Street Photography in India

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Thursday, 30 November 2017 - The photography tour ended with a final day in Delhi walking with guide Vikram Kalra visiting the British Magazine and historic sites tied to the 1857 Rebellion, exploring old colonial buildings and streets, watching local life including chai stalls and street vendors, attended a cultural dance event at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, and finished the trip with a visit to the Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah in the bustling narrow lanes of the city.

india2017 — The photography tour was over. I spent a day in the office and then on Saturday went out and walked Delhi with Vikram Kalra.

Vikram decided to focus on the Indian Rebellion of 1857 (or the Mutiny). Our first stop was the British Magazine, which had a great store of gunpowder and weapons. The rebellion started outside Delhi and the people marched on Delhi specifically to take the Magazine. Nine British defenders held the place for several days against several hundred. When the local troops on the British side deserted, there was a final push - the British, seeing all was lost lit the gunpowder and blew up the fortress killing most of them and about a thousand Indians.

india2017 — Workers replacing the floor in the British Magazine - using a chisel they are making a non-slip treatment of the red sandstone.

india2017 — A short walk brought us to Ambedkar University Delhi which has used several of the old British buildings when there was a military post on the same grounds. This was after the revolt - around 1900.

india2017 — Dara Shikoh's Library was built in 1637. Dara Shikoh was the son of emperor Shahjahan, Dara Shikoh.

In the British period, the building served as the residence of the Mughal Viceroy of Punjab, Ali Mardan Singh. It looks like the column facade was added over the existing structure.

india2017 — There were renovations going on inside the library and this was a curious pile of office furniture.

india2017 — Guys hanging out on the street

india2017 — A building with a destitute foundation.

india2017 — This man sells chai - he is preparing his portable stove for the day.

india2017 — A stack of journals ready for the new year

india2017 — St James' Church dating back to 1836 is one of the oldest churches of the city, built by Colonel James Skinner. After being injured in battle he vowed to build a church if he happened to survive his injuries.

india2017 — The grave of William Fraser who was a British civil servant assassinated in 1835.

He was a commissioner of the Delhi Territory during the reign of the last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar

india2017 — The son of a Scottish military officer and a Rajput mother, Skinner is known for the two cavalry regiments he raised for the British army in India. He had 14 wives - who are all buried in the church cemetery.

india2017 — The basic design of Renaissance Revival style church is on a cruciform plan (Greek Cross), with three portico porches, elaborate stained glass windows and a central octagonal dome, similar to that of the Florence Cathedral in Italy.

india2017 — A street barber with what must be the first patron of the day.

india2017 — The Kashmiri Gate is the northern gate to the historic walled city of Delhi. Built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, the gate is named because it used to start a road that led to Kashmir.

The gate next gained attention during the Mutiny of 1857. Indian soldiers fired volleys of cannonballs from this gate at the British and used the area to assemble for fighting and resistance.

india2017 — The British had used the gate to prevent the mutineers from entering the city. Eventually the Indians swept through and the British were forced to give up the city. Evidence of the struggles is visible today in damage to the existing walls.

It was at the Kashmiri Gate where there was important assault by the British Army during Indian rebellion of 1857, on the morning of September 14, 1857 the bridge and the left half of the Gate were destroyed by the British using gunpowder, starting the final assault on the rebels towards the end of Siege of Delhi.

india2017 — Nicholson Cemetery is an old military cemetery managed by the St James' Church so it is a christian cemetery.

John Nicholson was a Brigadier General in the British Army and led the assault on the Kashmiri Gate at age 35. He was shot in the chest and died several days later.

india2017 — The number of casualties resulted from the Siege of Delhi created the rising demand for a Christian cemetery in the area. A new burial ground was opened in front of the Kashmiri Gate. Nicholson was among the first people buried there.

india2017 — The Mutiny Memorial was built in 1863 in memory of all those who had fought in the Delhi Field Force, British and Indian, during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

india2017 — In 1972, the 25th anniversary of India's Independence, the Indian Government renamed the monument Ajitgarh (Place of the Unvanquished) and erected a plaque stating that the 'enemy' mentioned on the memorials were 'immortal martyrs for Indian freedom'.

india2017 — Remembering Col Nicholson.

india2017 — After a great lunch - which was at a hotel catering to people from Gujarat - we headed to old Delhi - we had a mission to purchase something for my wife for her birthday.

A street cart selling fresh fruit

india2017 — A woman shopping in a tiny store

india2017 — Vikram makes a small offering into a pail of oil

india2017 — Even where there is not store - a ribbon salesman

india2017 — Ribbon on a store shelf

india2017 — Wall decorations

india2017 — An old window

india2017 — Street vendor

india2017 — Decisions, decisions...

india2017 — A wide street in old Delhi

india2017 — One of the towers of the mosque Jama Masjid - that is the sun through the smog.

india2017 — Vikram knew of a cultural event at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. It was a display of local dance from all over India.

A dancer

india2017 — This dancer spun the plate while dancing

india2017 — Colorful dancer

india2017 — This woman really enjoyed her dance.

india2017 — Highly decorated dancer

india2017 — Wide eyed

india2017 — Taking a break and watching other dancers

india2017 — A couple singing traditional songs

india2017 — These are Ram Bhakts from Chattisgarh. The word "Ram" is tattooed all around their heads.

india2017 — Young dancers watching a sword dance/fight

india2017 — From the cultural event we headed to our last stop at the Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah a Sufi mausoleum.

To get to the mausoleum we walked narrow streets festooned with banners.

india2017 — As we approached the tomb there were several vendors selling flowers as offerings.

india2017 — The street is so narrow it has become an indoor mall/walkway

india2017 — People crowded into the ally to the tomb

india2017 — When we arrived at the Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah there was a prayer going on and it was very crowded.

india2017 — Women cannot go into the tomb but leave prayer strings on the outside.

india2017 — Women attaching prayer strings to the tomb's marble screen.

india2017 — Back to the main streets which were very crowded

india2017 — Barbecue meat vendor

india2017 — Butcher shop - looked like chicken was being cut to order

india2017 — A bakery - the baker would make the bread and attach it to the walls of the hole where there was a small fire.

india2017 — Making bread

india2017 — Street of several open air restaurants

india2017 — Kabab Corner

india2017 — I opted for dinner in the hotel after we returned.

Later this evening I will leave India after another great trip to a fun place to visit - especially if you are a photographer.

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