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Lord Shiva (Shivji)
Statue of Lord Shivaji lighted up in Delhi, India on the occasion of Maha-Shivratri. Maha-Shivratri is said to mean 'the night of Lord Shiva'. Maha Shivratri is celebrated by Hindus all over India.
Maha Shivratri is the day Lord Shiva was married to Parvati. Hindus visit Shiva temples to pray on this auspicious day. Another celebration for Lord Shiva is held on Shivratri which signifies the birth of Lord Shiva.
Hindus refer to Lord Shiva also by some other names. Some of the
other names are 'Shankar', 'Nataraj', 'Bholenath'
Begging with a baby in hand is common on streets in India. PLEASE
DON"T give these women money. For more information visit
BABIES USED FOR BEGGING. More>>
The Qutub Minar in Delhi is one of the popular attractions for
tourists visiting Delhi.
√ Qutub Minar is 238.8 feet
high.
√
Has 399 steps from
ground
to top.
√ Diameter at base is 46.9
feet.
√
Diameter at top is 9
feet
√
Cost to visit Rupees
500.
√
Information on
Qutub and Delhi 
Fashions In India are now popular around
the world.
Indian dress styles like shawls, Salwar suits (Indian version of pant suits) have changed in styles over the years. India offers quality workmanship and superb designs for some very trendy dresses and fashion accessories, jewelry and gifts....More>>>
Cheapest transportation in India.
The Bicycle
Rickshaw.
The majority of the drivers of rickshaws don't own their Rickshaws.
They rent them buy the day and pay the Rickshaw owners about Rupees 25 everyday from their daily earnings.
Some Rickshaw owners can own over a hundred Rickshaws and make a handsome income sitting at home while the poor drivers labor all day.
INSURANCE
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BULLOCK CART TRANSPORTATION - MODES OF
TRANSPORTATION IN INDIA
Bulls were used in India to plough fields by Indian farmers in the past. Today bullock carts are used in India as a common mode of transportation of goods.
Bullock cart transportation is cheaper than trucking when goods need to be transported locally.
Bullock carts used for transportation of goods is not restricted to the villages or smaller towns of India.
I took the two photographs of bullock carts in Delhi, India's capital city.
Needless to say such transportation adds to the already congested roads and traffic jams sometimes take hours to clear up.
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Shopping in India
Shopping in India can be an
adventure, you can shop in India at the most unexpected and sometimes
bizarre places.
From the very best and grand shopping centers to the most unpleasant and crowded places in the world, you will find them all in India.
SHOPPING MALL IN INDIA
(Click to enlarge photo)
To give you an idea here are three photographs showing the good, the bad and the ugly shopping scenes in India.
While
shopping malls are naturally the better way to shop for many and hence
the good part of shopping, here is the bad part.
A scene from the Karol Bagh market in Delhi.
Karol bagh is considered a bargain hunters paradise by some in Delhi.
Then there is the downright ugly, where moving even
is difficult leave alone space for shopping. In some shopping places
there appears to be utter chaos.
Here is a photograph of shopping places I would place in the unpleasant category.
Shopping Frenzy! click on the photo to view full photoraph.
Looking at the number of people I would say that if you have something to sell then India is the place to be.
With a over 200 million upper class Indians out
shopping for just about anything one can imagine, the prospects are
quite tempting for many entrepreneurs. Perhaps the multi-national
companies know what they are doing when heading to India.
Selling on a pavement in New Delhi.
There are many small stalls selling assorted items mostly to foreign tourists.
Photograph shows women selling embroidered cushion covers. Price quoted for a set of four cushions Rupees 1100. Selling price for the set of cushions Rupees 400.
Prices usually high here and despite signs saying Fixed Price they bargain.
Commuter Train in Mumbai
Mumbai's
popular transportation mode are it's local trains.
These local trains carry over 6 million passengers daily. Doors on these trains do not close as the trains move, people are packed into the coaches to such an extent during the morning and evening rush hours that they hang out from the doors.
Mumbai's local trains are said to have the highest passenger density of any railway system in the world. 
Selling Bhel Puri in Mumbai.
Mumbai has a snack that is called BHEL PURI. Most street corners have people selling bhel puri.
Another famous fast food in Mumbai is called the VADA PAO which is actually a potato patty and a bun, Something similar to a hamburger.
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Bhel Puri is a popular fast food snack in Mumbai - India.
It is a spicy mixture of nuts of several varieties with
onions and tangy chutneys. Sold at many roadside stores.
Traffic on a street in New Delhi.
Traffic on the roads can be really congested.
The government in Delhi is trying to keep a control on the smog created by the millions of cars now on the roads in Delhi
CNG is now commonly being used in busses and taxis. Diesel use is being discouraged.
India now has a large selection of cars and many new models are being offered to Indian consumers by foreign car makers, many of whom have set up manufacturing in India.
Using Donkeys for transportation
Some parts of India still use donkeys to transport material.
