Your India Photos

Sadhu, Mana Village

Photograph by Alessandro Scarabelli, My Shot

Mana village, Uttaranchal, on the India and Tibet border

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Taj Mahal

Photograph by Adam Gruchala, My Shot

Inspired by love and shaped to perfection, the Taj Mahal immortalizes one man's love for his wife and the splendor of an era.

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Chhath Ritual

Photograph by Mukesh Srivastava, My Shot

On the fourth day of Shukla Paksha of Kartik, lakhs of devotees along the Indo-Gangetic plains, chiefly Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, begin the four-day Chhath festival, in continuance of a tradition that goes back to posterity, carrying forward India's living tradition of worshipping the divine creator and nourisher of the Sun God. Today, lakhs of Biharis settled in other parts of India and even abroad perform Chhath.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Wedding Procession, Varanasi

Photograph by Kun Chang, My Shot

I took this picture during a wedding procession in Varanasi, India. The band and the lights are part of the groom's procession, which walks its way toward the bride's house.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

River

Photograph by Binny Varghese, My Shot

To get this picture, I got up early in the dark at about 4 a.m. before my work, and tried to get this shot without flash, external artificial light, using the long exposure.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Kusti Wrestlers

Photograph by Suhas Desale, My Shot

Kusti is a form of traditional Indian wrestling. This image was shot at Mamasaheb Mohol stadium in Sangvi, Pune.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Marigold Vendor, Kolkata

Photograph by Nilanjan Bhattacharya, My Shot

This street flower vendor in a wholesale flower market in Kolkata (Calcutta), India, kept on loading marigold garlands over his shoulders until he became almost three times his original size, and still kept asking for more.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Sungma Tea Estate, Darjeeling

Photograph by Maulindu Chatterjee, My Shot

Tea plucking at the lush green gardens at the foothills of the Himalaya around Darjeeling is still an activity dominated by women. They do it perfectly with a smile. Captured at Sungma Tea Estate, Darjeeling, India.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Man and Camel

Photograph by Glenn Losack, My Shot

Sand dunes in the Indian desert near the border with Pakistan. Camel wallah and his friend.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Malabar Giant Squirrel

Photograph by Shireen Ali, My Shot

A shot of the Malabar giant squirrel taken in Mudumalai forest in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Known to be very elusive, the Malabar giant squirrel is endemic to peninsular India and is on the IUCN list of threatened species.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Taj Mahal

Photograph by Lori Tews, My Shot

Taken at sunrise, 6:30 a.m., at the Taj Mahal, Agra, India, in September 2010

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Sunderbans Delta

Photograph by Tushar Sharma, My Shot

In a remote village in the Sunderbans delta in West Bengal, India, fresh water is much scarcer during the summertime. Women have to go a half kilometer away to fetch drinking water from a tube well.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Jaggery Production

Photograph by Dinesh Hegde, My Shot

Sugarcane juice is boiled to get a thick concentrated syrup. I shot this process of making jaggery in Hosalli, Kumta, Karnataka, India.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Snake Charmer, Jaipur

Photograph by Peter Edwards, My Shot

Snake charmer with the Amber Fort as a backdrop, Jaipur, India

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Schoolchildren

Photograph by Donald Yip, My Shot

Schoolchildren take a mathematics test outside the classroom at a school dedicated to Guru Ravidas, a north Indian human rights advocate who in the 15th century campaigned against caste discrimination in India.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Pushkar Lake, Rajasthan

Photograph by Vikas Dutt, My Shot

This image was taken at Pushkar Lake, Rajasthan, India.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Pushkar Lake, Rajasthan

Photograph by Poras Chaudhary, My Shot

Pushkar Lake is surrounded by 52 bathing ghats. Every year on the full moon day in the month of Kartik (October/November), which also happens to be the last day of the world famous Pushkar Camel Fair, Pushkar Lake attracts thousands of pilgrims from all over the country to take a holy dip in its waters. It is believed that a dip in its waters cleanses all the sins and is the surest way to achieve salvation from the cycles of life. The lake is dry these days as conservation work is going on; don't know what the future holds for the lake.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Train, Tamil Nadu

