When two maestros like B V Doshi and M F Husain collaborate … Results are magical. A permanent gallery built partially underground inspired by cave arts was created about two decades ago. Here is a photo essay from my recent visit ..
Categories: Phone Pix, Photography, Travel
I was looking up for Isanpur .. a suburb of Ahmedabad on Google map and discovered that there is a step well near by. A trader named Jethabhai Mulji completed this step well in 1860. It was documented in James Burgess’s account in early 20th century… About 22 feet in width and more than 200 feet in length, the well must have been a key water reservoir in this almost arid region. A dome supported by 12 pillars welcomes you […]
Categories: Ethnography, Heritage, Phone Pix, Photography, Travel • Tags: Adalaj, Ahmedabad, gujrat, jethabhai ni vav, Sarkhej, step well
Well the picture above describes the usual landscape in this quiet village in Dausa district. But I woke up to a foggy winter morning and the scenario looked like it was from a different planet..
Categories: Phone Pix, Photography
A good business hotel let’s you rest well.. eat well and if you need to work provides a good connectivity. For frequent travelers like me home like comfort is important. One is not looking for exotic fine done affair but simple tasty nutritious food.. at least breakfast is essential. The lemon tree at Aurangabad scores fairly well on these parameters. I have stayed here at least 4-5 times but this time I was lucky to get an upgrade in the […]
Categories: Design Thinking, Reviews, Travel • Tags: aurangabad, ICU, lemon tree
Short, hectic business trips leave you with little time to go beyond meetings and fieldwork! But sometimes it just takes a couple of hours in the morning to explore an interesting monument.. All you need is a keen eye and a camera phone. Presenting a photo essay on the Taj of Deccan…The Bibi ka Maqbara in Aurangabad. Most of the monuments under the Archaeological Survey of India are open to tourists from daybreak. It’s a good time for photography and […]
Categories: Heritage, Phone Pix, Photography, Travel • Tags: aurangabad, azam shah, bibi ka maqbara, deccan, mini taj, mini tajmahal, phone camera, redmi, redmi note2, xiaomi
Ya rahe Ujjar …. Ya base Gujjar … The words uttered by Saint Nizamuddin Auliya perhaps resonate in the silence of these grand ruins … Not very far from the hustle bustle of Qutb Minar – Tughlaqabad fort houses the ruins of a 14th century city built by Giyathudin Tughlaq in 1321. Gazi Malik Tughlaq was Alauddin Khilji’s trusted general who had modest beginnings as a slave but rose to challenges offered to him by the destiny. He was appointed the […]
Categories: Delhi in Time-Machine, Heritage, Photography, Travel • Tags: badarpur, delhi, ghiyathudin, mehrauli, tomb, tughlakabad, tughlaq, tughlaqabad
Indore is the commercial capital of Madhya Pradesh… and if you are a foodie or a religious person there is a lot to explore. However, those who are aware of Maratha history would look for the footprints of the Holkar dynasty here. Lal bag palace is perhaps the grandest royal monument here with colonial neo-classical design. Though not in prime condition and perhaps suffering from neglect (it is under govt. care) it has stories of Raj era to tell. One […]
Categories: Heritage, Photography • Tags: Ahilyabai holkar, chhatri, holkar, holkars, indore, khan river, lalbagh palace, malhar rao, malharrao, malwa, rajwada, rajwada palace
If you are a traveller, it is difficult to avoid surprises.. Last year I explored the chowk Husainabad area but did not get time to visit the grand Imambada. It looked tough this time in my super short visit. But when I reached the Charbagh station I realized my train to Delhi was delayed by 4 hours and decided to pay a quick visit to this grand heritage site. After almost 3 months I think I saw bright blue sky.. […]
Categories: Ethnography, Heritage, Travel • Tags: Asaf Uddaula, Avadh, Bada Imambada, Lucknow
For me, any journey to any country or culture feels incomplete without visiting world heritage monuments in the region. Before coming to Germany, I have covered more than 35 world heritage sites across India, Indonesia, South Korea, Thailand & Sri Lanka. I was hoping to add a few more to get into 40s in this trip… Considering I was on a short work trip it looked tight. The whole thing may sound a bit touristy or wanting to see more […]
Categories: Ethnography, Heritage, Photography, World Heritage • Tags: cologne, cologne cathedral, germany, koln, World Heritage
It was a cloudy, boring afternoon in Cologne! I had just a few hours to explore this beautiful roman city before heading to the hockey club and shoot for my film! A large part of my first European summer was spoilt by horrible weather! So I decided to get fine arty and respond with some black and white shots. After all, Cologne or Koln is an ancient Roman city that has beautifully embraced several centuries through its architecture. I hate […]
Categories: Photography, Travel, World Heritage • Tags: black and white, colonge, colonge cathedral, Deutschland, europe, germany, koln, kolner dom
When I arrived at the 311 Uerdinger Strasse, it was almost midnight. Tanja and her husband greeted me with a big enthusiastic hello! Navigating through ten odd guest bikes (bicycles) I reached the entrance. It was party time at the Kirsch home. Anton’s (Tanja’s elder son) friends had gathered to celebrate his first long trip away from Krefeld… it was going to be his first solo sojourn away from his parents to a distant but beautiful New Zealand. So this […]
Categories: Design Thinking, Ethnography, Photography, Travel • Tags: burg linn, chtc, Duisburg, dusseldorf, germany, krefeld, swf
It was a jumbo jet morning! Being on a Boeing 747 is fascinating and it is an aircraft slowly being phased out by all the airlines. I was lucky to be on a Koreal Air 747 two years ago on the Bangkok Seoul route and this time it was Kuwait Airways jumbo jet. This aircraft 9K-ADE is a beauty… it is no ordinary jumbojet! The aircraft apparently belongs to Emir of Kuwait and though one cant get a tour of […]
Categories: Photography, Travel • Tags: airbus a330-232, al-khiran, black sea, boeing 747, emir of kuwait, frankfurt, gulf of persia, jumbo jet, karun river, kuwait airways, kuwait city, Mumbai
Chinmaye