I thought my ability to fall asleep standing in a crowded train is something but this guy is right in the middle of New Delhi’s spice market. This is pure skill.

This was taken in India, at the top of a mosque in New Delhi. I’m amazed there are buildings all the way to the horizon, as far as the eye can see.

From my India trip earlier this year.

India is on track to 1.159 billion mobile subscribers by 2013, exceeding China’s. The growth rate will see employment for 10 million people in the industry by 2012 and is expected to reach a size of US$78.3 billion in the same period.

Here is one man on the phone.

Let me just start by saying that a 9-day trip to New Delhi, Agra and Jaipur isn’t for everyone.  But I think everyone who is remotely interested in traveling would find the experience of India to be totally worth it.

In every sense of the word, India overwhelms.

The sights, sounds and smells are just a lot to take in. Sometimes in a good way, sometimes not-so-good, especially the smells.  It is nothing short of a sensory overload. The sights for example, covers the entire spectrum of visual stimuli from gritty to breathtaking.  You’ve seen the Taj Mahal in postcards, photographs and travel shows but there’s nothing quite like standing there too see how the rays of the setting sun changes the color of the white marble and red sandstone every minute.  But as soon as you take that in, you walk out and you’ll see the sidewalks lined with the homeless poor sleeping in blankets.

India is a country that has gone through centuries of rich and vibrant history, from years of war and conflict to peace and prosperity. The ancient architecture is simply spectacular.  Whether they are constructed from the extravagance of a maharajah or raised in remembrance of hero, every tomb, fort and palace tells a different story in her historic past.  This is what I find the most memorable about the trip.

I quote Keith Bellows, Editor-in-chief of National Geographic Society:

There are some parts of the world that, once visited, get into your heart and won’t go. For me, India is such a place. When I first visited, I was stunned by the richness of the land, by its lush beauty and exotic architecture, by its ability to overload the senses with the pure, concentrated intensity of its colors, smells, tastes, and sounds. It was as if all my life I had been seeing the world in black and white and, when brought face-to-face with India, experienced everything re-rendered in brilliant technicolor.

In this gallery, I picked out some pictures I took which will hopefully try to show the beauty and color of this land. The complete set of pictures is here on my flickr page.

Enjoy.

Hello.

It’s been almost 17 days since I last posted.  My apologies, I was in India and though I’ve been back for a week, I’m still going through the 2000 pictures I took over there and needless to say, that’s taking slightly longer than I had expected.

Also, you might have noticed that the 365 project has taken a halt. I’m slightly bothered that so many of my pics were taken with iPhone. It’s almost too easy. And I need  to work out the logistics of posting a pic while I’m away, especially when I don’t travel with my laptop. If you have any suggestions, please let me know in the comments. I’ll have to think about this endeavor for a bit more and will be back. I definitely want to finish 365 this year.

In the meantime, here’s a pic taken from Fatehpur Sikri from my India trip. Next post will be about the trip proper.