkata is the only city in India, and one of the few around the world where hand-pulled rickshaws are still operating. Most of them are from the neighboring states like Bihar and Jharkhand and belong to uneducated and poor families. Most sleep, eat and live on the city's crowded pavements.

In most cases they do not own the vehicles, but pay a sizeable portion of their earnings to hire them.

According to the statistics, there are 6500 registered, and a few more thousands unregistered, hand-pulled rickshaws on the streets of Kolkata.

In 2006 the Government of West Bengal proposed a ban on the hand-pulled rickshaw; the authorities had decided the sight of barefoot humans pulling other humans around the city was bad for Calcutta’s image. Their union went to the High Court to oppose the ban and now this case is pending before the court of law since August 2006. All of them are contributing from their earnings to fight against the ban.

The Government is planning for other alternative work to provide them with because if they will stop working as rickshaw pullers they will lose everything they own.

A training school for geiko (geisha) in the middle of geisha district in the Gion district of Kyot, Japan. And now here was another minor irritant: I am on a human powered rickshaw ride in Kyoto. Keeping with local regulations, my otherwise friendly and informative rickshaw-puller guide was very strict about the rules of photographing in this area- the geisha district. He made it clear that clients are not allowed to get off the rickshaw to take pictures and nor is he allowed to take pictures of and for the clients in this area. Ouch! The Gion district of Kyoto is the heart of Japan’s geisha world. In Kyoto, however, fully-fledged geisha are properly called geiko (pronounced “gay-ko”). Young ladies, usually between the ages of 15 and 20, train for five years to become a geiko. During this period, they are known as maiko (pronounced “my-ko”). Knowledgeable insiders estimate that there are about 100 geiko and 100 maiko in Kyoto. Other cities, like Tokyo, have some version of geisha, but they don’t usually undergo the strict training that defines Kyoto’s maiko and geiko. (Kyoto, Japan, Apr/ May 2019)

In kolkata when I roamed the city i surprised one thing was the "mode of Transport", Yes there are many different types of transport like Bus, Train, Tram, Ferry, Taxi, Auto and the Rickshaw pullers. I am very much heard 2 things about Kolkata one is Taxi and the other one is Rickshaw pullers. The moment we planned the trip to Kolkata I decided to have a story about the Rickshaw pullers.

I tried to capture them with the environment they live, where they pull the rickshaw and the people to interact. I tried to covered as much as possible with their actual daily activities rather than having a staged one. My photographs may not fully convey their life and work style but i tried my level best.

I personally felt very bad since they almost all are over 40 years old and they pull the rickshaws in the hot sun and dusty, crowded and narrow streets.

few points about the Rickshaw pullers from the existing documentary around the world;

Hand-pulled rickshaws came to India most likely from China during early 20th century. Kolkata is the only city in India, and one of the few around the world where hand-pulled rickshaws are still operating. Most of them are from the neighboring states like Bihar and Jharkhand and belong to uneducated and poor families. Most sleep, eat and live on the city's crowded pavements.

In most cases they do not own the vehicles, but pay a sizeable portion of their earnings to hire them.

According to the statistics, there are 6500 registered, and a few more thousands unregistered, hand-pulled rickshaws on the streets of Kolkata.

In 2006 the Government of West Bengal proposed a ban on the hand-pulled rickshaw; the authorities had decided the sight of barefoot humans pulling other humans around the city was bad for Calcutta’s image. Their union went to the High Court to oppose the ban and now this case is pending before the court of law since August 2006. All of them are contributing from their earnings to fight against the ban.

The Government is planning for other alternative work to provide them with because if they will stop working as rickshaw pullers they will lose everything they own.

(Representative image) A geiko (the term for geisha in Kyoto) and a meiko l(trainee geiko) eaving their house to meet a client. The person who shot this picture probably knows a thing or two about geisha and is very well connected. It is generally impossible to get access to geisha or ochaya (traditional Japanese tea houses with geisha) without being well connected or knowing a local. Geisha houses are usually shuttered tight and it's impossible to get to an open one unless you are in the know, let alone take a picture like this! Detailed notes about geisha (called geiko here in Kyoto) appeared earlier in this album (see previous pictures). (Kyoto, Japan, Apr/ May 2019) (photo by Nullumayulife on Creative Commons, downloaded from Wikipedia) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Geisha,_maiko,_shikomi_in_Kyot... This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

In kolkata when I roamed the city i surprised one thing was the "mode of Transport", Yes there are many different types of transport like Bus, Train, Tram, Ferry, Taxi, Auto and the Rickshaw pullers. I am very much heard 2 things about Kolkata one is Taxi and the other one is Rickshaw pullers. The moment we planned the trip to Kolkata I decided to have a story about the Rickshaw pullers.

I tried to capture them with the environment they live, where they pull the rickshaw and the people to interact. I tried to covered as much as possible with their actual daily activities rather than having a staged one. My photographs may not fully convey their life and work style but i tried my level best.

I personally felt very bad since they almost all are over 40 years old and they pull the rickshaws in the hot sun and dusty, crowded and narrow streets.

few points about the Rickshaw pullers from the existing documentary around the world;

Hand-pulled rickshaws came to India most likely from China during early 20th century. Kolkata is the only city in India, and one of the few around the world where hand-pulled rickshaws are still operating. Most of them are from the neighboring states like Bihar and Jharkhand and belong to uneducated and poor families. Most sleep, eat and live on the city's crowded pavements.

In most cases they do not own the vehicles, but pay a sizeable portion of their earnings to hire them.

According to the statistics, there are 6500 registered, and a few more thousands unregistered, hand-pulled rickshaws on the streets of Kolkata.

