Great mosque [Jama Masjid Numa] exterior
Muslims attending the Friday afternoon weekly service, as well as worshipers at other times, congregate in the courtyard in front of this mid-16th structure. In its grandeur, it reflects the wealth and might of the Moghul Empire, which ruled over most of north India for over two centuries.
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Delhi served as the capital of Moghul-rule India This major Muslim empire was established in northern India early in the 16th century, conquering existing Sultans and other rulers [including the rulers of Delhi]. The minaret of the Jama Masjid Numa, as the mosque is called, dominates the old city. [Jama Masjid Numa means "the mosque commanding a view of the world", and the name Jama Masjid is a reference to the weekly congregation observed on Friday' . Up to 25,000 worshipers can be accommodated within its courtyard.
Without a significant education, citizens of India face problems of unemployment. "Brain Waves Academy" builds on this thirst for learning -- although the quality of its educational services would raise eyebrows in more conventional settings.
Ganesh is widely revered as the Remover of Obstacles and more generally as Lord of Beginnings and Lord of Obstacles (Vighnesha, Vighneshvara), patron of arts and sciences, and the deva of intellect and wisdom. He is one of the most popular and obvious of the Hindu deities.
Hrithik Roshan was probably the most popular male Bollywood star during the 1990s and into the early 21st century. his presence in a film was practically guaranteed to make it a box office success.
Entrepreneurs train both camels and elephants to carry tourists, persons for special celebrations such as wedding, and on similar occasions.
Southern India has a sub-tropical climate, meaning that fruits like these displayed in the Varanasi [Benares] marketplace are not imported from other countries, saving significant foreign exchange.
Several of these pictures have depicted the vivid life along the Grand Trunk Road. The back camel herder tries [like his counterpart at the front] to keep these notoriously self-willed animals in reasonable order and out of the traffic.
Connecting many of the major cities of North India [for example, Varanasi, Allahabad, Kanpur, Agra, and Delhi], the Grand Trunk Road carries some quite unexpected traffic -- including this flock of ducks, being tended with difficulty as traffic thundered by.
All forms of transportation can be seen on the Grand Trunk Road. These camels (photographed very late in the afternoon) probably had come from very dry parts of India, such as Rajasthan.
As noted in other pictures in this collection, rates of schooling increased in India in recent decades. Its quality differs significantly, however, with rural public schools like the one shown here enjoying many fewer amenities than private or urban schools.
Brick is far and away the most important building material in India, given the ease with which bricks can be made and the lack of wood. Brick-making (like other occupations) is the traditional job of a restricted part of society, ranking near the bottom.
India crushes its sugarcane in numerous mills, then processes it, using the pressed stalks for fuel [hence the dense smoke].
Oxen play a central role in rural India: in plowing, transporting, nourishing (through milk and ghee [clarified butter]) and scavenging. This oxcart had been transporting sugarcane from field to factory.
Primary schooling has expanded rapidly in India, partly as a result of economic growth. More than eighty percent of the eligible age group attended in 2006. However, this still meant that 21 million children did not go to school -- perhaps contributing their labor, as were these boys in north India.
Preparing sugarcane for processing, Grand Trunk Road
After cutting, sugarcane is transported by oxcart to areas outside the major processing plants. These stalks will not be pressed until another day since [as the darkness shows] night is descending.
India produced an estimated 322.94 million tons of sugarcane in 2006/07. Most was consumed within the country, but with increased irrigation, wider use of fertilizers, and other steps, yields have grown significantly. The economic benefits from this production have been unevenly distributed, however.
Although India remains significantly rural (60% of the labor force was in agriculture in 2003, compared with 28% in industry), the flow of people to urban areas has accelerated rapidly. More jobs are said to be available. However, those newly arrived often lack the resources for "permanent" housing, and/or suffer from being in the Scheduled Castes. These people are likely Dalit.
Significant stratification of Indian society persists, despite major government initiatives and laws. The persons affected most negatively are the Dalits -- the "broken people," once known as "Untouchables." Traditional Hindu beliefs consign them to the most contaminating jobs, such as cleaning latrines, tanning or sweeping. Under the caste system, at least traditionally, jobs were hereditary, while choice of marriage partner was limited to one's own caste.
