Poetry in the city

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“I prowled the streets all day, feeling very strung up and ready to pounce, determined to ‘trap’ life – to preserve life in the act of living.
Above all, I craved to seize the whole essence, in the confines of one single photograph, of some situation that was in the process of unrolling itself before my eyes.”
(Henri Cartier-Bresson – French photographe, 1908–2004)

This picture was shot in Kalkaji in the garden which is at the corner of the place where I stay whenever I am in Delhi.
By chance I saw this beautiful horse grazing the grass among the tropical plants and the benches and bringing poetry to the city…

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Holy Cow

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“I knew the profanity used up and down my street would not go over the air…
So I trained myself to say ‘Holy Cow’ instead.”
(Harry Caray – American baseball broadcaster, 1914-1998)

This picture was shot along the holy waters of the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras).
Nandi, the gate keeper of Shiva, is facing the main shrine of a temple where a cow was also standing…

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The Changes of Emotions

“Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions.”
( Pablo Picasso – Spanish Artist and Painter, 1881-1973)

Those pilgrims were spreading sarees under the early sun at Prayag Ghat along the holy waters of the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras).
They were devotees who came to the ghats in order to worship at sunrise.
Suddenly those happy colours overpowered the emotions, it will be a bright day even the dog was smiling while sleeping…

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The Holy Cow

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“Worship to thee, springing to life, and worship to thee when born!
Worship, O Cow, to thy tail-hair, and to thy hooves, and to thy form!
The man who knows the Seven Floods, who knows the seven distances,

Who knows the head of sacrifice, he may receive the holy Cow.”
(From Hymn X:10 of the Atharva Veda)

Those men came at sunrise along the Ganges in order to worship Nandi at Gay ghat in Varanasi (Benaras).
In Hindi “gay” means “cow”.
Nandi is the bull associated with Shiva and is said to be His vehicle, it symbolizes both power and ignorance.
Lord Shiva’s use of the bull as a vehicle conveys the idea that He removes ignorance and bestows power of wisdom on His devotees.
The bull is called Vrisha in Sanskrit which means dharma (righteousness), thus Nandi shown next to Shiva also indicates that He is the etemal companion of righteousness.

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Nature’s Masterpiece

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“Nature’s great masterpiece, an elephant – the only harmless great thing.”
(John Donne – English poet, 1572-1631)

This is a close-up of a couple of elephants met in a street of New Delhi.
It is still the shaadi season (wedding season) and a few mahouts (persons who drive an elephant) come to the capital in order to make some money at Baraat, the bridegroom’s wedding procession.

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A Contrast in Attitude

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“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.
Attitude, to me, is more important than facts.
It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do.
It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company… a church… a home.
The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.
We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way.
We cannot change the inevitable.
The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.
I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.
And so it is with you… we are in charge of our Attitudes.”
(Charles R. Swindoll – American Writer and Clergyman, b.1934)

This picture was shot in New Delhi where it is still possible to see such a contrast in the streets.
Elephant and rickshaw…after all it is indeed a contrast in attitude…

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Call the Squirrel

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“And now, when comes the calm mild day, as still such days will come,
To call the squirrel and the bee from out their winter home;
When the sound of dropping nuts is heard, though all the trees are still,
And twinkle in the smoky light the waters of the rill,
The south wind searches for the flowers whose fragrance late he bore,
And sighs to find them in the wood and by the stream no more.”
( William Cullen Bryant – American Writer, 1794-1878)

There are many squirrels in north India and it is always fun to play with them.
This one was in front of the tomb of Mohammad Ghaus in Gwalior in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, it was behaving like a character from an animated cartoon and striked several poses as if it was used to cameras.

Golden Alliance

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“We are alone, absolutely alone on this chance planet; and amid all the forms of life that surround us, not one, excepting the dog has made an alliance with us.”
(Max Depree – American businessman and writer, b.1924)

On a cold afternoon of winter, this man was walking near Manikarnika ghat in Varanasi (Benaras).
I took this picture when he came under the balcony of a Shiva mandir (temple) where I often spend some time.
He was eating something wrapped in a newspaper and a dog was following him so he stopped and shared his food with this unexpected companion.

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Keh na Sakoon

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This picture was shot a few days ago at dawn along the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras).

I felt that I could add this song from Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s new movie, “Guzaarish” to this shot.

“Keh na sakun main itna pyar…(Can’t say so much love)
Keh na sakun main itna pyar…(Can’t say so much love)
Arre.. seh na sakoon main (O, Can’t bear so much love)
Seh na sakoon main itna pyaar…(Can’t bear so much love)
Keh na sakoon main itna pyar, (Can’t say so much love)
Itna pyaar karta hoon…(So much I love you..)

Sajni…(O love)
Tere uthne pe rukti hai…(When you wake up, it stops)
Takne pe thamti hai…(When you see, it pauses)
Meri sansein tere hi ishaaron pe chalti hai (My breaths run on your signals only..)

Ek pal bhi reh na sakoon, (Can’t live even for a moment)
Ek pal bhi reh na sakoon, (Can’t live even for a moment)
Itna pyar karta hoon…(So much I love…)

Keh na sakoon main itna pyar…
Arre.. seh na sakoon main
Seh na sakoon main itna pyaar…
Keh na sakoon main itna pyar,
Itna pyaar karta hoon…

Sajni…”

 

From Within

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“Peace comes from within.
Do not seek it without”.
(Buddha – Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta, 563-483 B.C.)

This reader was sitting at the gate of the staircase leading to the Nepali Temple at Lalita ghat along the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras).
He was enjoying the winter sun after braving the cold that people have to brave since a few nights in the Eternal city.

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