Shades of Life

Majority of us are lucky to be born with possibly everything we could ask for but we are seldom grateful about the blessing bestowed upon us. On the other hand, there exists a lot of  people who find it difficult to meet both ends daily. I wonder how many of us take a moment of our 'busy' lives to think how these less fortunate fellow beings make it through a day, let alone lending them a helping hand. 

I was clicking the cooking corn while my friend was buying a corn from this woman. A seemingly drunken man sitting little away from her insisted that I click "ma's" picture. He appeared too old to be her son though! The moment I had the camera at her, she pulled the loose end of the sari over her head and gave me this look - narrating a story of distress at old age. 

A shot from Guwahati, Assam.

A velichappadu is considered to be the mediator between deities and devotees. He performs what is known as the velichappadu nirtham on special occasions. This photograph was captured on the occasion of Ayyapan Vilaku associated with the Sabarimala pilgrimage. 

I happened to see this old woman outside a school gate and observed her for a while. Here, she is not begging for alms but doing her trade with school children. She's such an inspiration, trying to earn a living even at this age, against all the odds. Her determination and willpower held me to the scene. Those hands coming out through gaps in the school gate seemed quite intriguing as well. The scene spoke a lot about old age, poverty, freedoms and the lack of it.
A photograph from the IT hub of Hyderabad.

A spice vendor from Old city, Hyderabad.
He did not speak anything but just nodded to my request for a photo. I could hardly notice any change in his static expression even when i showed him the photograph. 

Lives that pass by; some of them spare that moment to take a look at you while the rest are all preoccupied. Here are two unknown actors from our daily life.

I caught this woman all alone in the distance, shooting from Kerala's second longest river Bharathapuzha. It looked odd as she stood there in the same posture for a long long time, occasionally making gestures to someone invisible.

Green green guavas.
The guavas and the seller all in green attracted me to take this shot at Old city, Hyderabad

Autowala
We rarely remember the faces of cab drivers who gave us a ride. This one is for them. 

A woodcutter trying hard to remove trees that fell across a road due to strong winds. A photograph from the high ranges of Kerala.

The toddy collector.
Toddy is the drawn sap of coconut trees or toddy palms used as a local substitute for alcohol.  The photograph shows a toddy collector who collects the sap and delivers it to toddy shops. 

An old man walking past and glancing at the rising structures of  DLF Cyber City, Hyderabad.
It could be another story of India's ever growing corporate culture taking away the simple and peaceful life of the less fortunate citizens in this country.

Yet another example of hard work and determination to earn ones living at old age.  She was selling cucumbers and mangoes at Auro beach, Pondicherry, walking tirelessly, two and fro, refusing to give up even in that midday heat. The huge nose rings and earrings would probably narrate a different story about her past.