Expectations

Expectations was the first word that struck me when I'd clicked this one. Just the spade of leaf pitted against the enormous skies in its only aspiration to be there. It exemplifies a sort of ambivalence of somewhere that it wants to reach and of something that it is bound by [the hand holding it], and the crossroads at where the leaf is right now....

Probably expectations have a similiar fate, that of to be at the crossroads and yet not surrender hope!!

Greens!!!

Quite a simple click, with not too much intense or abstract thought process involved. Greens is again a pretty self explanatory tag showing green leaves arranged in a very analogous symetry. Green leaves are one such variety which never disappoint you. They always look beautiful irrespective of the way that you click them!!!
This one's my ode to them.

Memory Lane

This is the most beautiful place in the whole world. It's my favourite place at least. It's basically a park where my Sis and I would frequent and talk endlessly about things, discuss our studying modules, laugh at my artistic [in]capabilities, crack jokes and all those things which would make sense only to us. I love this place and all the memories attached to it, which by the way, we still live.
Even though a very basic click, but its slightly more than just another casual click for me. It is my sister's and my Memory Lane, which continues to grow by the day....

Fortification

The Purana Qila is one of the oldest and the finest monuments in India and I was only lucky to visit the place on my trip to Delhi this summer.
The fort is believed to be founded by the Pandavas which later served as a Humayun's capital city- Dina Panah. The fort and its environs flourished as the sixth city of Delhi during this period.
Diverse framework and multifarious architectural style is easily one of the main highlights of this fort. Built in double-storeyed sandstone, the structure is flanked by two semi-circular bastion towers and is decorated with white and coloured marble inlays and blue tiles and also comprises of over hanging balconies, Jharokas and pillar pavillion Chhatris.
The fort is the finest blend of Rajasthani and Mughal forms of architecture.

Frames

I was at the Red Fort and like any other commoner was overwhelmed by its historic significance and the role that it had essayed all through these years, by its grandeur and by all those frames that had hidden in them numerous stories about its celebrated past. In short, by its very existence!!
As for the photo, this is the Diwan-i-Khaas [A conference room of sorts for the elite and the nobles]. I'd quite loved this frame, its something that I've always wanted to click. So well, there I was....

Crystalline

Purity, but still adulterated

Semblance, yet fickled distortions,

Transparency, like never seen before

And radiance, like only of its own...

A clear stream of water flowing downhill is magical!! Its all of these and still none of the above. Has its own qualities, fades into its own character, engages in its own voyage and is filled with its own complexities. Quite surreal actually; at times so sparkling and so flawless and at other times, just a mystery...

Sublime

It was a particularly hot afternoon in Delhi with temperatures soaring as high as 38ºC. And for some really bizarre reason still not known to me, I chose this day to venture out in the city for a photo shoot. And well, after toddling down a couple of lanes and a few glasses of cold water I came to this stretch where I witnessed this man bestowing water to whoever needing it.
I thought it was quite a noble gesture. That being the only predominant reason as to why I chose to click this one. And whatever be the reason behind him serving water to the people, the gesture in itself had a lot of sublimity and nobility in it. I held it in very high regard, hence called it Sublime.
As for the particulars, it was clicked outside a Jain temple in the old city of Delhi right opposite the Red Fort.

Luminescence

A Visit to Golden Temple can be totally profound, ethereal and in many ways a revelation as well. That's where I'd clicked this one. There was a particularly mystical aura surrounding this one, something so enigmatic and completely dazzling. And with the golden background and chandelier, to add to the enigma, the passageway which adorns this, almosts radiates the same aura and the entire ambience makes for a spectacular view.

Us!!!

Quite a simple click with a simple tag and a very simple feel, yet something that is so deep rooted and extraordinary in ways of its own. I was at the Wagah Border when I had clicked this, wherein by the evening the place is filled with the locals, the tourists and other delegates who come to pay patronage to the evening parade, which is held daily. A very 'engulfingly' funny incident held my attention while I was there to witness the parade [I know that the chioce of words may seem rather peculiar but trust me, no other word(s) would have been apt courtesy the incident related to it].

Usually, commoners like us don't really know what is the code that should be maintained and what all procedure is to be followed by the army officials there, so an orator is usually there who guides us about the do not's while the ongoing parade and in doing so, he kept repeatedly saying one particular thing- Darshakon se nivedan hai ki ve apni jagah le le [the audience is requested to take their seats]. And not quite surprisingly, barring this one we chose to pay heed to all the other set of instructions given to us. It was quite a riot there with everyone having the most bizzare reasons for not settling down, for e.g. My height is too short or, Why should I setttle I have paid the money I'd rather be comfortable or, Ask him to be seated first, and the list would go on. But its actually such episodes which make us, Us!!! We are one set of weird people- Curious, slighly eccentric, stern at times, overtly sentimental, complacent, way too easy- going and at times too difficult to deal with as well, but at the end of the day weird.

And honestly, I love it. So much of discrepancies, so much hap hazardness, commotion practically everywhere but at the end of the day, a sense of unifromity still prevails. That's the reason why whenever I m reminded of this visit, I'd simply call it- 'engulfingly' funny....

Jahan Numa

Jama Masjid in entirity, the way it is!!! And from the description of my previous photograph one can only imagine my veneration for this place.

Jahan Numa or Masjid-i-Jahan Numa (persian for 'World reflecting Mosque') or what we all commonly know as Jama Masjid is the largest mosque in India. It was built in 1656 A.D. at a cost of around 10 million rupees then, commissioning around 5000 workers daily. The mosque rests at a high platform and can be reached by three different gates of which the east gateway is the largest. Crowned with three onion shaped domes the centre portion of the dome is around 201 ft. high and is flanked by 2 minarets each 130 ft. high. There is a marble tank right in the centre of the mosque where all can wash hands before offering the namaaz at the Masjid. Around 22,000 people can offer namaaz at a time at the Masjid. And quite honestly, its heavily crowded duirng Eid or for that matter even on all fridays.

To speak something about the photograph, personally I have an entire album of 38 photos of the Masjid but for this one particularly I had to wait for almost around 40 minutes to get this view. A lot of it because I was quite adamant in taking the photo of the pigoen flying from the dome and everytime I tried to click it the bird would deceive me until finally, when I was successful in clicking this one. purely luck!!!

Pak

Pak is basically an urdu word which in its literal sense means 'Pure'. And largely it also exemplifies the essence of the place itself. It is Jama Masjid actually and it was an absolute delight to be here. Despite several people visiting the Masjid almost everyday, despite both, the locals and the non-locals offering namaaz five times a day, the place beholds a sanctity of its own.
Personally, I've always dreamt of clicking something like that and being at the Masjid, I finally got my chance. All those who visit the Masjid are allowed to climb the Masjid tower and knowing that, well, I decided to take the plunge. So, while climbing those 200 flight of stairs I found this and got my moment. As far as the beauty of Jama Masjid goes, I m too small an entity to even speak anything about it. The place in itself speaks volumes about its beauty.

Monsoon

And with this picture, I complete my trilogy [of sorts]. I think by now one must have guessed that monsoon is my favourite season and I like everything associated with it.

Anyway, to talk about the picture, its a very simple one actually depicting a leaf and fungi wholly submerged in sewage water. Personally, it represents subtle and those hardly noticed impressions of monsoon. About that part of nature to which we barely pay attention but all of a sudden seem to take a life of its own during rains. Something so characteristic about the rains, and something that I've attempted to show here. Something about that genus of nature which we thought never existed until Monsoon.