Bricks for construction being carried on a donkey while at the same time a tractor drives by.
While India has progressed in just about every sector and
probably lead the world when it comes to the IT sector. Some things are hard to change and for some, change comes at their own pace.
Bicycle Rickshaw - India
MANUAL RICKSHAW is still available in most cities in India and a common mode of transportation for local travel.
Manual Rickshaws are also seen in some of the major cities of India.
Delhi has its fair share also. Many people earn their living
pedaling passengers on a rickshaw. One of the cheapest modes of transportation for local travel in Indian cities.
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William Jefferson Clinton President, United States of America while addressing the Indian Parliament on 22.03.2000 said, "The world is divided between those who have seen the Taj and those who have not. Very soon, I hope to be on the side that has seen the Taj."
The Taj Mahal is referred to as a symbol of unending love.
There is no other monument in the world, which can match the beauty and grandeur of the Taj Mahal.
Built by Emperor Shahjahan. Even though it was built over 360 years ago it has not lost its romantic characteristic, which continues to attract millions of visitors from all over the world.
Black Taj Mahal?
View of the Taj Mahal, Agra, India at night.
There are stories however that a black Taj Mahal was planned to be built
across the white Taj Mahal but Emperor Shah Jahan could not do this as
he was imprisoned by his son Aurungzeb.
Marine Drive Mumbai India
Enjoying the cool sea breeze at marine drive in Mumbai.
A popular tourist attraction for visitors marine drive is one of the destinations on all tourist packages.
Nainital, India
Enjoying a cool misty morning view in Nainital, India.
Nainital is a popular hill station in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
Snake Charmer posing with his cobra snake. 
Snakes are supposedly made to dance by snake charmers using a musical
instrument called a "bein" a type of a flute.
Snakes however cannot hear but react to the movement of the snake
charmer.
Wood Carvings Display
When buying wood carving statues, ask what type of wood is used. Many
will claim the wood is sandal wood where as it may turn out to be cheap
wood with sandalwood perfume sprayed on it.
Peacock- India's national bird.
Driving in New Delhi
Roads in New Delhi have improved considerably in
the last few years.
Overhead road signs found in foreign countries are now on major roads in
New Delhi.
Unfortunately the older areas of Delhi still suffer from bad roads and disorganized traffic.
Pizza
Hut in Dwarka, Delhi
Multinational chains are now in India in a big way.
The interior of a newly opened Pizza Hut in a New Delhi suburb area.
The over 200 million upper middle class in India seems to be attracting business from all over the world.
If Pizza Hut is there! can McDonalds' be far
behind?
MacDonald's outlet in New Delhi
Just about everything is now available in India. Be it food items or electronics and major appliances.
Multinational companies are setting up shop in India in a big way. Even Wal-Mart is expected in India soon.
Freshly Ground Spices displayed for sale in
India.
Some exotic spices that are perhaps rarely available in other parts of the world are sold in India.
Auto Rickshaw in Delhi
A scooter rickshaw in New Delhi India.
Scooter rickshaws are usually referred to as Auto Rickshaws in Delhi.
They can seat three passengers. Their rates are cheaper than taxi fares.
In the past Delhi had a severe smog problem. One of
the reasons for smog were the auto rickshaws that supposedly to save on
the high cost of petrol added cheaper kerosene or diesel oil to petrol
to run their auto rickshaws. Apparently the majority of auto rickshaws
are not driver owned. The drivers usually rent them form the owners on
daily rental basis and pay about Rupees 150 per day to the owners. The
cost of petrol for the day has to be paid by the auto rickshaw driver.
After paying for the petrol and rent for the auto rickshaw the remainder
is the drivers earnings.
Indian Farmer
A farmer ploughs his field using his cows to pull the plough on his field.
In many cases the poor farmer does not even own the
land and pays a major part of his produce to the landowners.
Heavy agricultural machinery like tractors, harvesters etc are common
all over the world. While agricultural machinery is used in India, many
farmers still plow their fields with cows.
PROSPERITY
& POVERTY IN INDIA
The Taj Mahal hotel stands majestically in Mumbai India.
In another part of Mumbai a slum area where the poor live. In some areas local governments have provided alternate housing but some of these people reportedly move back to slums after a period of time.
SLUMS
IN INDIA
Living is slum areas many of these shacks have
electric power from power lines near by that they get illegally without
paying for electricity. Many of them have televisions and believe it or
not some even have dish antennas hooked up for television viewing.
Slum dwellers wield a power of their own and are a big voting bank for
politicians who are reluctant to take action against things like power
theft by people living in these localities.
SHOE REPAIR ON ROAD
A Cobbler sitting on the roadside doing shoe repairs is a common site in Many cities of India.
They repair almost every thing that is made of
leather.
Have a torn suitcase? take it to these guys and they repair it for
pennies.
Bus Service in Delhi
Commuters in Delhi on a public bus.
