Photography » Travel Photography Blog on Yoga, Meditation and Hinduism

Feb 182012

Java’s Buddhist Sanctuaries

More photos from our morning of visiting Borobudur. Since we were staying Yogyakarta we had to be up at 3:30am to drive away at 4am to get to Borobudur. An early start indeeed but oh so worth it to watch the sun rise over this magnificent edifice. Truly memorable and a must for those that visit Central Java, Indonesia. Hope you enjoy the photos.

Borobudur in the morning

The temple looks over lush forests and hills in most directions.

Each of the small stupas have a statue of Buddha within them. Terrorist attacks on the temple destroyed some of the stupas revealing a few of the Buddhas within.

It truly is worth getting up at 3:30am to make your way out to Borobudur to watch the sunrise!

Carvings on the lower walls.

Mendut is a small Buddhist temple not too far from Borodudur which was built around the same time.

The sanctum contains a 3m (9.84ft) tall Buddha statue which is very stunning.

A beautiful white lily in a Buddhist monastery opposite the Mendut temple.

Feb 162012

Magical Borobudur – a temple of beauty

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The alarm went off about 3:30am and shortly after we made our way down to the lobby from our room where our driver was waiting to take us to Borobudur. The streets were empty naturally at that time of the morning and our almost hour long drive finally brought us to the entrance to Borobudur. I’ve always wanted to see this Buddhist masterpiece of a temple and now I’m finally here in Central Java, pre-dawn and about to walk into the complex to watch the sun rise over one of the great wonders of the world for sure.

We were given flash lights and we made our way in the dark to the temple which was not lit up so I did not really understand the size of it till later in the morning. We climbed a tall stairway to the very top of the temple and then patiently waited as light started to fill the sky. What followed was a magical experience that is impossible to even describe as the light revealed not only this spectacular temple that we were standing on but the surrounding countryside enveloped in mist and greenery.

Here are a few photos that I took that I hope will help to convey a little of what we experienced this morning. I’ll share more photos in the coming days.

A Buddhist pilgrim walks in front of my time delayed exposure leaving a ghostly trail with her flash light.

Feb 162012

Indonesian Herbal Tonic

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So we started our morning by consuming various Indonesian herbal tonics called Jamu. We were told by the herbal tonic specialist that they have various healing qualities. She showed us all the bottles that she had prepared containing various tonics and explained what they did. So I picked three and they came in shooter glasses. A couple tasted good and the other is one of those things that gets your face to take a look it never has before. Bottoms up!

Feb 162012

Volcano sunset in Central Java

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Last volcano sunset in Central Java before we headed to Yogjakarta. Mount Sindoro and Sumbing lay next to each other. Both volcanos though I am not sure if they are dormant or extinct. Indonesia.

Feb 152012

Rice Fields in Central Java

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Making my way down a hill I discovered this beautiful terraced rice field surrounded by a tropical forest. Paddy green is the most beautiful green I’ve seen. It was absolutely quiet with only the sounds of birds and water flowing along the irrigation system. Central Java, Indonesia.

Feb 132012

Central Java

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Volcanos in the mist. Good morning from Central Java, Indonesia.

A half hour later…

Dec 292011

Photographic Review of 2011 Part 3

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Here are a collection of photos from my visit to the state of Rajasthan in Northwestern India. It’s my favorite place to photograph in India. This makes up part 3. Hope you enjoy them.

This man and his family made pots that are to be sold in Rajasthan and neighboring states. Everything about being in the room with him while he was working was charming...the brightly fluorescent colored walls, the light on his face, the preciseness of his work, ...

We stopped at the home of this Bishnoi family living out in the desert south of Jodhpur and the family invited us in to their mud home. The lady of the house, at my request just before leaving, agreed to pose for this photo. Rajasthani women take great pride in their appearance and are so very inspiring.

Saddling up the camels with brightly colored blankets in the Great Thar Desert.

Mounds of colored powder are on sale to make colorful bindis!

Westernization of a culture. A camel trader, dressed from head to toe in a traditional Rajasthani outfit (including shoes) chats with a young man in full western attire.

Dec 282011

Photographic Review of 2011 Part 2

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Today’s photographic reflections of 2011.

This little girl looked neglected and bummed that her dad was more interested in gambling with his friends than playing with her. West Rajasthan, India.

The cobbler....was quite engaged in his phone conversation that I got right up to him to take this photo that he hardly noticed me

One of the highlights this year was riding the train from Kandy to Ella in the hill country of Sri Lanka. It was simply breathtaking.

