Innocence

Nothing can be purer than the innocence of a new born child. I happened to click this photograph of my newborn niece. The morning light peeping from the Window on her left and the solace and comfort in which she was sleeping in the lap of her father created a perfect balance of light and mood. The crude emotion on her face that reflected purity was enchanting. How beautiful this world is...! We realize it only when we see God's creation. 

The thought of "The Child is the Father of the Man" springs up in my mind suddenly. Its about realizing that only once we see a little one that we realize that how we have developed and what we were before. The whole theory of Evolution takes a full circle.

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Kolkata - City of Joy, City of Being Lazy.

Kolkata - City of Joy, City of Being Lazy.

Every moment here makes you relive the lazy charm of Kolkata. It was not too late while i realize that the flight was slightly delayed to land at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport. I was last commercial passenger to exit the aircraft. Wait started when the previously filled transit bus had departed and the next one was dure to arrive.

 Meanwhile I enjoyed the wind and weather.
The super active people had not yet restored the display screen of one of the luggage belts, therefore, we were standing in confusion, so as where to expect our baggages. Finally I enjoyed everyone ogling stare at my new VIP Polycarbonate luggage, and the muffled voices in 'Bangaali' were all talking to each other. It dosent stop here.... Mannnnn, I am coming from a flight and am bladder full, please 'do your stuff and move on'... but lazy they..!!

There I found a 'subway' in bangaali airport, another 'misaal' of laziness was just going to be experienced. I asked for a 'shaami-kebab', they started makin one plain sandwich. Ans ask me why, coz., the guy at the counter forgot what I said in an awe to stare at a beautiful Assamese girl. Not my fault, neither his. And he put those shaamis to heat, and asked another fellow to make the sub. This fellow made sure to wash his hand, then pat them dry jerking off the etra water from his fingers, then he rubbed it in a towel, wiped it all dry, took out box of plastic disposable gloves, pulled a pair out of the box, slowly wore them on and then looks towards me and asked. "Sir, What is your order?"...!! Grrrrrr. I was in city of joy, the city of being ubber lazy. — at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport.

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Fengjing - Traveling 1500 years in time

These are the notes that I had written on my blog on the website www.travelwell.in that is the official website of the Lonely Planet Magazine India. 
The page can be accessed at this link http://travelwell.in/photo-details.aspx?picuml=MTA4MA==
and my blog on the same can be accessed at http://travelwell.in/user-details.aspx?picuid=MTIwMg==

Fengjing - Traveling 1500 years in time

Fengjing town at night in chilling temperature of almost 2 degrees.

My fingers had kind of frozen while I shot this image from another overbridge. 

The sight was much more beautiful when I got on the bridge as seen the top picture. And while

I got down from it to the river side, the scene left me spell bound and it was worth shooting it.

The same town had a very different charisma in during the day time, when the air was slighter warmer

around 7-8 degrees. And yes, It did look like the "Venice of East". Beautiful China preserved its looks

and traditions.

And the gorgeous water front that had many of these beautiful red boats, were not to be missed.

I fell in love with the lovely 'nature' once again.

"I was on one of my official trip to China in March. One night I was on my way accompanying a fellow colleague to drop him off to station. It was chilling cold and litlle i knew that I would cross an intersting sight of beautiful lights. On return from station i asked the driver to stop by the lights, and Lo- behold..! I was seeing in front my eyes set beautifully amidst the darkness of night and decorated in mist of the chilly weather was the mjestically beautiful town of Fengjing. Later I came to know that with a history of over 1500 years, this town was one of the most famous town in the late Ming Dynastry of China. Also known as Bainiu or White Ox town, this place by the south of famous Yangtze river is very sceninc for its beautiful landscape and river side culture.  After my first glimpse of that night, I again revisited the same place in day time in my next trip to China. This time the place offered me a completely different views. There were red boats floating on the river bed, and were look alikes of Shikaras on Dal Lake in Kashmir.  The sides of the river town had pavements to walk through. Each pavement had a number of rstaurants selling very authentic style chinese food and original Chinese handicrafts. Locals made steam-rice by the river side and offered fish-rice or Pork-rice for meal, wrapped in tree leaves. By-lanes sold beautiful hand made embroideries. And travelers were happy taking a ride in the Red Boats. Hanging trees overlooked the water and the view of narrow river was well intercepted by connecting bridges at regular intervals. It surely was one of the rare experiences in traveling into history 1500 years back and reliving the moments today."


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The Gateway of India

The Gateway of India -

As the name suggests, this place is one of the heritage sites in the country. Built in bui;t in 1911. Quoting from the Wikipidea -  "The Gateway of India (Marathi: भारताचे प्रवेशद्वार) is a monument in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India. Located on the waterfront in Apollo Bunder area in South Mumbai, the gateway is a basalt arch 26 metres (85 feet) high. It lies at the end of Shivaji marg.^[1] It was a crude jetty used by fisher folks and was later renovated and used as a landing place for British governors and other distinguished personages. In earlier times, the gateway was the monument that visitors arriving by boat would have first seen in the city of Bombay.^[2] The gateway has also been referred to as the Taj Mahal of Mumbai^[3], and has also lent its name to the city ofMumbai.^[4] It is the city's top tourist attraction.^[5]

The monument was erected to commemorate the landing on the Apollo Bunder of their Majesties King George V and Queen Mary when they visited India in 1911. Built in Indo-Saracenic style, the foundation stone for the Gateway of India was laid on 31 March 1911. The construction of the monument completed in 1924 after the final design of George Wittet was only sanctioned in 1914. The Gateway was latterly the ceremonial entrance to India for Viceroys and the new Governors of Bombay.^[6] The monument now stands at an angle of the road leading up to it as the approach road was never built due to lack of funds.^[7]

The historic monument has always been a terror target from the start of the 21^st century. The monument was targeted three times; twice in 2003 and then in 2008." 

I shot this image at night from my digital panasonic lumix FX 700. Usually throughout the day the place is a hangout and on visual itinerary for the visitors. Quite number of foreigners are seen moving around the place, as there are a number of other places on interest in the nearby areas. The most famous being the "Taj Mahal Hotel" right opposite to it facing the sea. The Gateway is well lit up in the evening and forms a picturesque  backdrop for portraiture or landscaping. 

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