The Colors of India #1 - Exploring Nasik

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Nasik (180 km from Bombay) is a city of considerable religious importance to Hindus - through it flows the river Godavari, one of the several holy rivers of India. It is renowned for it's bathing ghats where religious hindus congregate to take a dip in the holy river. Dotted close to the bathing ghats are several temples, most renowned of which are the Kalaram and Narosankar Temples. Given the fact that so many thousands of people frequent the ghats every day, it is no surprise to find a bustling market on the banks of the ghats. As they say, where there are people, there is money...

Considering the fact that Nasik attracts so many people, it is no surprise that it is one of the thousands of spots where one can experience the real India - a country rich in culture and history (I rather wouldn't comment on the current political front though; we seem to be bankrupt on that end!) - and a country that is so colorfull that one could be excused for saying that God must have thrown away his color pallette after he made this country ! Find here, my humble efforts to bring to you The Colors Of India !

99040036
The bathing ghats on the banks of the river Godavari at Nasik.
Canon EOS 5, 20-35 lens, Velvia (pushed to 100), 1/3 warming filter. 
 
 
99040016
A prominent landmark on the bathing ghats is the imposing statue of Hanuman (who rescued Sita, wife of Lord Rama), crushing a demon underfoot.
Camera: Canon EOS 5; lens: Canon EF 75-300; Film: Fujichrome MS 100-1000, rated at EI 320, push 2 (400) in the first developer; Exposure compensation -1/2 stop for increased color saturation 
 
99040001
Close up of the above statue with a couple of humans for scale.
Camera: Canon EOS 5; lens: Canon EF 75-300; Film: Fujichrome MS 100-1000, rated at EI 320, push 2 (400) in the first developer; Exposure compensation -1/2 stop for increased color saturation 
 
99040009
Probably having taken a holy dip in the none-too-clean waters, this familly made a good subject.
Camera: Canon EOS 5; lens: Canon EF 75-300; Film: Fujichrome MS 100-1000, rated at EI 320, push 2 (400) in the first developer; Exposure compensation -1/2 stop for increased color saturation 
 
99040015
Having rid himself of his sins by washing in the holy river, this chap probably decided to do the same with his motorcycle !
Camera: Canon EOS 5; lens: Canon EF 75-300; Film: Fujichrome MS 100-1000, rated at EI 320, push 2 (400) in the first developer; Exposure compensation -1/2 stop for increased color saturation 
 
99040025
Not wanting to be left behind when it came to religious fervour, this duck perched itself on a Shivling (a symbol of the Lord Shiva), and as if paying homage to the lord of ascetics (Shiva) , stood on one leg, as some ascetics in India are prone to do.
Camera: Canon EOS 5; lens: Canon EF 75-300; Film: Fujichrome MS 100-1000, rated at EI 320, push 2 (400) in the first developer 
 
99040030
Religious paraphenalia on sale on the bathing ghats.
Canon EOS 5, 20-35 lens, Velvia (pushed to 100), 1/3 warming filter. 
99040018
An ice-cream vendor takes advantage of the relentless heat to vend his wares on the ghats....
Camera: Canon EOS 5; lens: Canon EF 75-300; Film: Fujichrome MS 100-1000, rated at EI 320, push 2 (400) in the first developer; Exposure compensation -1/2 stop for increased color saturation 
 
99040003
... and attracts his first customer for the day : a father hoists his son on his shoulders and makes a beeline for the cool stuff.
Camera: Canon EOS 5; lens: Canon EF 75-300; Film: Fujichrome MS 100-1000, rated at EI 320, push 2 (400) in the first developer; Exposure compensation -1/2 stop for increased color saturation 
 
 
99040004
No such luck for this poor monkey. Exhausted by the mid-day sun, he grabs a siesta in the branches of a nearby tree.
Camera: Canon EOS 5; lens: Canon EF 75-300; Film: Fujichrome MS 100-1000, rated at EI 320, push 2 (400) in the first developer; Exposure compensation -1/2 stop for increased color saturation 
 
 
99040031
As if it weren't hot enough! Chillies spread out to dry near the bathing ghats.
Canon EOS 5, 20-35 lens, Velvia (pushed to 100), 1/3 warming filter. 
 
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The Kalaram Temple stands a small distance away from the the bathing ghats.
Canon EOS 5, 20-35 lens, Velvia (pushed to 100), 1/3 warming filter. 
99040035
The yellow flowers and the red gulal added the perfect touch to what would have otherwise been an almost monochromatic image of this carving on the temple wall.
Canon EOS 5, 20-35 lens, Velvia (pushed to 100), 1/3 warming filter. 
 
99040027
At the far end of the ghats stands the The Narosankar Temple, renowned for it's huge bell; reportedly taken from the Portugese during a skirmish. As I was taking this image, along came a troupe of local ladies, liberally sprinkled with gulal (a red colored powder) to the river banks and proceeded to wash the stuff of themselves.
Canon EOS 5, 20-35 lens, Velvia (pushed to 100), 1/3 warming filter. 
 
99040020
As can be seen by their expressions, they seem to be enjoying themselves no end !
Camera: Canon EOS 5; lens: Canon EF 75-300; Film: Fujichrome MS 100-1000, rated at EI 320, push 2 (400) in the first developer; Exposure compensation -1/2 stop for increased color saturation 
 
 
99040028
A stall selling religious paraphenalia, flowers for the gods and gulal; the red powder the above depicted ladies were covered with.
Canon EOS 5, 20-35 lens, Velvia (pushed to 100) 
 
99040034
And finally, the open-air market near the bathing ghats. Ranging from potatoes, to brinjals, to tomatoes to cauliflowers, with an evidently amused plump local lady thrown in for good measure; this shot truly conveys the colors that are India !
Canon EOS 5, 20-35 lens, Velvia (pushed to 100), 1/3 warming filter. 
 
 

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This page last updated on 4/28/99 12:25:20 PM.