Sankar Raman Photography

Taro Root (cheppankizangu, colocasia) Roast

Taro Root Roast Taro is thought to be a native plant of South India and it was the poor man’s potato until the latter became very cheap. Growing up, when the taro plants sprouted amongst the paddy fields, we knew the summer was over, and soon school would be back in session and the rivers would be full. The taro’s leaves grow as big as an elephant ear, and during the monsoon, it was almost scary…

Maiko, Gion, Kyoto, Japan.

"The very word “geisha” means artist and to be a geisha is to be judged as a moving work of art." – Memoirs of a Geisha

What is visiting Japan, that too Kyoto, without taking a picture of a geisha? So, on my very first visit to Kyoto I was determined to get a glimpse of a geisha, or a geiko  as they are called in Kyoto. I wasted no time from the time I reached Kyoto (in a New York minute from Tokyo in the Shinkansen) and I found myself among thousands of tourists, waiting eagerly to get a glimpse of the passing geiko. We arrived around 4:00 PM at the most famous corner of Gion, just in front of the famous Ichiriki Chaya (where Memoirs of a Geisha  was set) right at the very heart of Gion on Hanami Lane. The next five hours, we were crisscrossing the streets of Gion, wandering around to get a glimpse of the secret and mysterious life of geisha.

Shibuya Crossing, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan.

Sensoji  (Asakusa, Kannon)Temple, Tokyo, Japan

Senso-ji Temple, also known as Asakusa Kannon Temple, is the oldest and most popular temple in Tokyo. It is a Buddhist temple and the main residing deity is Bodhisattva Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy. Legend has it that two fishermen brothers found the statue of Kannon while fishing in the nearby Sumida River in 628 AD. Upon finding that the statue would always return to them no matter what they did with it, they decided to build a temple for Kannon. It has been the local deity for fishermen, shogunates, and samurai alike ever since. Its glorious days were during the Edo period (1603-1867), when, with the help and patronage of shogunates, the temple became the center of the Edo (Tokyo) culture. Today, over 30 million pilgrims from all over the world visit this temple annually.

The temple has been destroyed and rebuilt again and again at least some twenty times over the years. The last time it was destroyed was by the great firebombing raids of WWII in 1945 and it was only rebuilt in 1958. The famous five story Pagoda was rebuilt only in 1978! Today, this temple serves as a symbol of rebirth and peace in Japan.

In Buddhist traditions around the world, Kannon takes on different forms and is perhaps the most worshiped Buddhist deity around the world.  The deity is ‘known as the most compassionate, relieving beings of their suffering and responding to prayers with great benevolence.’

Rainbow Bridge, Odaiba, Tokyo, Japan.

Tiruvottiyur Beach, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Corn Roaster, Marina Beach, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

I could not have chosen a better day to visit the famed Marina Beach! It was a Friday evening, and it seemed like everyone in Chennai was at the beach on that day to get a dose of the cool evening sea breeze after a very long, hot, and humid summer day. The beach was brimming with concession vendors, photographers, sellers and buyers, Romeos, young lovers, petty thieves, and children. It was chaos at its best, photographically impossible to isolate, and yet so very festive and vibrant. I was blown away by the sheer energy of this beach culture, and, as always, fascinated by the street foods. There was a such a variety:  from chilied mango, to samosas, to more exotic deep fried chilied fish (fresh I was told). It is the food culture of this beach that always brings me here.

Just after the sun went down, right at the blue hour, I found myself standing in front of this corn roaster. The wind was blowing in my direction and enormous sparks generated by the roasting corn were showering onto me! It was just what I was looking for that night:  a glorious opportunity to showcase this culture!

The vendor was operating a simple concession stand selling roasted corn on the cob. His makeshift clay grill was kept hot by burning charcoal that was constantly pumped by a small hand blower. When someone ordered a roasted corn, he peeled the corn husk back, using it to grip the corn and rotate it, while pumping the coal furnace with the other hand. The sparks and the glow created in the process were just magical!

Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Santa Fe, NM.

The Mesquite Flat Dunes, Death Valley National Park, CA.

The Harmandir Sahib, ‘The Golden Temple’, Amritsar, Punjab, India.

