Snake charmer in Jaipur
Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. 1 June 1986
A king cobra “charmed” by the swaying instrument – snakes can’t hear.
The practice has come under criticism by animal rights groups and appears to be less prevalent in India now.
Pink City, Jaipur
Rajput Guard, City Palace, Jaipur. 1 June 1986
This guard at the City Palace was quite happy to pose. You can see a faint wisp of smoke from exhaling his beedi (Indian cigarette).
I did a search and found a photo of possibly the same guard taken in the 1990s.
My photo has deteriorated over time and those black dots on his uniform is unfortunately a fungus on my transparency slide film.
Yogi Lodge, Varanasi
Yogi Lodge, Varanasi, India. 24 May 1986
No sleep again. There are some nightly rituals that have probably been in force for centuries. One is the ringing of a bell at a shrine very close by; another performed by a ghost – for two nights I’ve been woken by the tapping of a (no doubt) large cane stick and the blowing of a whistle. It comes right up to the lodge – no voices.
A chowkidar I believe or night watchmen. Essentially the equivalent of “12am and all is well”.
Taj family photo
Taj Mahal, Agra, India. 30 May 1986
I like the way the mother is framed in this shot – over-seeing her kids for the formal Taj photo. But concentrating on the fore-ground, oblivious – seemingly – to the object in the background.
Dawn boat ride on the Ganges at Varanasi
Varanasi 25 May 1986
Took a dawn boat ride on the Ganges. The oarsman took me on a leisurely one hour trip to each end of the ghats. Surprised to see Gangetic dolphins breaching the surface. Tranquil scenes of people bathing, pilgrims offering puja and dhobi wallah’s beating the laundry before the heat of the day builds.
