The Twenty Niners

When I was in Rajasthan, I took a safari excursion to a Bishnoi village. Bishnoi is a unique sect founded by Guru Jambheshwar who laid down 29 principles to be followed by the sect. Bish means 20 and noi means 9. Hence, Bishnoi literally means Twenty-niners. Strictly vegetarians, the eco-loving villagers are against killing animals and felling trees. They also take great pains to protect and conserve the black buck antelopes which are believed to be their guru’s manifestation after death.

God's Own Country?

I love the rugged beauty of Rajasthan, but I can't say the same for Kerala. Honestly speaking, Kerala is over-hyped. It's old school in a bad way. Totally unlike what you see in Kerala's tourism brochures. I expected Fort Cochin to exude old world charm, but it failed to impress. The famous Chinese fishing nets look dirty in real life. Vembanad Lake is scenic with gorgeous sunsets and sunrise, but that's about it. If you want an exotic beach destination rich in history, I recommend Sri Lanka instead. All photos copyright © 2010 LimZhu Photography.

Jaisalmer The Golden City

The Jaisalmer Fort in Jaisalmer is a living fort where you can find shops, hotels, age old havelis (homes) inside. It gets very crowded on weekends and festivals.

By the way, my 17-85mm lens was damaged during my trip so I could only use my macro 100mm lens to take these pics. Which explains why all the shots are so tight.

Jodhpur The Sun City

I recently travelled to India - Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Fort Cochin/Kerala.

My favorite is Jodhpur. The people, especially the children of Jodhpur, aka the Sun City are really friendly and photogenic. These pics were shot in the walled city of Jodhpur and Sardar Market, "a full-on bustling Indian market with a barely contained riot of sights, sounds and stinks" (Wikitravel)

Village Girl

Festival Village

Colourful, crowded and choking with burning incense, Jwalabanj Village comes alive with Mahashivaratri Festival or the ‘The Night of Shiva’. The festival which falls on the moonless 14th night of the new moon in the Hindu month of Phalgun, is celebrated with devotion and religious fervor in honor of Lord Shiva, one of the deities of Hindu Trinity.

Red Hot

I don’t exactly know what this is… chilli powder perhaps? I took this picture at a town in Jwalabanj Village, Kumaon.

Red Fort

Smoke

Drink

Sleep

Read

Trim

Reluctant Residents of Chandni Chowk

It’s not easy to take photos of the people in Chandni Chowk. According to my guide, the residents there are mostly Muslims and due to some sensitive issues, don’t like to be photographed. And he was right. I had rotten fruits thrown at me for taking the little girl’s picture – can you believe that? Another elderly woman hurled expletives when I pointed my camera at her. So to avoid detection, I took these photos with my zoom lens.

Colours of Chandni Chowk

Chandni Chowk, originally called Shah Jahanabad, is one of the oldest and busiest markets in old Delhi. Here you are greeted with throngs of people, animals, rickshaws, spices, textiles, flowers, local delicacies, the works! Although it’s chaotic, noisy and hazardous (thanks to dangling electrical cables), Chandni Chowk has its quirky charms. And it’s a great location for street photography.

Passage to India

It’s been a very hectic two months for me. My marcom projects have kept me away from my blog and passion (photography of course!). Anyway, my apologies for my long absence…

I recently travelled to India – Delhi and Kumaon Himalayas, for some R&R. But I ended up more stressed than relaxed. As you know, the traffic in India is horrendous. Chaos ensues left, right and centre and to be stuck in the middle of all the madness can make you go mad! I’m just glad to be back in one piece, my sanity intact.

This photo was taken at Lal Quila or Red Fort in Old Delhi. I’m not into touristy attractions, but I must say these cusped arches of Diwan-i-Aam are quite majestic.