10 Amazing Photos of India - a photo-essay featured on Go! Overseas

God's Own Country, Kerala

Go! Overseas have this week published on their website a photo-essay contributed by me. The objective of this photo-essay, titled '10 Amazing Photos of India', is to market India as a destination where the international community can explore opportunities to teach, study and volunteer. The pictures are a preview to what they can expect in India in terms of the beauty and the culture of the place.

The post has been compiled based on the pictures taken by me during the many journeys I have undertaken to discover the magnificent diversity of India and hence (constrained by my travels) may not be truly representative of all that India has to offer.

In the words of Go! Overseas - "From the towering Himalayas, to white-sandy beaches, India clearly is blessed with an amazing abundance of natural and cultural diversity"

To read the post click here
To know more about Go! Overseas, click here


I hope you enjoy the post. As always I look forward to your feedback. A special thanks to Andrew Dunkle of Go! Overseas for providing me the opportunity to showcase India.

Maximum City, Mumbai - C.S.T.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (C.S.T.) is India's premier & busiest railway station where trains on the suburban Central line terminate. It is a UNESCO world heritage structure and also serves as the Central Railways' headquarters. It is named after the famous 17th century Maratha King and warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (depicted below).

In fact I remember spending a night at the station (sleeping on the platform on newspaper sheets) having missed the last train to Mulund while returning from a college function.

Located opposite C.S.T. is another heritage building which serves as the headquarters of Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). It is currently being given a face-lift and hence its façade was covered .

Maximum City, Mumbai - Walk along D. N. Road

Temple of Boom

The Stock Exchange, Mumbai (also called BSE), is Asia's oldest stock exchange and has the world's largest number of listed companies. It was established in 1875 as The Native Share & Stock Brokers' Association and serves as a symbol of India's economic progress and entrepreneurship.

The BSE building is seen in the background in the above picture. The mural in the foreground depicts Kala Ghoda (Black Horse), as this area is commonly referred to by that name.

University of Mumbai - Rajabai Tower

Parsi Sculpture

A heritage building

Dadabhai Naoroji Road (or D. N. Road), located in South Mumbai, is a heritage road lined with structures depicting Neo-classical and Gothic Revival style of architecture. It houses numerous corporate offices and shops selling almost anything.

Read more about this iconic road here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dadabhai_Naoroji_Road

Maximum City, Mumbai - Flora Fountain

Flora Fountain is a spectacular heritage structure located at the Hutatma Chowk in South Mumbai. It is about 5 minutes walk from the iconic Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus station along the Dadabhai Naoroji Road (which is lined with heritage buildings). It may have lost its magnificence over the years, due to inadequate maintenance, but is beautiful nonetheless.

One can read about its history at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flora_Fountain

Maximum City, Mumbai - Taj Mahal Palace & Tower Hotel

View from the sea

Here one can see both the old heritage structure and the new tower along side the Gateway of India. I took this picture from the upper deck of a ferry and the atmosphere was quite foggy at that time. I promise to go back again and get a better picture on a nice bright sunny day!

Close up

The Taj Hotel, located opposite the Gateway of India, is an architectural wonder and one of the most recognisable structures in Mumbai. Currently it is undergoing restoration and would be soon back to its original grandeur.

Maximum City, Mumbai - Gateway of India

The Gateway of India, located beside the Arabian Sea in South Mumbai, is easily the most recognisable monument in Mumbai. No visit to Mumbai can be complete without soaking in the air over here. It is always teeming with people and bustling with activity, representing the vibrancy of this great city. Some of these are depicted below -

From the Gateway one can take ferries for the Elephanta Caves or enjoy short tours of the sea. There are a number of tourist attractions in the vicinity (particularly the Kala Ghoda area, which is also referred to as the Art District of Mumbai) such as the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sanghralaya (Prince of Wales museum), Jehangir Art Gallery, National Gallery of Modern Art, David Sassoon Library, etc. Other hotspots in the neighbourhood are Cafe Mondegar & Cafe Leopold, Regal Cinema and some great eateries.

Postcards for my dear - omnibus

Probably the last in the current series. Lots more to share...may be sometime later!

Postcards for my dear 2

Some more...

Postcards for my dear

An assortment of pictures on which I decided to employ some creativity.

Art of Rajasthan

A collage depicting the various expressions of art in the State. Picture shows traditional folk musicians, the famous glass peacock of Udaipur's City Palace, complex marble carvings in the Ranakpur Jain temples, an intricately painted Lord Ganesha and puppets among others.

City of Gold - Jaisalmer

Panoramic view of the fort at night

Jaisalmer is a city built amidst the vast expanse of Thar Desert in the State of Rajasthan. It's called 'The Golden City' owing to widespread use of sandstone in houses and 'hawelis', which gives the city a distinctly yellowish appearance. The fort, pictured above, towers over the city and houses numerous Jain temples, a palace and some hawelis. In fact, like the Red Fort in Delhi, there are people residing inside this fort.

Inside the fort

One can easily spend an entire day inside this fort marvelling at the various structures inside. Unfortunately I had only an hour to spend :(

City view

Enough gold out there.

On the window sill

Such ornately carved windows and balconies are quite common in Jaisalmer.

Bada Bagh

Bada Bagh is located enroute to Lodurva (site of beautiful Jain temples) from Jaisalmer and is worth a visit for those who want to go back in time and spend some quite moments admiring the architecture.

Some of the other attractions in and around Jaisalmer are Amar Sagar, Ghadisar, Patwon ki haweli (must see), Sam desert and Lodurva.

Shimmering beauty

Literally shimmering in the night, this supremely beautiful Lake Palace is today a luxury hotel run by the Taj Group.

Built in the middle of the 18th century, on an island in Lake Pichola, it served as the summer palace of the Maharanas of Mewar. The palace is surrounded by the City Palace (which today is part museum and part residence of the descendants of the royal family), Aravali mountains and Jag Mandir on its three sides.

The palace is visible from several windows inside the City Palace as well as from Dudh Talai (a nature park). However, one can get a good unobstructed view of it by walking down the narrow lanes that start from the Jagdish Temple (locals will be your best guide) towards the several ghats (embankments).

The other attractions which one must not miss while in Udaipur (also called City of Lakes / Venice of the East) are the City Palace, Saheliyon ki Bari, Moti Magri (memorial of Maharana Pratap), Dudh Talai, Gulab Bagh (park and zoo), Sajjangarh Fort, Jagdish Temple, Sukharia Circle and the Nehru Garden (located on an island in Fatehsagar Lake).

Nawab's palace / Purani Haweli

Residence of the Siddi Nawab, Ahmedganj Palace, is located in Murud on a small hillock overlooking the Arabian Sea. Entry to the palace is unfortunately not permitted. The descendants of the royal family currently reside in Mumbai. Though the palace is clearly visible from the outside, I took a picture from the arch on the side entrance to give it an out-of-bounds, mystical & haunted appearance - considering that quite a few Ramsay's horror films like Purani Haweli were shot over here.