The Harmandir Sahib  literally means ‘The Temple of God.’  It is the holiest Sikh Gurdwara (place of worship), where the most sacred and the central religious text of Sikhism ‘Guru Granth Sahib’ is worshipped. The text, in the form of hymns, is considered as the living guru and constitutes the collective teachings of the first ten Gurus. The salient feature of its teaching is that “the realization of Truth is higher than all else. Higher still is truthful living."  Every day, early in the morning, the Holy Book is reverently carried in a palanquin and placed in the sanctum santorum and the head priest  ceremoniously delivers the message of the day.

City Palace, Jaipur, India.

Jaipur, the land of Rajahs, Rajputs, and the capital of a relatively new kingdom, is a colorful city that has been under siege many times throughout its history and took on some of the most brutal attacks. This included invasions from the Pathans, the Mughals, the Marathas and even the British and the French. Ironically, a relative peace was brought to this war-torn city via a rare treaty in which it would function as a Princely State during the British Raj. The then Rajah opened his arms to the British by saying, “Having learnt a good deal about the uprightness and amiable qualities of the Governor-General and other English men, I am anxious to open friendly relations with them.”  The Rajahs remained loyal to the British, so much so that when the Prince of Wales and Queen Victoria visited Jaipur in 1876 on a tour, the entire city was painted pink. Even today, the city is  characteristically pink and is called the Pink City.  The affluence of this small Princely State is hinted at by the presence of two huge sterling silver water vessels used by the Rajah to carry holy Ganges River water from Banaras when he travelled to England. The sufferings of the Rajputs, however, due to the affluence of a few, the number of wars and invasions, as well as the droughts and famine they have lived through are largely forgotten by history. Instead, now they are known for their bravery, colorful photogenic turbans, and best of all their folksy desert music.

Taj Mahal, Agra, India.

Taj Mahal, Agra, India.

“Only let this one tear-drop, this Tajmahal, glisten spotlessly bright on the cheek of time, forever and ever.” – Tagore.

It is said there were about 22,000 artisans and 1,000 elephants that worked for about 17 years to make this monument of love. The budget for the Taj Mahal in today’s value was about one billion (US) dollars. By the time Shah Jahan came to power, the Moghul court had assembled the best artisans and architects from Persia, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. They had gained enormous experience in building elaborate structures, perfected the symmetry, and evolved an unique Indo-Islamic style that is now known as Moghul Architecture.  This was not good enough for Shah Jahan to build this monument of love for his wife. So it is said that he assembled a team of the 37 best architects and specialty builders from present day Turkey, Persia, India, Pakistan, Syria, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan. He also assembled the best sculptors, calligraphers, inlayers, stonecutters, and turret specialists. He directly managed this top corps of engineers and architects throughout its construction to ensure their fine workmanship. He also used only the finest materials to build this mausoleum for his wife. They included translucent white marble from Rajasthan, jasper from Punjab, jade and crystal from China,  turquoise from Tibet, lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, sapphire from Sri Lanka, and carnelian from Arabia. In all, twenty eight types of precious and semi-precious stones were inlaid into the white marble. When this monument was complete, he would then ensure that there would be no more such grand architecture ever to be built by cutting off the arms of these builders.

Taj Mahal, Agra, India.

Some 400 years ago, a historian of Shah Jahan wrote, “A dome of high foundation and a building of great magnificence was founded, a similar and equal to it the eye of the Age has not seen under these nine vaults of the enamel-blue sky, and of anything resembling it the ear of Time has not heard in any of the past ages…it will be the masterpiece of the days to come, and that which adds to the astonishment of humanity at large.” Indeed, it has stood the test of time. Today it is marveled at as the most iconic structure of India and a symbol of love.

Humayun's Tomb, Delhi, India.

The Iron Pillar, Qutub Minar, Delhi, India.

It is indeed a  “metallurgical wonder of the world” that an iron pillar such as this would last some 1600 years without an ounce of rust and even be flourishing in today’s highly corrosive Delhi atmosphere. It was commissioned by the Emperor Chandragupta, of the Gupta dynasty, during the golden age of India around 402 AD. It is said during this time, India had developed technology and effectively worked metals like iron, gold, copper, and alloys such as bronze. The technique they used to make this pillar is called “forge welding.”