Smart! Pushkar

Thirsty again. Pushkar

Really hot on the camel ground and human too need to drink water, sometimes a woman in this men world. Women come here to collect the camel dung in the sand.

Furtive. Pushkar

Fantasmagoric. Pushkar

This image belongs to a serie I really had pleasure to do in Pushkar during the camel fair. Maybe because the other photographers were elsewhere, not interested by this side of the mela and overall because of the surrealistic mood of the scene; a little bit of the "magicien d'Ooz" too.

Thirsty. Pushkar

In India, when you are thirsty, you can find people providing drinking water, often close to the temples ans sitting in very thin places, like boxes.
But there is one rule: don't touch the pot with your lips

Horses food. Nawalgarh

In Nawalgarh, Shekawati, there is a palace with a hara, and some arabic race horses; they usually participate to the Jaipur races, but here they were expecting the Pushkar mela, where are showed not only camels but also many horses.
Strange to see workers women in traditionnal farmers clothes inside of a palace.

Portrait. Pushkar

getting off the scaffold. Pushkar

Some days before Diwali, its the moment to do a cleaning and new painting; the scaffolds are always made with bamboos.

The chowk. Delhi

Unceassant activity in the Delhi chowks; a good place for photographers, but you have to be fast all is moving around you...

You said veil? Pushkar

The veil is supposed tp hide the women faces and the women supposed not to connect with some men glance. Let us just make an exception, and what exception!
Kartik Purnima, after the holy bath in the Pushkar lake.

At the market. Puhkar

Street scene. Delhi

While the sewer is working on the sidewalk, rickshaws are passing by with all kinds of passengers.

Corner glance.Pushkar

Steps to the holy lake. Pushkar

and the bell pilgrims ring after or before the bath.

Three. Delhi

Incense smoke. Pushkar

After the holy bath, pilgrims make some donation to the nandi, just at the entrance of the ghat. Incense smoke put a kind of veil on the faces.

Black and brown. Pushkar

On the way to the night campment.

Confidence II. Pushkar

Camel fair VIII. Pushkar

When the sun is setting, time for some cattle men to drive the camels to a quiet place for the night.

Khol glance. Pushkar

The use of khol give to the indian children glance some intensity, girl or boy.

Turbans. Pushkar

and what is necessary for food and drink; the camel fair is not yet officialy opened and men enjoy the pleasure of meeting others.

The finger. Pushkar

Windows. Bikaner

The sewer. Mandawa

Tea time for this sewer.

Confidence. Pushkar

Best wishes to all of you for 2009 and don't forget to sign up the petition against female genocide in India:

Mischevious. Jaisalmer

Sign the petition:
http://gopetition.com/petitions/stop-female-genocide-in-india.html

Pots. Jodhpur

Fresque III. Nawalgarh

In the Shekawati area, many havelis are in bad conditions, this marvelous architecture with wonderful paintings is left without care.
This painting have been restored.
The owners, belonging to rich families, live in Bombay and are not interested about to spend money in this almost desertic area.
One of them said that he would give his haveli for nothing if somebody would be OK to take it!
This detail come from this haveli:
www.flickr.com/photos/25641154@N00/3130979090/

Une française, Nadine Leprince a acheté et rénové une haveli à Fahtepur:
http://www.aujourdhuilinde.com/actualites-inde-sauver-les-havelis-34.asp?1=1

Ultimate man. Mandawa

In the Shekawati area, many havelis are in bad conditions, this marvelous architecture with wonderful paintings is left without care.Here the wall is used for a painted publicity.

The owners, belonging to rich families, live in Bombay and are not interested about to spend money in this almost desertic area.
One of them said that he would give his haveli for nothing if somebody would be OK to take it!
Une française, Nadine Leprince a acheté et rénové une haveli à Fahtepur:
http://www.aujourdhuilinde.com/actualites-inde-sauver-les-haveli..

Camel fair VII. Pushkar

I don't know why, but they made me think to the velociraptors of Jurassic Park!

Fresque II. Nawalgarh

In the Shekawati area, many havelis are in bad conditions, this marvelous architecture with wonderful paintings is left without care.

The owners, belonging to rich families, live in Bombay and are not interested about to spend money in this almost desertic area.
One of them said that he would give his haveli for nothing if somebody would be OK to take it!
Une française, Nadine Leprince a acheté et rénové une haveli à Fahtepur:
http://www.aujourdhuilinde.com/actualites-inde-sauver-les-havelis-34.asp?1=1

Camel fair VI. Pushkar

Fresque. Nawalgarh

In the Shekawati area, many havelis are in bad conditions, this marvelous architecture with wonderful paintings is left without care.
This painting have been restored.
The owners, belonging to rich families, live in Bombay and are not interested about to spend money in this almost desertic area.
One of them said that he would give his haveli for nothing if somebody would be OK to take it!
This detail come from this haveli:
www.flickr.com/photos/25641154@N00/3130979090/

Une française, Nadine Leprince a acheté et rénové une haveli à Fahtepur:
www.aujourdhuilinde.com/actualites-inde-sauver-les-haveli...

Camel fair V. Pushkar

Used to get water or camel milk.As you can see it, camel people are not fat...according to their food and way of life!

The veil. Pushkar

In rajasthan, traditions are still very living; getting the veil on their face when crossing a man is almost a reflex.

Camel fair IV. Pushkar

Diwali 2008 II. Jaisalmer

Camel fair III. Pushkar

Fingers. Pushkar

Diwali 2008. Jaisalmer

I think i heard this sentence one hundred times and one thousand times the sound of the crackers!
Happy christmas day , everybody! wish it could be life everywhere in the street, as it is in India for diwali...

In wholel Shekawati, many havelis have been builded during the golden perod of caravans. Now, it's the decadent period!!

Camel fair II. Pushkar

Gramin bank day III. Pushkar

Waiting for the monthly credit at the gramin bank gate.
Once a month, the Gramin bank, which created the micro credits idea, opens her gate to the countryside women.
Each of them have a notebook, with what the bank had given, what she gave back.
A long queue all during the morning, and of course, they all come with their more beautiful clothes.

Fist arrived. Pushkar

Some days before the official beginning of the camel fair...

Water. Jaisalmer

The yellow veil. Jaisalmer

Pink lady. Jodhpur

Red and blue. Jaisalmer

Interview and online expo on:
http://www.fill-in.fr/

Street cooking. Jaipur

Interview and online expo on:
www.fill-in.fr/

Trafic. Delhi

Sometimes, in the labyrinth of the busy , crowdy polluted and noisy Delhi chowks, a little bit of the Thousand and one nights...that's what I like to think!