India

1.2 billion people 2nd most populous country. 12th largest economy. 4th largest in purchasing power. 2nd largest labor force in the world. Became an independent nation in 1947 Four major religions, Hinduism, Buddism, Jainism, and Sikhism originated here.

12.25 million inhabitants 16 million residents in the region

Delhi

India Gate, 135 ft-high, built as memorial to Indian soldiers killed in the World War I.

Qutb Minar, 240 ft-high tower of victory, built in 1193, after the defeat of the last Hindu kingdom in Delhi.

Monuments

Jama Masjid, built in 1656, is the largest mosque in India, and stands across the road from the Red Fort.

Chandni Chowk: The main street of 'Old' Delhi is a magnificent bazaar jam-packed with artisans, traders and auto-rickshaws.

Markets

Mahatma Ghandi

Raj Ghat, a simple black marble memorial to Mahatma Gandhi, marking the spot where he was cremated following his assassination in 1948. Ghandi's Birthday (2 Oct - Gandhi Jayanti) .

India Gate, 135 ft-high, built as memorial to Indian soldiers killed in the World War I.

Qutb Minar, 240 ft-high tower of victory, built in 1193, after the defeat of the last Hindu kingdom in Delhi.

Monuments

Lotus Temple

The Bahá'í laws emphasize that the spirit of the House of Worship be that it is a gathering place where people of all religions may worship God without denominational restrictions.

On the sidewalks of the city where one-man entrepreneurs sell everything from food and clothes to second-hand books and electronic gadgets. Many of these small businessmen have migrated to the city from villages.

Cycle rickshaw sleeping Bicycle Cafe

Bicycle Entrepreneurs

Street Economy

When you come to a complete stop at a traffic light in India's major cities you'll likely be approached by every type of vendor.

Estimates cite figures of between 60 and 115 million working children in India -- the highest number in the world (Human Rights Watch 1996).

Children

Maharajas

Wild monkeys roam the streets of Delhi. Monkeys are viewed as the sacred embodiment of the Hindu god Hanuman.

Wildlife is Part of the Fabric

Known as the Pink City Capital of Rajasthan state. 3 million residents.

Jaipur

Hawa Mahal

The Palace of Winds. Built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Singh. Made of red and pink sand stone. Tier after tier of 953 small casements, each with tiny lattice worked pink windows. These small windows circulate cool air (Hawa) even in hot months. 

Built between 1728 to 1734 by Jai Singh as an observatory.

Jantar Mantar

Street Scenes

Street Scenes

Rural Rajastan

Amber Palace

Located in Amber, 11 km from Jaipur. It was the ancient citadel of the ruling clan of Amber, before the capital was shifted to Jaipur.

Road to Amber Palace

Amber Palace

It is not uncommon for women to spend up to fours hours a day bringing water from distant sources to their homes. They carry up to 15 liters on their heads on each trip, often walking barefoot.

Women’s Work in Rural India

Cow Dung

Agra

• Founded in 1504.• Capital of Mughal Empire.• 1.3 million residents.

Shah Jahan, known for his keen interest in architecture, gave Agra its most prized monument, The Taj Mahal. Built in loving memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, the mausoleum was completed in 1653.

Taj Mahal

Shah Jahan’s son Aurangzeb usurped his father’s control and imprisoned him in Agra Fort.

Taj Mahal

Built during the second half of the 16th century by the Emperor Akbar, Fatehpur Sikri (the City of Victory).

Fatehpur Sikri

It takes nearly 15 days of difficult labor to weave nine yards (eight meters) of the shimmering multi-hued silk sari.

Each piece can cost from $150 to $1,500, depending on the fineness, tightness of the weave, and amount of gold brocade.

The weaver earns approximately $30 a month for weaving the saris.

Saris

Khajuraho

Khajuraho has the largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples, famous for their erotic sculpture.

The group of monuments has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The 20 remaining temples at Khajuraho were built during the Chandella dynasty, between 950 and 1050.

Chandella Temples

A celebration of womankind, her myriad moods and facets. These are carvings of a woman writing a letter, applying make-up to her eyes, dancing, playing with her child. All depicted in intricate detail.

Female Form

Erotica

Often the most important aspect is the bond between the two families, rather than the relationship between the couple being married.

