Weekly Photo Challenge: Let There Be Light

When I saw this week’s challenge, I thought, “Oh! This is going to be fun! I have loads of pictures just right for this theme.” As I went through my pictures and others’ too, I realized how lucky I was that I could see the wonders and the beauty of this world, feel awed and inspired by them and enjoy them. But there are many who are deprived of experiencing this joy.

In India, it is estimated, there are 3.5 million cases of blindness with 30,000 new cases being added every year. Corneal blindness is the most common causes of blindness in India. The good part is that most such cases can regain their eyesight by corneal transplant, and the sad part is that not enough corneas are available to bring light and hope to these people. Lack of awareness about eye donation is a major hazard in this direction and even though a lot of effort is being made by the government and other agencies the situation is far from bright.

As a small contribution on my part, I pledged to donate my eyes a few years back and hope that someday I’ll bring Light into someone’s life.

Travel Theme: Sky

This week’s  travel theme by Ailsa is ‘Sky’. As it happens, the sky is a favorite subject for photography for both, my daughter and me. Sharing a select few. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UUU Challenge

When monsoons arrive, vendors arrive and set up shop on the pavements. The eyes are drawn to these colorful umbrellas as they cover up the sidewalks.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Layer

For this challenge I travel back to the Himalayas. The mountains seem to be spread out layer after layer in shades and hues going from dark to light or vice-versa. The pictures here are of the Himalayas taken from different regions.

 

 

The pictures here are from the Ladakh region of the Himalayas. The mountains, rich in minerals but bare and devoid of vegetation.

A view of a  valley in Pahalgam, Kashmir as the sun sets and mist takes over.

The white peaks of Kashmir

Now, layers of tea gardens in Darjeeling

 

Mountains in Skkim, the eastern side of the Himalayas.

Travel Theme: Connections

Ailsa’s Challenge this week for the Travel theme is Connections. Currently I’m visiting my Mom-Dad at our native place. Yesterday my daughter took some pictures and looking at them I thought that this is what is meant by ‘connections’. Have fun!!

 

 

 

 

 

It seems Darwin got it right…

Weekly Photo Challenge: Horizon

I’m still in the Taj Mahal hangover.  This is the view of the Taj from the Agra fort. Shahjahan was imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb here and this is where he spent his last days and died, gazing upon his beloved Taj across the river Yamuna!!

Travel Theme: Stone

A marvel in stone; pure poetry in stone.  With love from Agra!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Travel Theme: Architecture

Ailsa’s theme for this week is  Architecture and I very nearly missed it. For this theme I’ve chosen to showcase the architecture of the old city of Ahmedabad, or the ‘walled city’ as it is called because it lies within the walls of the old fort . The walls now hardly exist but efforts are being made to preserve the city within, as Heritage.  The unique thing about this part of the city is the ‘Pol’ system of housing.  People of a community or religion lived within a cluster of homes with a common central area and a gate or ‘pol’ that enclosed that particular colony. Of particular interest are the different types of architecture visible here, and the carved wooden brackets. The pols were self sufficient, as they had their own wells and rain water harvesting systems, a proper sewage system and their places of worship.

 

The old ( and the first) Swaminarayan temple

The temple gate

 

 

 

old buildings with carved wooden balconies and brackets

 

 

 

 

 

The old stock exchange building

Some wooden brackets

 

 

 

 

 

 

A ‘chabutara’ or a bird feeder

Some doors

Weekly Photo Challenge: One shot, two ways

One shot two ways!!

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Masterpiece

I’d intended to do this post as such but when I saw this week’s challenge I thought that it would be appropriate to set it here. A little story first.

I remember, as a kid I loved to sit on my dad’s lap and ask him to draw me pictures of anything and everything that came to my mind. A bird, a house, an elephant, a tiger, a horse, I would demand and he would just pull a few lines on the paper and lo! it would be there. The tradition was carried on by my brother, and later by our children. Apart from that we never saw him indulge in any kind of art work. He is an engineer by profession and spent his life with machines . For us he was a genius with maths and physics and chemistry and with his help all our problems in these subjects seemed to vanish.

Then, he retired. He spent the initial years of his retirement settling down in this new way of life. One day he picked up his pencils and colours and started sketching and painting. His paintings surprised and shocked us. He does not yet paint from his imagination but just picks up an idea from a book, magazine or a  postcard and paints on any surface that takes his fancy or is available at that time, like paper, canvas, plywood board or even tiles.But for us they are nothing short of Masterpieces-

 

 

 

 

These are sketches of my daughter and my nephew