Colors

Recently I came upon a Photo Contest on India as a theme. I was intrigued.

Open to all, free to upload Check – www.indiashots.com. This Contest Site is a product of www.bigappledesigns.com and whose another product site is www.royaltyfreedisc.com!

What does it all that mean?
You upload your best pictures (its a contest after all!) and thereby give the site permission to use your picture in any context by IndiaShots – and is not limited to IndiaShots’ advertising or promotional purposes. 

Read the fine print of the Contest rules prior to uploading your pictures on IndiaShots! Your pictures may be used as Stock pictures by IndiaShots for any purpose as deemed necessary by them.

I wonder why not?
Limit the rights on the photographs to the use of contest and contest related promotional/ advertising materials in any media but always explicitly linked to IndiaShots Contest true to the manner in which it was submitted, and always acknowledging the photographer?

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What is your opinion? (Old Poll and results are purged. Please Vote afresh. )
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This photo is taken with low exposure to capture the contrast of the green environment.

Champakya – amazing fruit. Good for wine.

We were going to Sumangali Sevashram for dinner, if our request for one at the last minute will be accepted. Dinner was to begin at 8PM, it was 8PM now and we were a good 3 minutes away from the Ashram. We expected to see the girls to have started and if so, we were prepared to go elsewhere.

Sumangali Sevashram was spacious, airy and looked a well run place – carried with this, a promise of instilling good values in the children they take care. Ashram is a general day school for the nearby children plus a hostel for girls from economically challenged backgrounds. These girls are taken care of till the 10th Class. They are then encouraged to pursue their higher studies, job oriented training or join work. The school also trains rural women in livelihood tasks in Chamarajmanagar (Karnataka). At the ashram were displayed with pride many artifacts from these endeavors. We noticed some refined models made of granite and other stones.

We had an unique opportunity to talk to Susheelamma, the lady who runs the school, lovingly called Amma. The good aura that you feel around people who selflessly dedicate their lives to the service of others – exudes plentily from Amma. Taking time out from her regular activities, she gave us a brief about the institution signing off with a small wish to be away from the politics of governments and to become a self sufficient institution. As the day’s dinner was already sponsored – Amma graciously invited us to share their food. We were quickly ushered in, leaving Amma reiterating her advice to the caretakers not to henceforth wait for the sponsors beyond 8:15PM, I could hear her clearly – ‘The girls will be hungry and sleepy – do not keep them waiting’.

At the dining hall, the dinner plates are being served we walk to the kitchen where the finishing touches for our dinner is being undertaken. Kitchen is clean and the hygiene is well maintained. Outside the kitchen, near their plates, a couple of cats hoping for some leftovers waited politely.

As the girls walked past us, they greeted us with a warm ‘Namaste’. We stepped into the dining area to hear 100 odd voices rhythmically chanting their evening prayers. A few rows of neatly dressed girls were sitting waiting patently for their food to be served. Some of these kids were probably 6 or 7 years of age and looked like likely to fall asleep on their plates. The elder girls were busy helping their caretakers by serving the food. Today’s dinner was sponsored by someone to mark his/her 60th Birthday. The usherers had an elaborate Arti for their sponsor, their earnestness not a slight bit marred by the fact that the sponsor had not arrived for to share this dinner. They lit the lamps and prayed to God seeking happiness and joy for their kind sponsor.

Suddenly, a small hush fell among us; I turned to see a visually uplifting scene in front of me. The elder girls brought small diyas and placed them neatly next to each ones plate. Another girl followed behind placing the wicks, another poured oil and finally a caretaker came to light the lamps. Each of these girls had a lamp to remind them of who sponsored their food. But from where I stood, it surely looked like they were tiny innocent goddesses whom we were praying to.

Thanks Shyam for the Picture.

The dinner was modest mixed rice accompanied by a sweet, some Boodhi Kalu (deep fried mixture of flour and fried groundnuts) and finished off with rice with buttermilk and some pickle to taste. I felt very happy to share this meal with them, thankful to be a part of this experience. The lady who was ushering us kindly offered to serve more food, we accepted what we could eat and finished our dinner.

On the way out, we gave a donation and requested them to take it against another weekend which wasn’t yet sponsored. They humbly accepted to do so and promised to send us a receipt for the same. As we said goodbye, we thanked our hosts for the gracious dinner and the memorable experience.

‘Next time’, I thought ‘I shall bring my nephew along’.

We had this dinner as a part of my friend Sourabh Dubey‘s Community Project Arpanam. Get in touch with Arpanam to have a wholesome dinner experience.

Shyam spotted this Auto infront of our studio.

The driver says, ‘I did this (auto up) to introduce people to a new difference (experience)’.
He lives somewhere near Chamarajpet – shouldn’t be difficult to find out where – check him out when you are near Chamarajpet next.

A lot of thought & energy goes into designing the peripherals to the things we buy – say – clothes or a nick nack. Tags, stickers, bills, brand communication pamplets, carrybags etc. These peripherals – they help build identity, enhance brand value, makes a mark in the customer mind etc etc.

We bring all these peripherals home along with that thing that we buy. Once home, the thing, that we paid the money for, goes to its proper place – say cupboard or a display case. And the peripherals go to the trash bin.

We need to spend less time designing trash and plan to go beyond?

01. Stop such design. Cut the trash you send home to people. – hard to score brand points – but you score eco/ green points

02. Provide a discount for people who bring their own bags to your store – encourages such behavior – scores brand point as it sure makes a mark in your customers mind. – Scores green points – scores ethical points – a positive step in changing the mindset of people.

03. Provide a recyclable theme – bring the tags back – ‘autograph and write a message on it’ and bring it back – get a discount and reuse that tag to sell another cloth – helps build a community of people who have used the brand – scores morally as well as ethically.

What other methods can we think of?

These are those suicidal insects that ecstatically reach the light and burn their frail wings out – and then fall.

We are the power rangers!

This morning the crow left.
WE WILL MISS YOU!

The path is a bit steep on the way to Hem Kund Sahib near Ghangria, Valley of Flowers. Not so scary as the horse was making it to be. It was so foggy, we couldn’t see more than 10 – 12 feet at that time. Perhaps that was what was annoying the horse – then again, maybe it wasn’t his master leading him.

‘A Walk in the clouds’… didn’t feel as romantic as the concept does now. The path was slushy and you had better watch your step. Lungs would threaten to burst because of all the exertion.

Did it sound like a bunch of complaints? Don’t be deceived – It was fantastic.

At Rishikesh, I was taking the picture of the tatoo of the lady in the back, when her husband moved into the frame – giving me this interesting picture – making it quite an apt depiction of an Indian Couple.