In Delhi commuters are forced to push harder than
ever to get onto the city's dangerous and overcrowded busses.
Commuters often stand for hours at bus stands watching helplessly as bus
after bus goes by, without stopping as they are already full. Some
commuters simply hurl themselves at the moving buses in the hope of
grabbing a foothold on the buses exterior. Many are injured in doing
so.
Getting on and off a bus in Delhi during rush hours can be an adventure! a dangerous one. (Bus and India Gate photo from The Hindustan times of India.)
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INDIA GATE Presidential body
guards escort a mock procession during a rehearsal for a ceremony
for India's newly elected President.
MUSICAL STORE?
Visitors to India will be surprised at the items that are sold on the pavements of India.
This is not a photograph from a musical store.
While walking on the street in
Cannaught Place in New Delhi I found a person selling a variety of
musical instruments.
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE
CONSTRUCTION SCAFFOLDING
Construction of high-rise buildings in India unfortunately still use scaffolding made from pieces of bamboo logs ties together.
One could never dream of using such materials in the west today. Infact it would not be easy to find labor in foreign countries who would work under unsafe conditions like this. The photograph is not of construction methods of the past. I took this photograph in April 2007.
While the photograph shows a person
wearing a hard hat, I found that only supervisors etc wear hard hats.
Laborers working at construction sites do not have hard hats. Many
construction workers do not even have shoes and work on construction
sites in bare feet. With an abundance of labor available.
Labor laws though on the books are not easily enforced and employees
injured can be paid meager amounts and denied compensation for injuries
that they should get.
PUNE - INDIA
As malls are being built in
most major cities of
India. The regular bazaar's that were the traditional shopping places in
India are starting to feel the pinch as customers prefer to shop in
newly built shopping complexes in India.
I recently visited the city of Pune which is fast becoming one of the major software development center. In Pune the local authorities have come up with a solution to help the shops located in its main shopping bazaar area MG Road.
Every Saturday evening the entire road
is transformed into a mall as vehicles are banned from this road.
Shoppers can walk in peace and MG road is temporarily transformed into
one big open air mall.
These two photographs are not from a
hill station in India but from Pune.
While walking through an area of the forest department I could not
resist the natural beauty as the sun was setting and the sky was filled
with natural colors. Click photographs to enlarge.
PUNE - MAHARASTRA - INDIA
On the outskirts of Mumbai the city of Pune is
about a three hour drive from Mumbai. Previously the city was called
Poona.
The city of Pune is surrounded by hills, while
driving on the outskirts of the city
I was reminded of Seattle and its hills around the
city.
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SHOPPING BAZZARS IN INDIA
Traditionally
shopping bazaars (markets) were the places to shop in India.
The Indian
bazaars have shops and appear like a flea market, with a mixture
of regular shops and roadside stalls.
As the Indian economy picks up steam things are changing in India. The new modern India is gradually moving towards shopping malls.
Huge shopping malls are being built in most major cities of India. (Click on photographs to enlarge.)
PARKING WARNING SIGN
Sign on a wall warning that those parking here will have the air let out of their tires.
Guess that's one way of ensuring that no one parks on your driveway.
Wonder how effective warnings
are?
Such signs are usually seen on private properties. Parking illegally on public roads etc can result in your vehicle being towed away.
Fines of approximately Rupees 100 to Rupees 500 are charged for the return of your vehicle.
When touring India its best to hire a car and driver and avoid parking as well as driving problems.
SLEEPING ON THE SIDEWALK - SAD BUT TRUE
While India has some of the worlds
richest men today and India's economy is
booming.
There is sadly still the poor who are ignored by this economic progress
and live on the streets.
Housing is a major concern for the
poor class with property values in India soaring. Rents in major cities
have skyrocketed.
I took this photograph around 7 am when the temp was around 20C in the city of Pune - India.
(Click on Photographs to view full
image) 
People walk by taking an early morning walk passing a homeless person sleeping on the pavement.
India definitely has some of the richest people living there. Sadly some of the poorest also may be living in India.
In all fairness I have heard stories of the poor being provided housing of some sort by authorities but some of these people return to the streets after either renting or selling the places allotted to them.
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Goddess Kali Temple
Some associate The Goddess Kali with death and destruction of evil.
According to popular legends, during a battle with evil forces she went on a killing spree and started killing everything in sight.
To stop her, Lord Shiva is said to have thrown himself at her feet.
Shocked at the sight of Lord Shiva at her feet she ended her killing spree. Many images of Goddess Kali show her standing with her tongue fully out with one foot on Lord Shiva's chest.
While driving from Chandigarh to Delhi on the 24 of December 2007 we drove past this Goddess Kali Temple. Sadly I missed the opportunity to visit this Temple due to time restraint. I could not resist taking this photograph. The Temple is visible from the main highway and stands majestically on the outskirts of the City of Panipat.The black colored five story temple is one of the first temples I have seen in India that is fully colored black.