The Grand Trunk Road stretches more than 2,500 kilometres (1,600 miles) across northern India, from Bangladesh to Pakistan and beyond. It has been the subject of many essays. The current reality, however, is one of high traffic density, mixing heavy trucks, speeding passenger cars, overcrowded buses, mopeds, and the ever-present oxcarts and pedestrians on the shoulders.
This Sikh truck driver takes great pride in his work, not only because he is responsible for his vehicle and the safety of its contents, but also because of the elaborate decorations which cost a good deal of money. Many of the symbols are intended to ward off evil; others take up patriotic themes or depict national monuments. On the open highway, captions on the back instruct other rivers to "Horn Please" and to "Use dipper at night" if they are going to pass.
Here is an excellent example of the extent to which owners and drivers will decorate their vehicles, perhaps in a belief this will bring them extra business and profits -- or simple to express pride in their major investment.
Indian truck drivers take great pride in their vehicles, decorating them with painted eyes, elaborate hood ornaments and signs intended to promote good luck and fortunate.
Most visitors look only at the well-known white marble mausoleum. In addition to it, however, the complex at Agra contains many other magnificent structures.
The Taj Mahal commemorates a dead queen. The main mausoleum is flanked by four high towers at its corners, and two others on the approach.
The school uniforms indicate clearly that these pupils attend a private school, meaning they have access to a wider choice of occupations than those schooled in state-supported institutions. For example, teaching is carried out in the regional/state language in the state schools, but English is introduced and used widely in the private system.
Built as a tomb for his beloved spouse, Mumtaz Mahal, this white marble structure practically bankrupted Mughal India. Emperor Shah Jahan had thousands of laborers work a dozen years on the mausoleum alone, finishing in 1643. Additional outbuilding took another decade. According to Wikipedia's entry, "The total cost of construction has been estimated to be about 32 million Rupees at that time which now runs into trillions of Dollars if converted to present currency rates."
Displayed largely for tourists, few elephants survive today in the forests of India. Most have been domesticated, serving to move logs, carry visitors, or similar duties.
Northwest India, where Jaipur is located, is marked by intense summer heat. The palace of the Maharajah shows extraordinary ingenuity in non-mechanical cooling: pools of water in the center of courtyards and rooms
carved marble jalousies such as those depicted, allowing passage of air but screening those on the inside from being seen
Built by a Muslim Rajah of Jaipur state [a former principality in India], this well-known palace was intended to allow each wife, consort or other important woman of the court an opportunity to watch public events without themselves being viewed. As can be seen, the building is largely a facade.
Hindu families almost invariably decorate their homes with statues of some their favorite gods and goddesses [if they can afford them]. This picture shows, among others, Ganesh [with the elephant head], and others.
Jewelry plays an important role in Indian society.
According to the inscription, "The Johari family welcomes you warmly." Weddings provide occasions for major celebration, often lasting for several days. A traditional concept of marriage involved extensive negotiations between families, with mates selected on the basis mutual interests, not necessarily affection.
This jewelry store had both recently opened and was offering special discount prices for diamonds -- with an obvious impact in customer appeal. It is common in India to invest part of a family's wealth in gold or gems, if these can be afforded.
Not only food is sold and displayed in the open air: so too is clothing. The bright colors of these salwar kameez and bolts of cloth make clothing stores one of the most interesting places to visit.
Modern and traditional on an Indian street
Note how the cow [revered in Hinduism] can wander freely along a road marked by signs of the early 21st century, including internet access and international currency exchange.
Much of India's retail commerce [especially in foodstuffs] occurs on the streets, not in supermarkets. Most selling is done by men, a contrast with several other parts of the world [for example, sub-Saharan Africa] where retail is monopolized by women.
India has been marked by significant contrasts in income. Here is an example of the Mughul period, when local princes [Rajas and Maharajas] ruled over their own principalities. Under the British, they maintained a quasi-independence, including the ability to tax. Only after independence were these ~565 such entities incorporated into India.
This picture shows UB Professor Jeannette Ludwig and others standing by the entrance to the University of Udaipur.
