Frame 1
Caption: Cozying
up
Storyline: Not many
people venture out to Shivaji Park sea beach on a sunlit morning at 11 am. Even
the lazy stray dogs have gone to sleep. With distant view of Mumbai sea-link
and the solitude at the place is ideal for the couple of young ones to come
closer and share their thoughts.
Frame 2
Caption: That One
Will Suit You
Storyline: Not very far
from the seashore, at Shivaji Park Maidan, the Durga Puja Pandal and saree
stall in the evening are sure shot attractions for the visitors. The hubby
seems to have his choice made up even before the better half skims through a
huge stock of sarees as is customary!
Frame 3
Caption: The First
Few Alphabets
Storyline: A few
months after the Durga Puja, Saraswati - the Goddess of learning, once again makes
her journey to the earth. In School celebrating Saraswati puja, it is most
auspicious occasion for a child to begin the journey to literacy. The child is
excited, the Panditji is enthusiastic and mother is proud.
Frame 4
Caption: Threshing
Is No Easy Job
Storyline: With the
advent of Spring, the weather getting hotter, the tourists head for hills of
lower Himalayas. Urgam (6,000’) is a tiny village in Garhwal, Uttarakhand,
consisting of a few hundred villagers whose occupation is mainly agriculture.
The woman is on with her job of threshing wheat grass to remove the grains,
watched on by the senior member of the household.
Frame 5
Caption: The Agony
Storyline: On the
hill slopes at Birthi, Kumaon, Uttarakhand, the women work side by side along
with their men folk, in shoveling the mountain loads of hay. The woman is in
agony with shoulder pain and the hubby looks on with concern.
Frame 6
Caption: Melee at
Gaurikund
Storyline: In early
summer with snow melting in Garhwal hills, the high altitude Himalayan shrine
of Kedarnath reopening, the pilgrims throng the narrow street at Gaurikund in
early morning, to begin their journey. The jostling and bickering of pilgrims
with pony-wallas, pittoos (porters) and palki-wallas and high decibels is quite
annoying for trekkers who are impatient and want to move out of human jam to
reach the trek path.
Frame 7
Caption: A Welcome
Breather
Storyline: The 14 km
Kedarnath trek is an arduous one and time taking, climbing nearly 6,000’on a
constant gradient. One takes numerous breaks to get his breath back and then
resume. The trekking father and daughter duo take a short break and make use of
the time to watch couple of young local guys frolicking on snow mass on a
distant hill slope.
Frame 8
Caption: Father In
Son’s Footsteps
Storyline: The
Kedarnath is base for trek to Gandhi Sarovar at the snout of Chorabari glacier
which is on foothill of Kedar Massif Himalayan peaks. The early summer snowfall
in 2007 made the Sarovar area risky to approach, with possibility of sinking
into the lake while walking around it over the snow mass. The young man goes
nonchalantly ahead on his mission with a concerned father following and keeping
vigilance.
Frame 9
Caption: Moon-struck
in morning
Storyline:In early
summer, getting rid of accumulated snow through melting, the Trans-Himalayan
region of Ladakh opens up to tourists. With the appearance of the deep blue sky
on a sun lit morning, the moon does not go out of vision so easily. The
swaying willow trees seem to make their intentions clear of reaching for the
moon.
Frame 10
Caption: In Search
Of Himalayan Crow
Storyline: There is
nothing fancy about the Himalayan crow and hence nothing to crow about. Yellow
beak differentiates it from the rest of the species we see every day. This not
so rare bird is found in high altitudes of Himalayas. A few years back in May
2006, returning from Gaumukh, my friend spotted it hopping very close to us. I
merely had a glance at it. Tired after twenty km of trek that day, I did not
feel like lifting my camera! Subsequently I spotted it at Badrinath, and before
I could point my camera, it was gone. The quest continued till I finally caught
up with it at Rangdum, Ladakh in summer of 2012.
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