Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar

Ganesha – God of Knowledge and Wisdom (from HuffPost)

Rajan P. Parrikar — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:15:56 +0000

I have started blogging at the Huffington Post. My first feature went up today: Ganesha – God of Knowledge and Wisdom.

Palm Fronds and the Church

Rajan P. Parrikar — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 08:01:06 +0000

The 17th C. Church of Nossa Señhora Assunta in the village of Velsão is ensconced in a swath of palm trees. This soothing sight typifies the landscape of coastal Goa. I made several early morning rounds spread over many months to the hillock at Cuelim until I got the lighting just right.

Palm fronds and the Velsão church
5D, 300L f/4 IS

Definition of Heaven

Rajan P. Parrikar — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 08:58:08 +0000

Fresh Samosas in New Delhi
5D, 24-105L

World-class Pedas in Bikaner, Rajasthan
5D, 24-105L

The Approaching Storm

Rajan P. Parrikar — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 20:02:50 +0000

Romance flowers undeterred by an approaching southwest monsoon storm in Kozhikode (aka Calicut) on the Malabar coast of northern Kerala.

In Calicut, Kerala
5D, 70-200L f/2.8 IS

Monsoon storm brewing in Calicut, Kerala
5D, 70-200L f/2.8 IS

Farmers’ Market

Rajan P. Parrikar — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:27:22 +0000

Not long ago Goa had some of the finest fresh produce in the world, sustained for hundreds of years by the traditional farming methods of the hardy Gaudo community. The Gaude were among the first settlers in Goa and are thought to be Austric in origin.

Today the situation for Goan farming is dire and the Gaude face a grim future. Fertile fields are being wiped out overnight, taken over by builders in collusion with local politicos. Delicious local produce has now made way for mass imports from outside the state. The Gaude have no clout to resist the forces leading to their demise. As can be seen in the photos below, the tenacious few that persist have been pushed to the periphery – literally – of the market in Panjim (and other towns).

Fresh produce at Panjim market
5D Mark II, 14L II

Sorting yard long beans
5D Mark II, 14L II

Parvati Vernekar, traditional farmer from Curca, Goa
5D Mark II, 24-105L

Fresh produce at Panjim market
5D Mark II, 24-105L

Panjim Promenade – 2

Rajan P. Parrikar — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 09:38:06 +0000

Casa Dempo, built c. 1850, is located in the heart of Panjim. It was the first home of the Dempo family when they moved to Panjim. The Dempos are among the oldest of the Goan Saraswat Brahmin clans. Built in classic Goan style, the interior layout features traditional Goan Hindu elements such as a raj aangan.

Casa Dempo also has an uplifting past. For several decades, the Dempos have thrown open its premises to thousands during lunchtime and served free vegetarian food – annachhatra, as this old Hindu practice is called. In particular, generations of needy students of all religions and castes have benefited from this largesse of the Dempo family.

Beyond Casa Dempo in the photograph below, the old building with the yellow facade houses the government printing press. (Aside: the first printing press in India was set up in Goa in 1556.)

Casa Dempo in Panjim, Goa
5D Mark II, TS-E 17L

Take a look at the next item – a photograph of an old photograph (c. 1880) from the Central Library archives. Seen are the homes on what used to be the Afonso de Albuquerque Road (now the Mahatma Gandhi Road). The red arrow points to Casa Dempo. I took my shot above standing only a few feet right of the man seen in the middle of the street.

Casa Dempo around 1880 (from the Central Library Archives)

Also see: Panjim Promenade – 1.

Lovebirds

Rajan P. Parrikar — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 09:04:09 +0000

I was having breakfast in the alfresco restaurant at Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur when I caught sight of this amorous couple a few feet away on the steps of the palace. Fortunately, I had my camera with me with the appropriate lens already mounted.

Love in Jodhpur, Rajasthan
5D, 70-200L f/2.8 IS

Temple in the Forest

Rajan P. Parrikar — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 03:19:38 +0000

The Hindu festival of Mahashivaratri will be celebrated on February 12 this year.

The 12th C temple of Mahadeva (another name for Shiva) set in a remote forest at Tambdi Surla is Goa’s oldest surviving temple. It remains a place of active worship to this day.

This photograph was taken in 2007 in the thick of the monsoon season. When I got to Tambdi Surla that morning a heavy downpour had just subsided. The ambience was magical and this framing suggested itself quite naturally. The slight colour cast of green on the temple structure is not a processing artifact; it is a consequence of the wet temple reflecting the surrounding foliage.

12th C Mahadeva Temple at Tambdi Surla, Goa
5D, 24-105L

See this earlier entry for another view of the temple.

The Flaming Cross

Rajan P. Parrikar — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 22:14:10 +0000

Awhile back I posted photographs of the cemetery cross in the Goan village of Saligao framed against the setting sun. As mentioned there, I had to stake out the location for a number of days before I scored that shot. On one of the earlier ‘unsuccessful’ evenings, Nature flashed an unexpected spectacle. I call it The Flaming Cross, seen below.

Note: I have cloned out the intruding power lines in this image.

'The Flaming Cross' in Saligao, Goa
5D Mark II, 70-200L f/2.8 IS

Deepastambha

Rajan P. Parrikar — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 08:01:00 +0000

The Deepastambha is a characteristic feature found in the courtyards of Goa’s Hindu temples. The word is formed by conjoining the Sanskrit words Deepa (lamp) and Stambha (pillar), and thus means “Pillar of Lamps.”

This photograph of the Deepastambha at the Mahalsa temple in Mardol was taken at daybreak.

Deepastambha at Mahalsa temple in Mardol, Goa
5D Mark II, TS-E 17L

A more modest Deepasthamba adorns the courtyard of the temple of Goddess Bhumika in the village of Chopdem.

Deepastambha at Bhumika temple in Chopdem, Goa
5D Mark II, 85L II

An ancient Deepasthamba near the remains of Piso Ravlu temple in Mayem is embraced by a Peepal tree.

Deepastambha in Mayem, Goa
5D, 24-105L