Photograph by Pradeep Kumar, My Shot

Final journey in meter-gauge railway. The view in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, border in South India.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Basket Weaver

Photograph by Saikat Mukherjee, My Shot

The woman from Purulia is weaving baskets in order to earn bread for her family. She has to weave as well as to sell the basket in market. Her courageous endeavor is praiseworthy.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Benaulim Beach, Goa

Photograph by Richard Licence, My Shot

This shot was taken at sunset on Benaulim Beach, Goa. The occasion was a pre-wedding beach party complete with musical accompaniment from the local dhol and trumpet band.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Pottery Maker

Photograph by Ghanashyam Wagle, My Shot

Pottery making is a means of livelihood in some of the rural areas of India. It is not only interesting to watch but also rewarding to get your hands dirty. This picture is that of a girl with mehndi on her hands who didn't mind getting her hands muddy in the excitement of creating the pottery.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai

Photograph by Priyank Sharma, My Shot

Serenity and peace at the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower hotel in Mumbai. It's just in front of the gateway of India and since it opened in 1903, it has created its own unique history.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Tents, Sarchu

Photograph by Maulindu Chatterjee, My Shot

Tents at the foothills of golden-lit, barren mountains at Sarchu. Sarchu is the midpoint on the Manali-to-Leh road and falls on the border of Himachal and Jammu Kashmir states in India.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Mountain Road

Photograph by Bielash Aleksander, My Shot

Indian bikes, Royal Enfield Bullets, at the entrance on the mountain road that runs from Varanasi to Khajuraho

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Ladakh

Photograph by Vijender Singhal, My Shot

This road looks like a snake on a snow-carpeted mountain at the height of about 16,000 feet in Ladakh, India. At this time the temperature is about -26 degrees Celsius.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Scenic Lookout, Kerala

Photograph by Vineeth Kumar, My Shot

This is a view in Seetharkundu, Nelliampathy, Palakad district, Kerala, India. My cousins walked ahead and I was shooting randomly. When I looked at them, it was a nice frame and I captured the moment.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Jayamangali Blackbuck Reserve

Photograph by Deepak M R, My Shot

Taken at Jayamangali Blackbuck Reserve

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Winding Road, Jaipur

Photograph by Jacob Alexander, My Shot

The long walk up this road in Jaipur was definitely worth it for the view.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Procession, Madhya Pradesh

Photograph by Saibal Gupta, My Shot

Omkareshwar, on the bank of the river Narmada in Madhya Pradesh, India, is a holy city. Omkareshwar Mandhata is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines. Every year from mid-June to mid-July on every Monday, a julush, or procession, is held in the midst of a shower of thousands of rose petals, chanting of hymns, and scented colored powder. This year the mahavishek before the procession was slightly dampened by heavy showers.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Hyderabad

Photogrpah by Tengguo Wu, My Shot

I have never seen so many billboards in one location. This photo was taken in Hyderabad, India.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Aghanashini River

Photograph by Dinesh Hegde, My Shot

Shot in the morning after rains flooded the Aghanashini River (Kumta, India). The laterite soil added the color red to the river.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Shepherd, Himalaya

Photograph by Harish Chander, My Shot

Shepherds in the Himalaya in India are known as gaddis. They rear sheep and goats for their livelihood. During my trek in Dhauladhar I took this shot when a gaddi was extracting wool from the sheep.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Bandra-Worli Sea Link

Photograph by Abhijit Bhatlekar, My Shot

Worli village, set on one of the small horns on the western coastline of Mumbai, is a slice of old 19th-century Bombay. With the main population a fishing community, this village has now got the swanky backdrop of the new Bandra-Worli Sea Link bridge, and thus is feared to be vanished in the race for land for newer developments.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Holy Men, Haridwar

Photograph by Viveca Venegas, My Shot

Babas want to get closer to God, so each day at the hottest hour of the day, noontime, they sit around flames of dung and smoke to torture their bodies in sacrifice. Haridwar, India.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Ropewalker, Jaisalmer

