Street Scenes and Environmental Portraits (Part 1) – Pushkar India

Seated sadhu on a mobile phone, Pushkar India

Sadhu on the Phone
Age-old traditions meet modern technologies: this is India, where there is an amazing new sight around every crowded corner. It is truly a “street photography” bonanza.

Incredible India!

That’s how the Government of India has marketed its tourism campaigns since 2002, and it is not wrong.

Incredible!

Defined as: 1) impossible to believe, improbable, inconceivable, preposterous, implausible, unimaginable, or 2) difficult to believe; extraordinary, wonderful, marvellous, amazing, astonishing, astounding, awe-inspiring, awesome, extraordinary, fabulous.

I think the campaign was intended to build on the second meaning, but both are equally true. India is as frustrating as it is captivating; it is amazing and unbelievable. It is full of the unexpected: it is a chaos of colours, a richness of smells and tastes, and a kaleidoscope of visuals.

It is also exceptionally photogenic. Every time I have visited, I have come away exhausted, with a skin bursting with a complex mix of emotions and memories, and cards full of digital images. It takes me forever to go back through these images, but when I do I am plunged back into the crush and the heat and the noise – and I miss it acutely.

The street-photos I’m posting here are from the town of Pushkar in Rajasthan, Northern India. A pilgrimage destination for both Hindus and Sikhs, Pushkar also hosts the annual autumn Camel Fair, which draws crowds of cattle-, horse- and camel-traders, as well as entertainers, touts, venders, and international tourists: like myself, photographer Karl Grobl from Jim Cline Photo Tours, and the small group of photography enthusiasts I was travelling with under the leadership of local guide DV Singh Jagat. We had spent a lot of time on the dusty fairground amid the camels and horses (see: Faces at the Camel Fair, and Among the Camels and Horses), so a walk into town was a welcome respite.

I hope these pictures give you some feel for the messy magic that is India.

Indian woman cutting vegetables, Pushkar India

Cutting Vegetables
So much “life” happens in the streets and public spaces: you can watch street food being made from scratch.

Crowded Street Food Stall, Pushkar India

Street Food Stall
You are never very far from food – and there are plenty of eager customers.

Making Samosas
So much of it looks fresh and tasty, …

Samosas Cooking
… and it’s hard to walk past the samosas!

Man in a Doorway

Living Divinity
Dressed and painted as one of the the countless Hindu Gods, …

Hindu God in Pink
… a child walking into town meets the camera’s gaze.

Gold and Bangles
The roadway into town is lined with open shop-fronts …

Face in the Crowd
… and crowded with walking people. In addition to the Camel Festival, this day was Prabodhini Ekadashi: a significant Hindu festival that marks the beginning of auspicious ceremonies like marriages, child naming, etc., so the streets going into the many Hindu temples were busy.

Selling Tattoos
It is not too late to get an ink design before reaching the temples in town!

Sadhu on a Marble Platform
The sadhus fascinate me. This one is clearly important: he is well dressed, in a good location, and surrounded by icons, images, and paraphernalia.

Sadhu in Pink
They come in all colours, …

Sadhu in Orange
… and can be found tucked in corners or under trees everywhere. In theory sadhus, who are religious ascetics or holy people in Hinduism and Jainism, renounce worldly life. In practice, they are all very different: with different dress and possessions, and different levels of engagement with the secular world.

Shoes on Sale
The shops lining the roadway are eye-catching.

Man in a Red Pheta (Turban)
Wherever there is a ledge to sit on, pilgrims make use of it to rest. This red turban fabric is typical of Rajasthan, …

Man in a Mustard Vest
… but a variety of colours and patterns are possible. The cloth is usually between 3.5 and 6 meters long and 1 meter wide. It is wonderful seeing the fabrics stretched out when they are being washed or died.

Indian Women
Women’s headscarves – or ghoonghats – are even more varied than the men’s turbans, and are often embroidered, beaded or sequinned.

Gulaab Niwaas Palace
Built between 1743 and 1746 as a summer palace for Maharana Jagat Singh II, this is one of the many beautiful Mewar palaces across Northern India that have been turned into lovely hotels.

Lake Pushkar from Rajbohra Ghat
The palace must have a wonderful view; even at our level – lower down – we are overlooking Pushkar Lake and the surrounding town and mountains.

Street Scene
Clumps of people gather everywhere – many sitting cross-legged, others in full “Asian squat”. I love the contrast between the mobile phone and the wrapped dreadlocks on the minimalist sadhu in this picture.