This mahout was hanging out with his elephant in a forest in the hill stations of Kerala. Most of us have dogs and/or cats but I think having an elephant must also be a lot of fun.

Dec 272011

A Photographic Review of 2011

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As the year comes to a conclusion I thought I’d share, over the remaining days, some of the photos that I took this year that stood out in my mind. Here’s the first set. Four photos taken during our most recent spiritual adventure to north India.

More photos to come tomorrow.

Photographed in New Delhi at India's largest mosque, Jama Masjid.

This photo was taken in the home of a weaver well outside of the village of Chandelao in West Rajasthan. Life's impressions on her face left an impression on my mind that age, indeed, prowls like a leopard and it is wise to take to the spiritual path early on.

As I was walking, early one morning, along the narrow quiet lanes in the village of Khejarla the bright blue doors to a home suddenly opened and this young girl peered out. It's always nice to be greeted with a smile first thing in the morning.

I took our group on an excursion one evening and after an hour of driving we arrived at an even smaller village than the one we were staying in. We were greeted by over 30 smiling, giggling and laughing children that kept running up to us and then running away. A good reminder to adults that it is ok to play. After all, my guru did say, life is meant to be lived joyously.

Nov 192011

Pushkar’s Festivities and Parade

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Continuing our coverage of our recent spiritual adventure to northwestern India.

It’s our last day in Pushkar. So much going on during the Pushkar camel fair that we feel like we have so much to share. The camel trading is winding down and many of the traders are making the long walk home. The attention is now shifting to the town and sacred festivities leading up to the full moon day.

The streets are teeming with pilgrims and a spectacle of color. Rajasthan, to me, is the most colorful state in India, despite its arid landscape. And Pushkar today is the most colorful town. The ghats are lined with pilgrims taking a bath in the sacred lake, the Brahma temple has a constant flow of worshipers and every priest in town is happily performing a ritual.

About 9am the sounds of drums could be heard along the main bazaar. Is it an Indian parade? I hoped so. And surely enough it was. A parade of sadhus no less. What an experience for our group to witness and be part of. A cart piled high with flowers was being drawn as sadhus reached into it and grabbed handful of flowers showering all those who stood along the sides of the street with flowers. But this went both ways. Locals and pilgrims in turn showered the parade of sadhus with flowers from rooftops and the side of the street.

The air was fragrant, the street a carpet of flowers, chanting, drumming and joyous cheers the entire parade which lasted over an hour.

Here are some photos from this gala event.

Parade of Sadhus

Colorful clothing in the steets of pushkar

The streets are filled with color...what a sight!

Flowers being showered from the roof tops.

Rose petals fill the air...

Flowers showered from the rooftops carpet the streets with color.

A cart full of flowers is being drawn through the streets. Sadhus use these flowers to bless the pilgrims in town.

Eran purchasing some bangles from a street vendor

Julyne is in love with India

Watch a video of the parade

Nov 162011

The little holy town of Pushkar, Rajasthan

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It’s our last full day in Pushkar. The town is bustling with people as the full moon approaches. It’s the holiest time of the month for a dip in the lake and at this time of the year it is more important than ever.

The group is on their own today having been given the assignment to focus on some exercises from the classes on our spiritual adventure. Some spend a portion of the day meandering the narrow streets in Pushkar and sitting by the ghats along the sacred lake. One of the group members also climbed the nearby hill to the Ganesha temple on top of it.

We’ll share soon the contents of the classes we covered on the trip but here are some photos of life in Pushkar this morning (Nov 6th).

A shrine to the supreme god Siva in the form of a Lingam (timeless, formles and spaceless) along the main bazaar street in Pushkar

Ladies coming out of the Brahma temple in Pushkar

Crowded street filled with people in India

A sea of people in the streets during this festive time

A Hindu priest that belongs to the Vaishnava sect, worshipping Vishnu as the supreme god.

People bathing at Pushkar's holy lake, Rajasthan

Pilgrims bathing at Pushkar's holy lake

Nov 142011

Traders at the Pushkar Camel Fair

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This is our last coverage of the Camel Fair at Pushkar and the camel traders with their colorful turbans. Tomorrow, we’ll look at Pushkar town, made holy by the sacred lake that it is built around and a rare temple to Brahma. It’s our final day at Pushkar before we move on to Samode, Rajasthan.

Nov 122011

Evening Scene at the Pushkar Camel Fair

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Though it is hot during the day most Rajasthani men and women seem unaffected by the heat. As the sun makes its way towards the horizon the lighting gets perfect for photography and photographers gather in large numbers. Here’s a collection of photos from later in the day, when the sun is getting ready to set.