Supporters of the custom say that divorce rates are lower than among western society because parents are better able to choose a suitable partner for their children.

Arranged Marriages

Regarded as holy by Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains.

Varanasi’s known history dates back about 3,500 hundred years.

It is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world.

Varanasi

The narrow alleys, which pass off for streets, covered with the dirt, grime, and betel nut stains lead to the ‘ghats’ or the banks of the river. These ‘ghats’ are the hub of the religious ceremonies of the Hindus.

Street Scenes

Ganesha & Kali

As atmospheric as it is confusing, Varanasi's labyrinthine Old City is rich with culture

The most important river in India is held much in reverence since it is believed that all human sins are washed off by a dip in its waters. People travel thousands of miles to come to the holy city and river.

The Ganga

Along the river, stairways have been set-up, known as ghats, from which people can bathe before saying their daily prayers.

Ghats

At the times of worship or ‘puja’ the air is resonant with the chanting of mantras and hymns.

Puja

Puja

Puja is modeled on the idea of giving a gift or offering to a deity or important person and receiving their blessing.

Puja

From the cremation of dead and associated rites to celebration of birth and its various rituals, all are adhered to on these ‘ghats’.

Cremation Ghats

Udaipur

• Known as the City of Lakes• 550K residents.

Temple built by Maharana Jagat Singh in 1651 and enshrines a black stone image of Vishnu as Jagannath, Lord of the Universe.

Jagdish Temple

City Palace

250-year-old white-marble palace -- the main set for the James Bond film Octopussy -- floats like a vision in the middle of Lake Pichola. Access to the hotel is provided by water taxi.

Lake Palace

Music & Dance of Rajasthan

Known as eunuchs, transexxuals, or those who are "neither male nor female." Hijras trace their origins to myths in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

Hijras

Small bowls arranged inside the rim of the plate(or leaf), each filled with a different sort of spiced vegetarian food, curd and sweet.

Thali

Kerala

• 32 million people in State of Kerala.• 91% literacy rate, the highest in India.

Kathakali Dance

Kathakali stories were initially composed to last a whole night. The most popular stories enacted are Mahabharata.

Paradesi Synagogue

The Malabari Jews formed a prosperous trading community of Kerala, and they controlled a major portion of world wide spice trade. In 1568, the Jews of Kerala constructed the Paradesi Synagogue adjacent to Mattancherry Palace, on land given to them by Paraja, the Raja of Kochi.

Fishing Community

Located on the Tamil Nadu & Kerala border. The road winds through mountains, descending through a carpet of tea bushes, estates of tall rubber trees and gardens of coffee, cardamom and pepper.

Overland Journey to Thekkady

Backwaters

Backwaters

Periyar Game Preserve

Children of Kerala

Mumbai

• 14 million residents; 19 million in area.• Financial capital of India.

Density

The population density is estimated to be about 22,000 persons per square kilometre.

Crawford Meat Market

Mumbai suffers from the same major urbanisation problems seen in many fast growing cities: widespread poverty and unemployment & poor public health.

Train to Victoria Terminus

With available space at a premium, Mumbai residents often reside far from workplaces, requiring long commutes on crowded mass transit. The network of suburban trains radiating out from Victoria Terminus station is instrumental in keeping Mumbai running.

Dabba-Wallahs

Lunch box (tiffin) delivery person collects the freshly cooked food in from the residences of the office workers (mostly in the suburbs), delivering it to their respective workplaces.

Along the perimeter, coloured streamers of clothes are hung up to dry. Later, they will be starched and ironed, a small cloth tag with identifying black dots and dashes sewn into the edge of each garment, and the dhobis will hand deliver bundles of garments to homes and hotels across the city.

Dhobi-Wallahs

An estimated 4,000 prostitutes work the Falkland Road district alone. In nearby Kamatipura, an even larger flesh-trade bazaar, as many as 20,000 women sell their bodies. In 1997, tests found that only 1 percent of Bombay prostitutes were infected with HIV. Just five years later, 54 percent of the sample tested positive.

Prostitutes on Falkland Road

Children of Mumbai

Gateway of India

The Gateway of India was built to commemorate the visit of King George V & Queen Mary to Mumbai in 1991 (85ft high). The last British troops to leave India, passed through the Gateway in a ceremony on 28 February 1948