i often choose to simply move on because i am scared that a moment longer spent here will not let me look for what is beyond...

on 26th January, 1950, the 'Constitution of India' came into force replacing the Government of India Act, 1935. today, 60 years later, we Indians see lots of promises for us in the future.

on our Republic day, parade happen in all the state capitals and also the national capital. i witnessed the one of my state, Uttar Pradesh, that is held in its capital, Lucknow. i bring to you a a few glimpses of it.

the young school girls of a particular college carry the flags of the three color that combine to make the Indian tricolor.

one habit of the Indian men that is difficult to change...that of using the public walls as their personal lavatory. the before-parade-began scene.

the young school boys marching past with the tricolor flags.
an abandoned rickshaw sporting the Indian flag. the rickshaw puller was probably watching the parade at this point of time.

the soldier of a particular regiment before the parade began.

as the second part of the series, i bring to you a few more glimpses of my city...trying to cover a range of aspects of it: from the culture and religious diversity to destitution and colourlessness. primarily an amateur attempt i have tried to make it as versatile as my work allowed. all feedback; compliment, criticism or comments are welcome. by it i hope to improve my work and present better images every time.

i shall put up this collection in multiple posts. this is a tour of my city, as seen through my eyes.

fondly called 'the city of nawabs,' it has changed over the years in many ways. lucknow is known for its 'so called tehzeeb.'

i tried looking for it in my photos.

the exuberant Indian wedding is a possible treat for the likes of me. and i happened to enjoy one of those celebrations when i attended my cousin's wedding. the extravaganza and the lavish shower of blessings (pun intended) turn out to be a fortunate event for quite a few parties involved in the ceremony in different capacities. but keeping this factor apart, i was thrilled at all the involvement of the assorted colors that made the event a memorable one.

i took this picture at a college fest in kanpur. i thought the light was very supporting for this picture.

i l share the heavens with you... when my dream comes true.i will then live by my dreams in the misty forest to make a heaven of my own.

Colors aren’t always the best thing to happen! It is often their absence which holds more promises to me. Colors, with their exuberance and fulfillment, are more intoxicating than is the serene sense of being colorless. The tangles that colors often tie me in bring about hopes and expectations which I am often not capable to meet. The more spectral hues cause higher degrees of trauma to surround me in a state of clinching fear. It is a state of crisis I go through on knowing that the absence of colors is no where near. Getting routinely habitual hues can be disturbing to a stable mental state of thoughts.

Religiously being exposed to such luxury is instantly welcomed with open arms. But, only till that instant when you don’t lose your self to the comfort of not knowing yourself. Accepted in the initial stage, this unfamiliarity tends to be damaging with gradual effect. The only hopes that I then hold are the subtle recovery of my stability to support me enough to know myself further and better. And that is where the colorlessness seems more attractive than ever before!

the world is but a picturesque dream that we do not ever choose to wake up to...

the sun never sets...nor the clouds ever shower the rains. it is only the backstage people who create the vision that the eyes have got so used to.

We watch movies. And we see what the camera intends to show us. Other things remaining stable, it is sometimes the camera that provides the movement. So is the case with the human eye. When I chose to isolate myself from the plethora of activities happening around, from the mundane action that surrounds me each day, there was a mild discovery I made. Ironically, irrespective of their mildness, these discoveries make me feel stronger every time they happen to me.

Getting back to the discovery I was talking about: I used my eyes as the video camera. I saw the panning, tilting, dollying and trollying movements as I strolled across my house. I noticed that the objects around me were stable only till my eyes cooperated, any non cooperation on their part brought about a movement in the world around me. And the secret that hit me was: stability is a state of the human eye, which responds to any stimulus provided by the ‘thoughting’ of the human brain.

Then, must I always complain about the changing surroundings! The environment, thoughts, people, situations: they are often a part of the thoughts that stimulate my mind.

Old bonds changeth...incorporating place for new.

life is love, life is a dream, life is a song, life is a blossoming weed, life is sick , life is contagious, life is long, life is grand....but lately to me it seems life is nothing more than a facade of immaterial stitches!

It is more important to live life than to meet death.

Colours...they surely can make life more beautiful! every colour urges an emotion in us...it is subdued and it may, with subtle degrees, determine our moods. Also, they have a varying effect according to the surroundings which highlight them. i have no real study of this topic though! this particular combination of colours stimulates certain gloomy emotions in me ispite of the stark highlights.

Makes me think of someone who apparently might be mourning the loss of a dear one. here again, do let me know what thoughts does it bring to you.