Country roads... take me home, to the place I belong....
Life is old there, older than the trees... Younger than the mountains, growin' like a breeze.....
These are the glimpses of a country... a country like no other....
9000 miles away, every evening, I see the sun calling it a day here, and I know it is running late to go rise and shine in the Indian subcontinent....
And I am reminded of a day in the life of my town...
I share an India with you all...
Avatar?
The original sin - it is these... the spices grown in India, that first attracted the East India company
The baazaar - "Baazaar" in hindustani means marketplace. Typically, in a baazaar, you would find everything that you need to survive and more... in this picture and a few that follow, you would get to see the streets of a small hill station - Dehradun... my home, my memories...
Chai... The chinese gave it to the world... and like everything else, we created our version of it... :)... here you see chai on a stove in a road-side joint, called 'tapree' in the western region of India (particularly Pune)
And these glasses can be found in most roadside chai stalls across India... When the chai is filled upto half in this glass, it is popularly called 'cutting' in Mumbai ... and those of you who've been lucky and have had cutting... you know what I am talking about :)
"Veggie fritters with mint sauce and onion on the side"..... Naah... These are called pakoras in North India... these are as popular as hotdogs here in US and you would see people of all ages and all social statuses relishing these pakoras with the cutting tea from the previous pics...
Farmer's market - here you see a fresh fruit vendor decorating his kiosk. He also serves fresh juices. And with me here that day was an Army convoy on their way to one of our national borders. I did not have permission to click their picture. I wished the soldiers good luck for their next assignment and their commanding officer gave me some great tips for clicking some good pictures off my DSLR :)
Little entrepreneurs - These young girls help their father in their family business over the weekend; I was extremely impressed by these girls, and their daddy proudly talked about their academic accomplishments....
Ah! sweet as sugar :) ...
and that's jaggery - traditional unrefined non-centrifugal whole cane sugar consumed in India; a roadside dessert with great health benefits..
These are a few of my favorite things....
a traditional indian meal being prepared by a chef at a vacation resort...
Peanuts, roasted in that pan you see in the picture is a winter snack, readily available on any street
a special kind of tortilla - called 'puri' or 'luchi' usually eaten with spicy mashed potatoes ,,, Aha!
Pickles from several parts of India, each with a distinct flavor - This picture was taken in the holy city of Haridwar and this shop claimed to have pickles from each city of India!
Sabzi Mandi ... This translation just won't cut it :)
And my favorite part of any cuisine - Desserts....
Seen here are some freshly made Indian desserts.... Yum!!!!!
Peru, amrood or guava... what's in a name.... reminds me of a childhood well lived
"Party city" on the streets... balloons of all the imaginable colors and there used to be those helium ones too.... and I remember what a prized possession they used to be...
The Capricorns.....disciplined, hardworking, sincere
Faith - available in all colors and sizes...
The politics tries hard to create the divide but fails.....
for centuries we have coexisted .... and we will...
Seen in this picture is a mosque on the outskirts of the town
The offerings
Lime and chilies arrangement is believed to ward off the evil eye..... and this can be seen outside most businesses - big or small; religion no bar ... united in faith
Heaven on sale - Hindu deities made of bronze at a wholesale shop
on the banks of Holy river Ganga (or Ganges) - the evening prayer
"India Poised" - And this is our strength, our future .... the face of a progressive nation....