Private school students and motorized rickshaw
India has [broadly speaking] a two-class educational system. Some private schools and state-supported institutions of higher education [such as the Indian Institutes of Technology] achieve world standards. Students in such entities, at the primary and secondary levels, customarily wear uniform. By contrast, students in public schools have far less access to quality education, as the government has pursued an overall policy of educating the 'creamy layer' since Independence. [This, by the way, represents an interesting continuing with both colonial policy and basic Hindu social values.]
This man, apparently a fortune-teller, sold his wares (in this case, wisdom) by the side of the road.
These intricately carved jalousies merit attention because of both their inherent beauty and their efficiency. Breeze but not light can pass through, important in the hot summer months.
Overlooking a scenic lake on which the area Maharajah constructed his palace, this cliff-top palace is marked by distinctive architecture. Owing to the extreme heat of the Indian summer, special steps were taken by the Mughal architects to facilitate cooling, such as high ceilings, pools, jalousies, and windows placed to catch breezes.
The 1983 James Bond film "Octopussy" was shot in part at the palace on the island. For more information about the movie's background, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopussy
Taken from the Udaipur fort, this view of the lake shows it at a surprisingly low level. Udiapur, former capital city of a quasi-independent entity within British India, has become a significant tourist site in Rajasthan, northwest India.
This lovely palace in the middle of Pichola Lake was used in a noted James Bond film. Built by one of the Rajas of Rajasthan, it now serves as a luxury hotel.
As noted in another slide, the country's rail system carries millions of passengers and tons of freight daily. The busiest lines have been electrified and double-tracked.
Northern India, probably in Uttar Pradesh
This man probably spends 15 hours per day, waiting for persons to have their bags carried to waiting trains. Prices are negotiated. Since porters are almost invariably illiterate and drawn from lower segments of society [Dalits and the Scheduled Castes or Tribes], they barely scrape out a living.
Although an increasingly large amount of freight is being carried by trucks, the great majority travels by rail. Main routes are electrified, and the entire system has undergone extraordinary expansion and modernization since independence in 1947.
Given the incredible crowding of India's roads and its dense population [particularly in cities], public transportation must be supplemented by inexpensive taxis. In addition to pedal-driven rickshaws, motorized rickshaws ['pedicabs'] contribute to both traffic jams and air pollution. [The latter became so severe in New Delhi that these vehicles were required to switch to other less polluting sources.]
Bags of food being delivered, Old Delhi market
No trucks can penetrate the warrens of this marketplace. Deliveries are made instead on motorcycle, by bicycle, or by porters carrying heavy loads on their backs.
Preparing samosas, Old Delhi marketplace
Samosas are one of India's major dishes. Prepared from potatoes, peas, ghee [clarified butter] and spices, they are deep-fried and sold hot. This cook/entrepreneur caters to the crowds that come through the narrow alleys of the marketplace
Given the importance of vegetarianism for Hindu society, notably for upper level jatis [sub-divisions of the broad castes], many shops specialize in dried fruits and vegetables.
As is common throughout Northern India [the 'Cow Belt'], markets are dominated by men as proprietors and salespersons. Shops with the same specializations clump together: spices, fish, cloth, meat, hardware, even tires and batteries!
Small-scale charcoal maker, Old Delhi market
These men, it should be noted, have taken up a task usually carried out by women in developing countries: making baskets. Note as well in this, as in preceding pictures, the number of persons involved. India has a serious issue of underemployment, by the standards of industrialized economies. Labor-intensive rather than capital-intensive development thus offers [according to many] the most rapid, equitable way to spreading economic benefits.
One of the delicacies of Indian [and other!] cuisine is rice pudding. These cooks/vendors keep their shop open for long hours, to cater to the tens of thousands of persons who throng the marketplace daily.
It's easy to eat on the street in the marketplace -- although, for foreigners, the phenomenon of 'Delhi Belly' deters many.
Within the market of Old Delhi -- where all the shops are protected from the sun by being located along narrow, roofed alleys -- shops cluster. These proprietors are vending various spices.
Among the most fascinating, pleasantly aromatic places in Delhi [the capital of the one-time Moghul Empire] is the spice market. Narrow alleys are filled with merchants, all carrying essentially the same products. Their shops, as can be seen, are narrow, open almost all hours of day and night, usually staffed by family members and highly competitive.
Merchants of spices have congregated in a specific location in Delhi for centuries. The profusion of spices, their colors and their aromas make the old market one of the most interesting places to visit.
