Browsed by
Category: Cultural

Photographing a festival in the mountains of Georgia

Photographing a festival in the mountains of Georgia

The Svaneti area tucked in the northern part of Georgia had always fascinated me- great history, gorgeous Caucasus mountains, and a strong sense of identity. I arrived in Mestia, Svaneti’s capital, with the intention of hiking, horse back riding and getting to know the locals. I got lucky when I heard about a local festival high up in a local church near Latali. The locals from the Latali village climb to the Mkheri mountain every summer to celebrate and feast…

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The colourful lotus lantern festival in Seoul

The colourful lotus lantern festival in Seoul

I am always on the lookout for interesting festivals during my travels, and luckily my trip to Seoul coincided with the lotus lantern festival. Commemorating the birth of Buddha, it is one of Seoul’s landmark festivals, and perhaps the most colourful one too. Thousands of people take to the streets to participate in the festival.  The main attraction of the event is a 2 hour parade starting from Dongdemun gate and culminating at Jogyesa temple. I planned to be there…

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Photographing Easter Celebrations in Guatemala

Photographing Easter Celebrations in Guatemala

World’s largest Easter celebrations in a quaint colonial city – isn’t that hard to resist? The Spanish missionary bought the Easter celebrations to Guatemala in the 16th century, and Antigua continues to carry forward the Andalusian tradition of celebrating the resurrection of Christ in style. Easter in Guatemala attracts a lot of visitors annually to Antigua as well as other parts of this beautiful country. Semana Santa, the Easter week I timed my visit to Guatemala during the Easter week,…

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Sounds from New Orleans

Sounds from New Orleans

The more Jazz grew on me during the last few years, the more I desired to visit New Orleans. Eventually, my love for jazz bought me to New Orleans for a week during Thanksgiving, 2015. Traditional jazz is said to have found its roots in New Orleans. However, today, New Orleans is a haven for various styles of music, ranging from blues to dixieland; from bluegrass to reggae; from funk to soul. My musical encounters took place on the streets of French quarter…

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A pleasant Balinese village of White Herons

A pleasant Balinese village of White Herons

About 20 kms odd from the wellness hub of Ubud in Bali lies the small village of Petulu. Ubud makes a great base for exploring the beautiful countryside set in the central foothills of Bali – the ever smiling people, the relaxed lifestyle, the spirituality which lingers in most parts of Bali. I hired a scooter from Ubud to escape from the scores of people who arrive in Ubud and never seem to leave. That is when I chanced upon…

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