All posts filed under: Photography

Showcasing Karnataka: Looking back, one year later

Published by Anita

On November 1, 2014 (also Karnataka Rajyotsava Day) a motley gang of 6, displayed the labor of their love at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishad. Photographs taken over a 3-year period, traveling through the width and breadth of Karnataka. It was difficult to choose around 48 frames out of the more than 30-40 trips we had made individually and collectively. But, it had to be done. That’s all we could fit into the hall we had booked. What we remember though was that it was some of the best times we spent discovering the rich and abundant state of Karnataka, my home for nearly 10 years of my life. Not only did we challenge ourselves from an artistic angle, learning from and motivating one another; we also had some really fun times. Here’s a glimpse of some of the frames we displayed. We learnt so much from the time we spent together. But most of all, all of us forged a unique friendship that’s rare to find. While we had grand ambitions of putting a book …

Where cranes sing and flamingos dance: Into the Banni Grasslands Reserve

Published by Anita

Thousands of birds call the Banni Grasslands Reserve in Kutch, Gujarat their home. An excursion into this dry but rich ecosystem, has delightful surprises unfold, as you turn every corner. “Leave nothing but footprints; and plant trees. Lots of trees.” Flamingos against a beautiful sunrise over the Banni Grasslands. Photo credit: Jugal Tiwari Only someone wise and passionate can utter these words. And they come from none other than Jugal Tiwari of the Center for Desert and Ocean (CEDO). Established in 2005, the organisation has been tireless working on ecology and conservation issues for the last 9 years. Tiwari, who is originally from Rajasthan, on a visit to Kutch, fell in love with this area. It’s not hard to imagine why. What appears at first sight to be dry scrub desert, has more surprises, twists and turns than a detective novel and you look forward with anticipation to the next sight! We enter the reserve in the early morning hours. The cranes are already up, and fly across the morning sky, just beginning to glow …

Wanderings in Bhuj: a photo journey

Published by Anita

Like any other small but burgeoning town in this country, Bhuj exhibits all the usual signs. Development on one side – good wide main roads, vehicles, ATMs, and everyone flashing smart phones. But on the other hand, the litter and garbage everywhere is an indication that no lessons in waste management have been implemented. Sadly, it’s just everywhere, including the water body in the middle of the city – the Hamirsar lake. Steeped in history, and scarred by a devastating earthquake in 2001, some parts of the old fort are still standing and visible as you move through the town. There are monuments that are crumbling, derelict, which give you a glimpse of those glory years. The small gallis through the town hold a quaint charm, albeit a little diminished by large amounts of garbage lying everywhere. Like any small but growing town, Bhuj has fallen prey to all the usual problems The narrow lanes are abuzz with activity As I touched down in the small Bhuj airport and made my way down the main …

A Malaga moment

Published by Anita

When I look back at my Europe trip, I have so many moments and sights that stand out. So many things to write about – just looking back is a bit daunting. But I’m trying to organise everything and share useful information in nuggets, along with tips and travel information. Hopefully, over the next few months I’ll get to share some of it. In the meanwhile, enjoy this lovely view of Malaga with me. It was a cloudy day to start with. My host was quite disappointed by the weather I was getting to witness (it’s never like this, she kept telling me). But I set off anyway on a bit of sightseeing. I borrowed her son’s cycle and decided to explore the city on two wheels. At the end of my gallivanting, the skies cleared quite a bit and I decided to climb to the Castle of Gibralfaro. Even though I wasn’t optimistic about the views that day, I started off. It was a good decision. As the evening set in, suddenly I got …

Walking around Aarschot, dreaming of noodles

Published by Anita

I spent a week in the town of Aarschot. If you’re wondering where that is, it’s very close to Leuven (a university town), around 50 from Brussels. It’s a city and municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. The town of Aarschot, with a population of 27,864 (in 2006) My home for a week was a caravan in the home of a farming couple and their two children. My caravan mate was a lovely girl from England and I was glad I had some company. I hadn’t really lived in a caravan before and this was a different experience for me. (But I’m saving that story for later). Aarschot turned out to be a much larger town than I initially thought so. I had an impression that it will be a smallish town the size of my locality in Bangalore. But it turned out that I was wrong. The town is actually quite large and has a nice big square with different restaurants around it. On …

A few different ways to enjoy Switzerland

Published by Anita

It’s difficult not to enjoy Switzerland. Not only is it picture perfect, it is one of the safest countries in the world. Where you can go off on a trek into the mountains pretty much by yourself. Or travel from one part of the country to another without too many worries about your safety. A view of the lake on my first trip in 2005 Geneva and Zurich happen to ranked among the top cities with the highest quality of life in the world. (And as a result, Switzerland also happens to be the most expensive country in the world to live in). I’ve been in Switzerland since the first week of August and I must say that I’m enjoying it more than my first time. For one, I have more days in hand. And rather than rushing around, I’ve had the opportunity to soak in some cultural experiences, walk around some amazingly scenic trails in the Swiss mountains, experienced living in a small village and devoured inordinately large amounts of cheese and wine. My …