My pictures with their little stories

Tabo monastery, Spiti Tabo Monastery in Spiti Valley , Himachal Pradesh was established in the year 996. It is the oldest continuously operating Buddhist enclave in both India and th e Himalayas. Loved it for the rustic and simplistic approach apart from the wonderful textural quality of its surfaces. This picture of Tabo monastery will be on display at my show at Nehru Centre, Worli, Mumbai from Tuesday 16th August to Monday 22nd August 2016. Experience it at my show.

Colourful Raksham The entire area around village Raksham is so colourful and with fall starting to set in, the colours started to get more pronounced. The walk through the village led us to some very colourful sights with each house starting to stock up grass for the winter. This particular visual had so many layers and colours in it but they all seemed so neatly arranged by who else ? (Raksham,  Sangla valley ,  Dist Kinnaur ,  Himachal , 2014)

Wooden house at Raksham As we were walking around in Raksham village, noticed this fairly large traditional wooden house although the slate roof was gone and a tin one had taken its place. The incoming fall season meant that colours of the vegetation all around - on the mountain slopes as well as grass and plants around had started to change. (Raksham, Sangla Valley , 2014)

Wrinkled beauty from Sangla, Himachal Came across this remarkable lady at the temple at Batseri in Sangla valley , Himachal . She was among the group of village women watching the ceremony of the Devata being taken out from the temple which happens on very select occasions during the year. Her sharp features along with the lines on her fair Himachali face with those deep eyes made a compelling visual. (2010)

At village Shoja, Himachal It was a fascinating walk through Shoja in Himachal, a village on the edge of the mountains. All houses with slate roofs, close knit to be available for each other at a shout and living together with their cattle. To be on the edge all the time is something urbanites cannot imagine. The slate stone shines when the sun rays fall upon it at an angle. From a distance, this is quite a view.

Devata (deity) being taken out at Badri Narayan Temple, village Batseri, Dist. Sangla in Himachal The Devata (deity) at Badri Narayan temple, village Batseri in Sangla district of Himachal Pradesh is taken out of the temple only few times a year.  We were fortunate to be there when the deity was being taken out. Womenfolk from the village were present on this important occasion.  

Remote village in Spiti Villages such as Langza and Gomic in Spiti are tiny and remote. They are inaccessible when it snows. Despite harsh conditions, the spirit of the people is indomitable.