In 2006 the Government of West Bengal proposed a ban on the hand-pulled rickshaw; the authorities had decided the sight of barefoot humans pulling other humans around the city was bad for Calcutta’s image. Their union went to the High Court to oppose the ban and now this case is pending before the court of law since August 2006. All of them are contributing from their earnings to fight against the ban.

The Government is planning for other alternative work to provide them with because if they will stop working as rickshaw pullers they will lose everything they own.

looking at year 2010!

Rickshaw puller, Kathmandu. 2010

Probably he is a Rickshaw Puller. During the Photowalk got him sleeping on his own Rickshaw. Liked the way he was sleeping and light falling on his face.

Click "L" for larger version.

Rickshaw,Kolkata,India ..

For more photos like this one.click MY SITE subirbasak.orgfree.com.....

p.s."Copyright © – Subir Basak.

The reproduction, publication, modification, transmission or exploitation of any work contained herein for any use, personal or commercial, without my prior written permission is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved."

My second human powered rickshaw ride- this time on a rickshaw operated by the Kyoto- EBISUYA Higashiyama Rickshaw company. I am generally against the idea of another human being playing beast of burden, to slog his butt off and endure such physical pain just so that I could have a smooth ride, more so with some of the graded streets in Kyoto. But the rickshaw puller was an enterprising chap, and when I stopped by him to ask for directions, he convinced me to take a ride. I had also had a ride in Tokyo (see my Tokyo album), and this gentleman too assured me that this is a tourism promotion measure by the government of Japan, pulling a rickshaw is no trouble at all- it's only a question of maintaining balance once the vehicle got moving and he actually enjoyed interacting with people from around the world to give more information about his country's culture and to also learn about other cultures from around the world etc. He in fact even posed for me before we set off! (Kyoto, Japan, Apr/ May 2019)

In kolkata when I roamed the city i surprised one thing was the "mode of Transport", Yes there are many different types of transport like Bus, Train, Tram, Ferry, Taxi, Auto and the Rickshaw pullers. I am very much heard 2 things about Kolkata one is Taxi and the other one is Rickshaw pullers. The moment we planned the trip to Kolkata I decided to have a story about the Rickshaw pullers.

I tried to capture them with the environment they live, where they pull the rickshaw and the people to interact. I tried to covered as much as possible with their actual daily activities rather than having a staged one. My photographs may not fully convey their life and work style but i tried my level best.

I personally felt very bad since they almost all are over 40 years old and they pull the rickshaws in the hot sun and dusty, crowded and narrow streets.

few points about the Rickshaw pullers from the existing documentary around the world;

Hand-pulled rickshaws came to India most likely from China during early 20th century. Kolkata is the only city in India, and one of the few around the world where hand-pulled rickshaws are still operating. Most of them are from the neighboring states like Bihar and Jharkhand and belong to uneducated and poor families. Most sleep, eat and live on the city's crowded pavements.

In most cases they do not own the vehicles, but pay a sizeable portion of their earnings to hire them.

According to the statistics, there are 6500 registered, and a few more thousands unregistered, hand-pulled rickshaws on the streets of Kolkata.

In 2006 the Government of West Bengal proposed a ban on the hand-pulled rickshaw; the authorities had decided the sight of barefoot humans pulling other humans around the city was bad for Calcutta’s image. Their union went to the High Court to oppose the ban and now this case is pending before the court of law since August 2006. All of them are contributing from their earnings to fight against the ban.

The Government is planning for other alternative work to provide them with because if they will stop working as rickshaw pullers they will lose everything they own.

... 1 of 18,000: Kolkata is one of the last cities in the world where hand-pulled rickshaws are still on the streets, where men run hauling people, and freight, in some of the most extreme temperatures, weather and road conditions anywhere. When the government proposed banning the practice in 2006, the All Bengal Rickshaw Union protested in support of the men’s livelihood. So today, it is estimated that there are still 18,000 rickshaw pullers - most of them 40 to 60 years old, working 12 hours a day and living in their rickshaws, or on the streets of Kolkata

Quicklook portfolio

(© Handheld Films 2014)

www.handheldfilms.co.uk

In kolkata when I roamed the city i surprised one thing was the "mode of Transport", Yes there are many different types of transport like Bus, Train, Tram, Ferry, Taxi, Auto and the Rickshaw pullers. I am very much heard 2 things about Kolkata one is Taxi and the other one is Rickshaw pullers. The moment we planned the trip to Kolkata I decided to have a story about the Rickshaw pullers.

I tried to capture them with the environment they live, where they pull the rickshaw and the people to interact. I tried to covered as much as possible with their actual daily activities rather than having a staged one. My photographs may not fully convey their life and work style but i tried my level best.

I personally felt very bad since they almost all are over 40 years old and they pull the rickshaws in the hot sun and dusty, crowded and narrow streets.

few points about the Rickshaw pullers from the existing documentary around the world;

Hand-pulled rickshaws came to India most likely from China during early 20th century. Kolkata is the only city in India, and one of the few around the world where hand-pulled rickshaws are still operating. Most of them are from the neighboring states like Bihar and Jharkhand and belong to uneducated and poor families. Most sleep, eat and live on the city's crowded pavements.

In most cases they do not own the vehicles, but pay a sizeable portion of their earnings to hire them.

According to the statistics, there are 6500 registered, and a few more thousands unregistered, hand-pulled rickshaws on the streets of Kolkata.

In 2006 the Government of West Bengal proposed a ban on the hand-pulled rickshaw; the authorities had decided the sight of barefoot humans pulling other humans around the city was bad for Calcutta’s image. Their union went to the High Court to oppose the ban and now this case is pending before the court of law since August 2006. All of them are contributing from their earnings to fight against the ban.

The Government is planning for other alternative work to provide them with because if they will stop working as rickshaw pullers they will lose everything they own.