The splendor of this hotel [refurbished in the late 1990s in the imperial grandeur with which it was constructed in the mid-1930s] can be clearly seen in this picture. The contrast with bathroom facilities available to the Indian population as a whole could not be starker. As of 2007, significantly less than half the people had direct access to sanitary facilities, relying instead on dry toilets that were cleaned out by people of the lowest ranks of society, or on simply urinating or defecating outdoors.
Here is an extraordinary example of recycling: waste from the cattle that roam throughout India is carefully gathered, saved and used for cooking and heating.
These two major buildings [part of the the mosque in the foreground
the fort in the background] reflect the glory of Mughal India. This Muslim-controlled empire ruled over majority of the subcontinent until displaced by the British. The forecourt of the mosque provides space for the faithful during major religious festivities.
This huge sculpture originally stood under the canopy of 'India Gate.' [See another slide for this structure.] The India Gate itself was built in the early 1920s to honor Indian soldiers who died in imperial wars such as in Afghanistan and World War I. The designer was Sir Edward Lutyens, architect of New Delhi as a whole. Following India's independence, the statue was removed from its place of prominence at one end of the Rajpath. It now can be found in a desolate resting place for similar statues well outside the city, on the flood plain.
Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, main academic building
This University was established in Baroda [old title], one of India's pre-independence 560+ 'princely states.' The Maharaja established it in 1881, with an initial focus on science. It became a full-fledged university in 1949, two years after independence. UB and MSU have maintained an exchange program for many years.
Science lab at Maharaja Sayajirao University
These undergraduate students are working in a chemistry lab that to Americans looks like the 19th century. These conditions indicate contradictory tendencies: the press of India for quality post-secondary education, and the pressure of very limited resources despite recent economic growth.
In a rapidly growing city such as Delhi, open space is rare. To the outsider, it seems as though any available 'playground' in the dryer northern parts of the country cannot hold its grass cover, given the regular informal cricket or soccer matches that occur.
This large poster, inscribed in Hindi and English, seeks to insure that the samadhi, the highesst form of concentrated meditation. It is common to the three major religions developed in India: Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism.
This example of overblown Anglo-Indian design comes from Sir Edward Lutjens, who was charged with building a totally new city that would reflect the glory of the British Empire, and particularly of 'the jewel in the crown,' namely India. How paradoxical it is that within a dozen years from the formal inaugural of the new capital, India had changed from part of the Empire to a major independent country on its own.
This triumphal arch was constructed for the 1935 silver jubilee of King George V. Until independence, a huge statue of him stood in the center
it has now been moved to a remote site outside the city (see other slide showing it).
This immense statue once stood under the Gate of India in New Delhi. It now is located (together with dozens of other colonial-era sculptures) in a remote location about 30 kilometers from the city center.
Gate of India from parliamentary buildings
The building of New Delhi in the early 1930s provided the opportunity for architecture on an epic scale. This view was taken on a Monday morning, when there is [relatively] little smog in the air. By the end of the week, it is practically impossible to see from one end of this grand avenue to the other. This picture was taken from in front of the Parliament Building, toward the Arch of India. When originally constructed, a gigantic statue of King George V stood in the center of the Arch. It has now been relegated to a field outside New Delhi, along with many other momentos from the British imperial period.
In India, the roads are a cacophony of sounds. As can be seen by this picture, artists are employed to tell motorists to add to the noise when passing slower trucks.
These formed the heart of Gandhi's social philosophy, and have been picked up by numerous popularizers (e.g. Stephen Covey in Principle Centered Leadership). Gandhi refined these during his life, noting that they stood beyond the Hindu culture in which he was raised.
Gandhi's ashes were scattered in the Ganges River, according to Hindu custom. This memorial to him is by the banks of one of the Ganges' tributaries. The nun in the background probably belongs to the 'Dalit' [formerly 'Untouchable'] group. About one person in 40 in India is Christian.
Guest house, University of Baroda (Vadodara)
The unkempt facade of this building shows the difficult state of higher education finance in India. The country as a whole, and its individual states, confront two basic dilemmas: 1] mass primary , secondary and tertiary education vs. cultivation of the elite [India has chosen the former] and 2] the balance of expenditures among the three levels [India has given heaviest weight to secondary and tertiary]. In comparative terms, this presents an extraordinary contrast with China, with which India is often compared.
