Light

. . .

A lamp that burns in the night

The word Shama means a burning lamp, and is a trope in Urdu poetry for love and hope. In this block of flats in the middle of Mumbai’s Bhendi Bazaar area, there are dreams of transformation. In the last twenty years of economic growth, many dreams came true. Now, things are slower and harder, but……

Reflections in a traffic jam

I’ve learnt to keep my camera in my hand when I’m stuck in traffic. Here I managed to catch the reflection of the grand facade of the iconic Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai in the back window the a taxi near mine. This building was being erected at the time that England was in the……

A curiosity shop

In Mumbai’s Chor Bazaar, a man waits in front of his shop full of junk waiting for customers. This kind of shop is getting rarer as meaning of recycling changes. Chor Bazaar is now squeezed geographically as furniture shops expand into it. The main customers seem to be set designers for numerous TV shows and……

Almost done

I liked this quartet of waiters hanging around the box which holds the last bit of unsold food in this shop. It has been a good day; the sweets in the second shelf are completely finished, only some of the kababs in the top shelf are left. The boys are happy to hang around without……

The world outside

On a walk through a crowded bazaar in Mumbai I saw this empty shop which allowed the storekeeper an opportunity to catch up with the wider world. I like the fact that he turns his back on the world outside to find out more about it. I’ve been trying to see the world in monochrome……