Uploads from ... Arjun, tagged f4, with geodata

Shine a light - aarti at the ghats

nobody@flickr.com (... Arjun) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 01:06:42 -0700

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The evening Ganga Aarti with open flames at the Dashashwamedh ghat in Varanasi is a sight to behold and legendary in its own right. While the main aarti is quite a spectacle performed with choreographed pyrotechnics, individuals solemnly light these small lamps and float them in the water. You can see many of them floating as bokeh in the background of this image.

Aarti is from the Vedic concept of fire rituals, or homa. The word may also refer to the traditional Hindu devotional song that is sung during the ritual. Aarti is performed and sung to develop the highest love for God. "Aa" means "towards or to", and "rati" means "right or virtue" in Sanskrit.

Varanasi (Sanskrit: वाराणसी Vārāṇasī, also commonly known as Benares or Banaras (Hindi: बनारस, Urdu: بنارس, Banāras) is a city situated on the banks of the River Ganges in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, regarded as holy by Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and probably the oldest of India. Mark Twain wrote: "Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together."

Check out the whole set - V for Varanasi.

Varanasi, India
2010

| Arjun Purkayastha • travel & fine art photography • | Facebook page |

Everyone in India enjoys a good cup of tea

nobody@flickr.com (... Arjun) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:53:24 -0800

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Pushkar (पुष्कर) in Rajasthan is one of the oldest cities of India. The date of its actual origin is not known, but legend associates Lord Brahma with its creation. It is mentioned that Brahma performed penance here for 60,000 years to have glimpse of Radha Krishna. Pushkar boasts of temples, though not many can be considered very old since many were destroyed by Aurangzeb, a Mogul ruler and subsequently rebuilt. The most famous among all is the Brahma Temple, said to be the only temple in the world dedicated to this deity.

This Sadhu (common term for a mystic, an ascetic, practitioner of yoga (yogi) and/or wandering monks) was indulging himself in a cup of tea opposite the Brahma Temple. Maybe this was a moment of Moksha (liberation) for him :-) - Don't miss the pack of beedis (thin, often flavored, Indian cigarette made of tobacco wrapped in a tendu leaf, and secured with colored thread at one end) and matches next to his legs. Seems that he also enjoys a good smoke from time to time.

Check out the whole set - Magical Rajasthan.

Pushkar, India
2009

| Arjun Purkayastha • travel & fine art photography • | Facebook page |

Without a care in the world

nobody@flickr.com (... Arjun) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 07:16:44 -0700

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On the edge of a sunset

nobody@flickr.com (... Arjun) — Wed, 20 May 2009 06:14:00 -0700

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Check out the whole set - Glorious Greece.

Athens, Greece
2009

Arjun Purkayastha • travel & fine art photography •

The Buddhas of Pak Ou

nobody@flickr.com (... Arjun) — Wed, 06 May 2009 07:55:58 -0700

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The magnificent & isolated monasteries of Meteora (Μετέωρα)

nobody@flickr.com (... Arjun) — Tue, 05 May 2009 01:10:44 -0700

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Metéora (Μετέωρα) is one of the largest and most important complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Greece. Although it is unknown when the monasteries of Metéora were established, as early as the 11th century AD hermit monks were believed to be living among the caves and cutouts in the rocks. The monasteries are built on natural sandstone rock pillars, at the northwestern edge of the Plain of Thessaly near the Peneios river and Pindus Mountains, in central Greece. The Metéora is home to six monasteries (of the original 20 that were built in the early 14th century) and is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Metéora is off the beaten track (far from Athens and the islands) but famous at the same time (featured in the 1981 James Bond movie "For Your Eyes Only). Either way it is well worth the minimum of 2 days you will spend on the road getting to and fro just to see the wonder of this place.

Check out the whole set - Glorious Greece.

#115 on Explore.

Meteora, Greece
2009

Arjun Purkayastha • travel & fine art photography •

The Wall

nobody@flickr.com (... Arjun) — Sun, 03 May 2009 02:32:29 -0700

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Check out the whole set - Wow Philippines.

