Even though India is getting rapidly modernized, there are still certain sections of my country untouched by development.
Here is where the rustic beauty of the timeless land can be seen in it’s pristine condition. The beauty is not only in it’s landscapes, but also in the people who inhabit them.
Life as it would have been, before a hundred years ago, is still carried out in these places.
The entire village is up at the first cock’s cry and sets about their daily routine.There is a sense of deja vu as you watch them trudge for water at the well, which by the way also acts as a meeting place to discuss local gossip. Washing clothes and letting them dry in nearby fields is an interesting activity that gels well with the overall mood.
Womenfolk also tend to the fields along with men, feed the cattle and are out in the village market, often haggling for better prices with the shopkeepers.
Men and kids are bonding over hay stacks, husking paddy, often using their cattle. The sweet smell of hay, the rustle of feet, and sheer joy of kids trying to control the cattle proves that there is life beyond “WhatsApp and Wifi”.
About Padmanabhan Rangarajan
I am from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, but have spent the better part of my life in Mumbai. As a Chartered Accountant, with a Banking background in IT field, I can safely say I have straddled diverse spheres, but found solace through the lens. Into active photography for the past 4 years, and it has helped me travel India and meet many people.
For me, photography is more about “seeing” people, than about capturing them in my camera. I would always make it a point to portray them in their natural settings, so that it gives a perspective of who they are, and how they live. To do that, a certain amount of empathy is needed, for unless we connect to them at a psychological level, it would not be possible to get their stories out.
I would like to call myself as someone who wants to capture India in all her rustic beauty. You could say that I am a “Nationalistic” photographer!!
India is serendipity personified. One cannot anticipate what scene is going to greet them around the corner. There is so much chaos, so many surprises. I would like to bring order to that chaos through my pictures.
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Copyrights:
All the pictures in this post are copyrighted to Padmanabhan Rangarajan. Their reproduction, even in part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.
