This trip is what changed my outlook towards life. It was my sister's idea to travel as voluntary teachers in Ladakh. We had the opportunity to visit a number of different schools and regions where we worked with children, conversed with monks and also painted a few walls. Because I am a children's book illustrator with numerous books published - The Avalokitesvara Trust invited both of us to work there. My sister works in the field of education and ecology at grass root level, so we decided to turn this into a longer voluntary trip which would really allow us to understand the region, its people and their day-to-day struggles. There is something about the atmosphere and locals that makes you connect to them at once. There pervades a type of slowness in their day to day life, which disperses a feeling of calm and peace. The locals radiate happy vibes and their constant dealings with the forces of nature, both beautiful and brutal has resulted in them in being united and trusting of each other. We saw some breath taking views, snow covered mountains, calm and clear lakes. This journey was about giving and consequently about getting some of the best things that life could bring my way.
CHENNAI - DOCUMENTED THROUGH DIVINE SPACES
After looking at Chennai through coloured glasses for sometime, I have come to realize that the city has a lot to offer. From lungi-clad men on two-wheelers, to women draped in colourful sari's making a kolam on their porch. Families who breakfast on idli-dosa and lunch on curd rice. The population converses in Tamil - one of the oldest languages in India, which also has rich vernacular literature. The local children are almost always trained in Kathak - a traditional dance form, or in classical form of singing. A traditional lifestyle is enjoyed by most families which are joint - or living together. They have a huge contribution to the IT industry which is growing rapidly in Chennai, along with the fields of medicine and science as well. This album documents the temples which the city is obsessively proud of. I've captured patterns, rich colors, subdued carvings, ornamental roof's and anything else that caught my eye.