Intramuros, Philippines
2009

Arjun Purkayastha • travel & fine art photography •

Oia at twilight

nobody@flickr.com (... Arjun) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 04:12:16 -0700

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The labyrinths of white and blue merging into the sky in Oia are the most spectacular in all of Santorini. Oia is a visual feast that can make the other parts of the island seem ordinary. See the blue domes in Imerovigli and Firostefani and compare.

Santorini's white walls are dazzling and the blue stands out perfectly on them. They merge together very well too. And of course, you can't go wrong with black & white.

Check out the whole set - Glorious Greece.

#35 on Explore.

Santorini, Greece
2009

Arjun Purkayastha • travel & fine art photography •

Sunrise in sepia

nobody@flickr.com (... Arjun) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 01:40:09 -0700

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View On Black.

Holland Road, Singapore
2009

| Arjun Purkayastha • travel & fine art photography • | Facebook page |

Today morning

nobody@flickr.com (... Arjun) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:46:31 -0700

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View On Black.

Holland Road, Singapore
2009

| Arjun Purkayastha • travel & fine art photography • | Facebook page |

Earth Hour 2009 - Save Tomorrow

nobody@flickr.com (... Arjun) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 06:25:03 -0700

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View On Black.

Keong Saik Road, Singapore
2009

| Arjun Purkayastha • travel & fine art photography • | Facebook page |

Earth Hour 2009 - Shine A Light

nobody@flickr.com (... Arjun) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 09:49:15 -0700

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View On Black.

#303 on Explore.

Keong Saik Road, Singapore
2009

| Arjun Purkayastha • travel & fine art photography • | Facebook page |

Offering in bokeh

nobody@flickr.com (... Arjun) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 06:35:22 -0800

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Laos is the most laid back country I have been to. You cannot take it at your pace. You have to go with the flow - meander around the town on foot, take a boat down the Mekong, get up early in the morning to watch the monks receive alms. This is as close to the romantic Indochina you can get.

The entire city of Luang Prabhang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site - "It is an outstanding example of the fusion of traditional architecture and Lao urban structures with those built by the European colonial authorities in the 19th and 20th centuries. Its unique, remarkably well-preserved townscape illustrates a key stage in the blending of these two distinct cultural traditions."

Phu Si is the vantage point to see all of Luang Prabhang. There are several temples on the way up and down and a 24m high That Chomsi which is visible from most points in the city. The stupa is the starting point for the colourful Lao New Year procession mid-April.

Along the way, you will find offering like this strewn about. They are there one moment and disappear soon after. Here is another one.

#248 on Explore.

Luang Prabhang, Laos
2009

Arjun Purkayastha · travel & fine art photography ·

All doors are not made straight

nobody@flickr.com (... Arjun) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 05:24:32 -0800

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Cairo, Egypt
2009

Arjun Purkayastha • travel & fine art photography •

Waiting for deliverance

nobody@flickr.com (... Arjun) — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 07:03:42 -0800

... Arjun posted a photo:

Laos is the most laid back country I have been to. You cannot take it at your pace. You have to go with the flow - meander around the town on foot, take a boat down the Mekong, get up early in the morning to watch the monks receive alms. This is as close to the romantic Indochina you can get.

The entire city of Luang Prabhang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site - "It is an outstanding example of the fusion of traditional architecture and Lao urban structures with those built by the European colonial authorities in the 19th and 20th centuries. Its unique, remarkably well-preserved townscape illustrates a key stage in the blending of these two distinct cultural traditions."

The monks are the fabric that weaves the entire city together. Every Lao Buddhist male is expected to be a monk for a period of time in his life. This can range anywhere from as little as a week to a lifetime commitment.

One of the best travel experiences I would recommend is to rise early in the morning before sunrise and take your spot to watch the procession of all (hundreds) of monks go around the city receiving alms which form their meals for the day. It is an experience you will never forget. I did it twice!

#456 on Explore.

Luang Prabang, Laos
2009

Arjun Purkayastha · travel & fine art photography ·

The alms receiving ceremony of Luang Prabang

nobody@flickr.com (... Arjun) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 06:15:48 -0800

... Arjun posted a photo:

Laos is the most laid back country I have been to. You cannot take it at your pace. You have to go with the flow - meander around the town on foot, take a boat down the Mekong, get up early in the morning to watch the monks receive alms. This is as close to the romantic Indochina you can get.

