In 2008, I spent three and a half months in Rajasthan and two weeks in Sikkim. I was one of twenty students participating in a study abroad Minnesota Studies in International Development (MSID) in India program. What can I say about this country? Not much. GO TO INDIA. There is absolutely no way to describe the place in words. The only proper way to find out about India is to be there. The images in the galleries are mere glimpses meant to incite your imagination and push you to make reservations.
Read more >>>The first six photos have an interesting story behind them. They were taken at the wedding (a three day event) of my host family's niece, who lived next door. The wedding was extraordinary - not only was it a love marriage but the bride was from a higher caste of Brahmins while the groom was of Vaisyas caste.
A few thousand animal raisers and herders gather somewhere outside Jodhpur, Rajasthan to sell and exchange horses, camels, goats and other livestock. These photos are from the animal fair that took place in the spring of 2008.
These photographs were taken in Bishu village, somewhere near the Pakistan border, and at the Rupayan Sansthan - Rajasthan Institute of Folklore, Jodhpur. Langa and Manganiyar musicians perform at various social gatherings at the houses of their patrons. In addition to reciting fictional stories common to the region, they keep genealogies of the families whom employ them. Some musicians have been invited to perform all around the world – from Moscow to Paris to Los Angeles and they perform annually in Chicago in September. For further information on the musical tradition of Rajasthan, I highly recommend this book, “Rajasthan: An Oral History - Conversations with Komal Kothari” by Rustom Bharucha.
After almost 4 month in the Thar Desert I headed to the lusciously green foothills of Himalayas in the eastern state of India Sikkim.
