An Indian Encounter

INDIA | Friday, 5 July 2013 | Views [803] | View Smaller Image

We were all packed in our car to drive back to Delhi from Jaipur. PJ, our driver, was standing guard outside as we waited for our friends visiting the monkey temple to come back down. At the base of the monkey temple, the alley was large and teeming with monkeys. A cow was meandering the dirt road and a baby monkey took a ride on a hog. The locals were beginning to crowd our car curious about who we were, where we were from and what we wanted to buy from their shop. PJ wanted us to stay in the car away from these men. But when I saw this monkey having a banana right outside our window, I jumped out.

Tags: #india #jaipur #monkey #monkey temple

When jetlag made our sleep impossible, we tagged along as a friend took a 5am tour in Varanasi, India of the ghats. The city was just waking up and yet, each junction was energetic as people headed to work or children to school. Our guide walked us through the street, nonchalantly ignoring the speeding rickshaws flying past us. It was our first day in India and the strangeness was overwhelming. This picture was taken atop a looking out point near the burning ghat. I was so stunned by all that I had seen in half an hour that I barely noticed the two goats staring me down.

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In the background of this picture, there is a little community centre situated atop a sari shop. There is a pink cement widing staircase that leads up to a verandah where two women had been pounding little pieces of dough into chapati. Every night after the puja, the community centre gives out food to the poor and homeless. We were there to help distribute the food. While waiting for everyone, I turned back and saw this group of policemen. There were non-functional metal detectors located all along the entrances to the ghats. There were policemen watching the puja from higher up with their big big guns. I snapped a picture when I finally saw one of them smile.

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An Indian Encounter

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