A great thirst for education exists in India, given its importance in providing upward mobility. This leads to extravagant claims for entrepreneurs, who claim to be able to solve an educational deficiency.
Unknown [Jeannette -- any recollection?)
Visiting faculty bedroom, University of Baroda (Vadodara)
All universities in India maintain guest quarters for visiting faculty and other guests. This shows 1) the restricted budget available to this institution and 2) the need for prevention against disease-carrying flying insects.
Like many other countries, the flag of India displays a symbol and colors significant to it. The saffron refers to cremation, the preferred means of disposing of human corpses among Hindus (more than 80% of the country's population). The 24-point chakra in the center is a symbol of the renown emperor Asoka, who unified much of the country in the 3rd century BCE and set out boundary markers with this symbol on them.
In settings where Western tourists or business people gather, European style toilets abound. In rural areas, however, people simply use the fields for their bodily functions. Squat toilets are used in public locations.
Gandhi strongly believed in the principle of self-reliance ('swadeshi'). He carried this out in part through hand-spinning each morning, before undertaking other activities. This picture shows the looms at which students at the Gandhi Institute work every day, as part of their training.
Outside major temples, merchants set up stands selling marigolds, the sacred color of Hinduism. Garlands of flowers are used to decorate the statues of deities within the temple and on family shrines.
Many consider the lotus the most beautiful flower -- yet its roots lie in the muck at the bottom of ponds. It symbolizes growth, decay and rebirth -- part of the endless cycle of being that characterizes Hindu belief.
Here is a second example of a Hindu roadside shrine, prepared for the convenience of both travelers and residents of the area.
Religious symbols and places of reverence are not confined to formal Hindu temples or homes. This impressive structure stands on a hilltop, visible from quite a distance in all directions.
Roadside shrines abound in India; the multiple deities of Hinduism mean that shrines can be (and are) placed in numerous locations.
Traffic adjacent to the highway is denser than on it, at least in this section of Bihar state. Given the relative poverty and rural nature of the area, much transport occurs by means of oxcarts. Cattle are central to India's economy, providing fuel, fertilizer, transport and food [ghee and milk for most, meat for some].
The poor condition of the roof and numerous people here suggest that this structure houses up to three separate families, all from lower reaches of Indian rural sociey.
The corrugated metal roof and well-built walls suggest that this family owns land [though not necessarily much].
This merchant of general household supplies crowds all his goods into a small space,readily controlled by him and/or oa member of his family. Literally hundreds of such hopss are stuffed into the market of old Delhi.
The alleys of the Old Delhi market -- like those elsewhere in India -- are lined with small shops of this sort. Family members usually staff the store for long hours. Competition is intense.
Street of rug merchants, Old Delhi market
Much like the aisles of major supermarkets, individual alleys in markets such as this are devoted to single products. Here one sees carpets of all sorts on sale, ranging from [relatively] good hand-made items to cheap machine-woven products.
Looking from the second floor level, it becomes obvious why handcarts dominate in the marketplace of old Delhi. Not only the cost of motorized transport, but also the sheer squeeze of people, products and the like, result in severe crowding.
Housing and business around largest mosque, Delhi
The crowded nature of 'old' Delhi [as contrasted with the capital city of New Delhi] becomes clearly apparent in this picture. Taken from the minaret of Jamaa Masjid, it shows commerce, industry and housing jammed together in this Muslim section of the city.
These women earn their living by collecting kindling and basket weaving material, then bringing these to central locations.
This woman belongs to one of the lowest groups in India society. As a Dalit, members of her 'jati' -- an occupational grouping -- traditionally clean streets and other public spaces.
It seems likely that many if not all of these children are not attending school -- or certain that they come from the lower strata of society.
Although this family is relatively well off, able to support their two daughters in private school, their apartment is clearly cramped -- and the kitchen not designed for cooking at a comfortable height.
Vododara (formerly Baroda), Gujarat State, India
Parents who support their children in private schools not only purchase what they consider a higher quality education, but must also provide uniforms, as shown on these two girls. Private schools provide instruction in English, while indigenous languages are used in the state-supported schools.
Vadodara (formerly Baroda), Gujarat State, India