There is always the one you think of all day...

...One you want to know more about. What is life like? How hard are the days? When did you eat well last? Is it enough for a living? What are your happy memories? How do you hold it together?

Today it was the Spice Woman. I saw her as I came across the corner at Chandni Chowk.

In her red shawl, with her neat bags of spices, two measures in each bag; at first she was amused to see me take a picture of her. Soon however, the paying customers deserved more attention (yes, we did buy the large measure of cloves at the end). As you can tell I spent some time with her (attracting a curious crowd) but could have gone on for much longer.

Unfortunately she refused to look up for the last shot. She had had enough.

Jai Bajrang Bali

Lord Hanuman, also known as Bajrang Bali, is known for his undying devotion to Lord Rama (an incarnation of God Vishnu and of the Hare Rama Hare Krishna fame). Every tuesday thousands of Indians (everything here is done by thousands of Indians) go to the temple to worship him. It is a short visit, but one that keeps people grounded in the religion with little investment. There are many such opportunities and people choose the ones that most appeal to them.


As is customary, the devotees purchase small offerrings to serve at the alter before they come to the temple. A portion of these are then returned to the worshippers so that they may share and eat them alike as they have been blessed. Since most of these offerings are sweet, enter the children. One always receives them in a cupped right hand, with the left hand respectfully held under it.

Of course, the photographer was distracting!

India's GDP to grow 7.1% in this recession

It is a quixotic nation. Rich among the poor with plenty in the midst of famine. The tiniest of shopkeepers has a mobile phone, but an automatic key duplicating machine? Whoever heard of that.












I found this gentleman, dressed in spotless white, the embroidered shawl around his neck, duplicating keys the old fashioned way. A pair of calipers in hand, he measured the original, marked it on his blank and then filed away. His vice, his tools and his enormous collection of blanks he carried around in his portble toolbox. All the while I was there he did not take his eyes off his work even once.













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