AvalokArticulations

Recently,  The Times Of India folks and IndiBlogger team conducted a meet in Bangalore to discuss issues affecting women. The initiative was to highlight the city’s duty towards its female citizens. The participants were requested to take up these issues and spread awareness through their blogs. This is my 2 rupees worth for the cause:

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You might be one of those who, while photographing monuments or scenery, get frustrated about people getting into the frame and spoiling that perfect shot. In fact it is almost impossible to get a clear shot at popular tourist spots. So does one give up in despair and shove the camera in the bag? I for one make it a point to include people in my shots. There are several reasons for this. Taking snaps of monuments and places devoid of people actually makes your photographs dull and lifeless. But when you include people in your composition it adds a sense drama and dynamism to the scene. Including people strategically in the composition can turn your picture into a narrative. Another case for including people in your photographs is to create a sense of atmosphere and mood of the place. Including people in your snaps also helps in conveying the scale and proportion of the monuments and architectural elements in your photographs. Sometime it is

Mahatma Gandhi spoke thus at the Belgaum session of the Indian National Congress in 1924: “It has not been possible for me to practise all the precepts of Basaveswara which he taught 800 years ago and which he also practiced… Eradication of untouchability and dignity of labour were among his core precepts. One does not find even shades of casteism in him. Had he lived during our times, he would have been a saint worthy of worship." Before India's independence, Basavakalyan was called Kalyani. After independence and division of states on linguistic basis in 1956, Kalyani was renamed as BasavaKalyana in memory of Vishwaguru Basavanna. Basavakalyana was ruled by Western Chalukyas, Kalachuris, Yadavas of Devagiri, Bijapur Sultanate, Bahamani Sultanate (Bidar, Gulbarga), Mughals, Hyderabad Nizams. Vishwaguru Basavanna was a great revolutionary who established spiritual democracy called "Anubhava Mantapa" in 12th Century in India(Anubhava Mantapa - which

Text content from an article in Hindu titled ` Emperor of Temples ' crying for attention' The 12th Century Mahadeva Temple at Itagi in Koppal District with splendid sculptures is said to be one of the finest examples in the country in respect of magnificence and decorative details. ( ASI is working hard to restore the temple ) Though the temple is of historical and architectural importance, the authorities have failed in showcasing it to attract tourists. Even the district administrations of Bellary and Koppal have not bothered to expose its importance. ( En route from Koppal - you d rive past some wall-paperish landscape ) Not many know about the temple though it is in the vicinity of Hampi, the capital city of Vijayanagar Empire and now preserved as a world heritage site. The Mahadeva Temple, which has a history that is older than Hampi, is at Itagi, 22 km. from Yelburga town and 15 km. from Koppal town. The main templ

Sixty-five years after Independence, millions of Indian children are yet to be freed from the bondage of malnutrition, child labour, lack of education and child abuse. Their wait to enjoy their childhood and realize their full potential seems to be getting longer with every passing anniversary of our Independence. Almost every second child in India faces some level of malnourishment. Almost 40 per cent of Indian children are underweight, and 45 per cent are stunted due to malnourishment, according to the National Family Health Survey-3. The survey also reported that six out of every 10 children from the poorest households are stunted, and almost as many are underweight. According to the figures filed by BBA in its PIL, over 1.7 lakh children had gone missing between January 2008 and January 2010. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, one child goes missing in India every eight minutes. Forty per cent of these children will never be found and will end up as mere sta

India is perhaps the most colorful country in the world and certainly is a photographer's delight. Just walk down a busy street or a market and shoot and you will end up with a bunch of incredibly colorful snaps. Not only India is diverse in terms of natural bounty as well as topography, Indians themselves are diverse in their facial characteristics, physical attributes etc. And their dress sense invariably veers towards extreme and vivid colors. I was on my way out of Raichur when I rode into a village where a Jatre was going on.  Jatre - a word with its root in the Sanskrit word 'Yatra' - is typically held annually in many villages in Karnataka to worship their local deities. But a jatre is more a cultural festival than a religious event. It is the time when farmers forget their problems and spend time happily with their family and friends. In fact, many of them go on a shopping spree. Besides essential commodities, they purchase clothes for the whole y