Photograph by Alankar Chandra, My Shot

Girl walking on a rope during the annual desert festival at Jaisalmer, India

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Dancers, Shimla

Photograph by Samarth Mediratta, My Shot

I was at a college fest in Shimla, India. The topic given to me was lights and shadows and I was a little iffy because I had never experimented with those. I saw these two girls dancing and I was looking down just to brainstorm for some more ideas. I saw them dancing, and so were their shadows. I didn't miss the moment, and it fetched me the first prize.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Washerwoman, Varanasi

Photograph by Venkatraman Subramanian, My Shot

Washerwoman along the ghats in Varanasi (also known as Benaras) in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. They wash the clothes in the Ganges and let them dry in the adjoining ghats.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Gharial, Kukrail Forest Reserve

Photograph by Harshit Magon , My Shot

Photo of a gharial juvenile taken during my visit to the Kukrail Forest Reserve, Lucknow, India. One of the very few places where they have been successful in the captive breeding of this species of the crocodile family. Gharials are critically endangered and only a few can be found in the wild. Their eyes say it all. Save them.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Water Buffalo, Ganges River

Photograph by Rick Artus, My Shot

This photo was taken while I was walking along the Ganges River in Varanasi, India. While photographing some water buffalo that were cooling off in the river, I noticed a bird hopping around cleaning the tops of their heads and took this shot.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Candle Ceremony, Ganges River

Photograph by Anne Gilliland, My Shot

Along the Ganges, a candle flower ceremony for luck

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Ceremony, Yamuna River

Photograph by Vaibhav Tripathi, My Shot

It has been a very old tradition in India to sing praises for holy rivers. The ceremony occurs daily at dusk at many revered sites such as Haridwar, Varanasi, Vrindavan, etc. I made this particular photo in Vrindavan on a sacred bank of the River Yamuna. A higher vantage point helped me capture the ceremony with the dusk sky, and the extreme fire flame provided enough illumination to light up the faces of the devotees.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Taj Mahal

Photograph by Kyle Merriman, My Shot

A shot from near the entrance of the Taj Mahal in India

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

New Delhi

Photograph by Raghav Chopra, My Shot

An old man sitting in an empty marketplace on a Sunday afternoon in New Delhi, India

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Dhankar, Spiti Valley

Photograph by Ashvini Jethi, My Shot

The photograph was taken early morning going toward Dhankar Lake.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Camel

Photograph by Matteo Berte, My Shot

Camel sitting in the sand in India

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Mehndi Decoration

Photograph by Satyaki Basu, My Shot

The Indian bride's hands are decorated with mehndi on the day of her marriage when she leaves her parents' home and goes with her husband to start a new life. The color red is the color of marriage in India.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Young Actors

Photograph by Soumyadipta De, My Shot

These two boys are dressed like the Hindu gods Ram and Sita to play a spiritual drama from the epic of Ramayana.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Mumbai

Photograph by Philippe Cap, My Shot

Residential building in Bombay (Mumbai), India

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Human Pillar, Pandharpur

Photograph by Joydip Mitra, My Shot

The biggest religious march in the world takes place at Pandharpur, in Maharashtra, India. A million people walk about 200 kilometers to join the fest in memory of the 17th-century saint-poet Tukaram. Part of the festivity is singing Tukaram hymns standing on top of a human pillar. The man at the apex has to sing a complete hymn beating on his drum.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Bara Imambara, Lucknow

Photograph by Gorky Gorky, My Shot

The Bara Imambara in Lucknow was built in 1783, the year of a devastating famine, and one of Asaf-ud-Daula's objectives in embarking on this grandiose project was to provide employment for people in the region. According to reports, the famine continued for over a decade and the construction of the building continued for this time. It is said that ordinary people used to work during the day building up the edifice, while noblemen and other elites were called at night to break down the structure.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Water Well, Jaisalmer

Photograph by Darko Sikman, My Shot

Women collecting water at the well in the desert outside of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Young Girl, Haridwar Station

Photograph by Charles Meacham, My Shot

A young girl at the Haridwar train station, India

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)