The entire city of Luang Prabhang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site - "It is an outstanding example of the fusion of traditional architecture and Lao urban structures with those built by the European colonial authorities in the 19th and 20th centuries. Its unique, remarkably well-preserved townscape illustrates a key stage in the blending of these two distinct cultural traditions."

The monks are the fabric that weaves the entire city together. Every Lao Buddhist male is expected to be a monk for a period of time in his life. This can range anywhere from as little as a week to a lifetime commitment.

One of the best travel experiences I would recommend is to rise early in the morning before sunrise and take your spot to watch the procession of all (hundreds) of monks go around the city receiving alms which form their meals for the day. It is an experience you will never forget. I did it twice!

#159 on Explore.

Luang Prabang, Laos
2009

Arjun Purkayastha · travel & fine art photography ·

Listen to the grass grow

nobody@flickr.com (... Arjun) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:15:55 -0800

... Arjun posted a photo:

Laos is the most laid back country I have been to. You cannot take it at your pace. You have to go with the flow - meander around the town on foot, take a boat down the Mekong, get up early in the morning to watch the monks receive alms. This is as close to the romantic Indochina you can get.

The entire city of Luang Prabhang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site - "It is an outstanding example of the fusion of traditional architecture and Lao urban structures with those built by the European colonial authorities in the 19th and 20th centuries. Its unique, remarkably well-preserved townscape illustrates a key stage in the blending of these two distinct cultural traditions."

The monks are the fabric that weaves the entire city together. Every Lao Buddhist male is expected to be a monk for a period of time in his life. This can range anywhere from as little as a week to a lifetime commitment. Of course, they make fascinating portrait subjects too.

#55 on Explore.

Luang Prabang, Laos
2009

Arjun Purkayastha · travel & fine art photography ·

Incomplete, but surrounded

nobody@flickr.com (... Arjun) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 07:38:47 -0800

... Arjun posted a photo:

Go ahead, tag a peg with a note to make it yours ...

Part of the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Chinatown.

Singapore's Chinatown is the traditional Chinese quarters of town. The area between Pagoda Street and Smith Street has been tarted up considerably for tourists, but workaday Chinatown continues south and east, merging seamlessly into the Central Business District. Unlike most of predominantly Hokkien Singapore, the dominant Chinese dialect in Chinatown is Cantonese.

This image is from a test shoot with the new Canon EOS 5D Mark II. There is so much more to say about this phenomenal camera but I am going to let the shooting do the talking as I start to use it :-)

More test shots
| Cluttered detail in low light | Tightly cropped | Wide angle with detail | Reds in low light | DoF + High ISO | Sharpness | Bokeh + High ISO | High ISO, low light | Wide angle + colour | Macro |

Chinatown, Singapore
2008

| Arjun Purkayastha • travel & fine art photography • | Facebook page |

Red

nobody@flickr.com (... Arjun) — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 03:12:16 -0800

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The back door of the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Chinatown.

Singapore's Chinatown is the traditional Chinese quarters of town. The area between Pagoda Street and Smith Street has been tarted up considerably for tourists, but workaday Chinatown continues south and east, merging seamlessly into the Central Business District. Unlike most of predominantly Hokkien Singapore, the dominant Chinese dialect in Chinatown is Cantonese.

This image is from a test shoot with the new Canon EOS 5D Mark II. There is so much more to say about this phenomenal camera but I am going to let the shooting do the talking as I start to use it :-)

More test shots
| Cluttered detail in low light | Tightly cropped | Wide angle with detail | Reds in low light | DoF + High ISO | Sharpness | Bokeh + High ISO | High ISO, low light | Wide angle + colour | Macro |

#78 on Explore.

Chinatown, Singapore
2008

| Arjun Purkayastha • travel & fine art photography • | Facebook page |

Colours from the night market

nobody@flickr.com (... Arjun) — Sun, 10 May 2009 06:13:30 -0700

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