Monday, October 25, 2010

Padmini Ganesh.

A Banyan Three plus One!


FYI, In Hinduism, the banyan tree is considered sacred and is called "Vat Vriksha." God Shiva as Dakshinamurthy is nearly always depicted sitting in silence under the banyan with rishis at his feet. It is thought of as perfectly symbolizing eternal life due to its seemingly unending expansion.

Panem et circenses!

Part I: Panem.




Part II: Circenses.

I have gone to this picturesque bakery with the WOODSIDE INN - Old Mumbai Bicycle Tour. Definitely a MUST-DO! Despite being here for over 4 years I have re-discovered South Bombay! And the food at the end of the tour is simply SCRUMPTIOUS and DELICIOUS!

Check www.woodsideinn.in for more info.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

One of my favourites!

Another of my Dhobi Ghats picture.

I always loved that photograph but Totally-Awesome-Steffi pointed out the fabulous composition and the magnificent matching colours. I can only but agree to that!

Thaaaaanks Steffi!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Bombay's architectural heritage?

Bombay's architectural Heritage is exceptionally rich. It blends Gothic, Victorian, Art Deco, Indo-Saracenic as well as contemporary architectural styles. Bombay, even has the second largest number of Art Deco buildings in the world, after Miami.

Sadly, too many of these amazing heritage buildings have fallen into disrepair. For instance, the Watson’s Hotel – India's oldest surviving cast iron building – got listed in 2005 on the list of "100 World Endangered Monuments" by the World Monuments Fund, a New York-based NGO


Regardless of the establishment of the Heritage Committee, which brings together architects, historians and citizens so as to preserve Bombay’s tradition architectural heritage, it seems that the Government's desire and resources attributed to the safeguard of its heritage very limited are. Sad.

Would you known of any interesting initiative (Private or Public) to preserve the city’s architectural heritage, please feel free to post a comment.

Cheers, Jérémie

PS: those shabby buildings do make great photographs.

Jaldee Jaldee!

Bombay. Maximum City. The city that never sleeps.

In a city where peak-rush-hour range from 9am to 10pm, a busy street scene is not extraordinary at all. Nevertheless, I love it.


Above, a busy "pedestrian-only" junction in Dharavi, Asia's largest slum.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

The Green House with the Pink window!

India is rich. Rich in culture, food, languages, smells, traditions and Colors.

I have previously posted some pics of a lovely pink house close-by Opera House. These are the photographs of a lovely Blue House with a cute little Pink window.

Hope you like these.






Sunday, August 29, 2010

Blurry photographs for dynamism.

I love blurry pictures! They induce movement, energy, action and dynamism!

I hope you can share the love on that one too!





Friday, August 27, 2010

Dhobi Ghats - Mini Serie #3

Life in the Ghats.

More than just a massive Laundromat, the Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghats is a quasi Bombay microcosm with its market, stores, restaurants, hotels and schools.

People work and live at the Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghats. Kids go to school and play.

It is these kids I feature in the following photographs.









Tuesday, August 24, 2010

The Pink House.

Somewhere in Bombay, hidden closeby the Royal Opera House, I found that cute little pink house facing an equally forgotten flyover.




Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Bazaars! - Mini Serie #1

Bazaars in India come in a variety of shapes, shades, sizes and colors. One can literally find a full fledge specialty bazaar for anything: be it jewelry, tools, furniture, food, stationary etc.

This is a selection of shots taken from jewelry stalls throughout my random bazaar wanderings.





Friday, August 13, 2010

Dhobi Ghats - Mini Serie #2

Colors, Colors and more Colors.

The following photographs were all shot at the Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghats. I've had the chance to be able to go there many times, resulting in almost 2000 shots. I hope you enjoy these 4 shots at least as much as I enjoyed shooting them!



Thursday, August 12, 2010

Dhobi Ghats - Mini Serie #1

While browsing through all my Bombay pictures I try and find little series of matching pictures. Here is one of them:

The following three pictures were all shot at the Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghats. They feature men cleaning up in the Ghats.
The Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghats is probably the largest laundry in the world. It is also a genuinly amazing place: high in colors and high in characters. The Dhobi Ghats are one of these truly astounding experiences one can only come across in Incredible India.



Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Indian Railways - On the Road again!

New York E-Train-conductor yelling in Indian accent: "Please get in the train, it's not that crowded. (door closes and opens again) Get in the freaking train, it's not Mumbai, there is space, and keep you limbs inside the train, please!" -- from www.overheardinnewyork.com

Traveling by train in India is nothing short of SPLENDID and EPIC!

Operational since April 1853, the MUMBAI SUBURBAN RAILWAY carries today more than 6.9 million commuters every day.



Below, two of Bombay's most important train stations:
Churchgate Station


and Bombay (Mumbai) Central Station