Tuesday, 17 May 2016

The Good Ol' Chennai Local!

In the 5 years, I have spent in Madras, I have travelled quite a lot in the cream and dark green local trains of the city. The locals here are an alternate lifeline of the city (the main one being the buses). But the locals have their own charm, especially the MRTS (Mass Rapid Transit System) whose trains run on an elevated track passing through the gigantic stations, like a serpent getting in to a hole in a mound and getting out of its other end. You get a nice view of some of the surroundings (especially on the Eastern side). Below is a sketch of a local at Indira Nagar Station (one of the elevated stations). Used a fountain pen to do the sketching.

The Chennai Local.

Wednesday, 6 April 2016

The city beyond its malls.

A lot of times, when I have talked with a lot of my friends about the big cities here in India, one of the main topics have been their malls. I had a question, guys, isn't there a lot more about a city, big or small, beyond malls?

Well, there's a lot more to a city than just glass and concrete structures called malls.

Some cities have the delights that are called beaches, both sandy ones and rocky ones, clean ones and dirty ones, teeming with people and vendors, especially corn-sellers whose stoves let out sparks that attract every budding photographer :P .

Some cities simply have amazing weather, and pretty places to see around them, and hang out there.

 Some cities have beautiful monuments, some of whose interiors have the finest works of art inside them, some of which are a result of some good engineering and kickass architecture, and some whose ruins have a tell us the story of a glorious past.

Some cities have most charming dialects, which are a delight to the ears. Arey chicha, ye ek dum kiraak hai.. (Hyderabadi for "Hey dude, this is awesome..").

Some cities have the most kickass or kiraak(as we say in Hyderabadi Urdu) food you can get on the planet, the thought makes me crave for some biryani and kebabs.

Some cities have the good old local trains, which come in several colours, white and violet, red and yellow, green and yellow, blue and white, colourful as they are, and they are delight to travel in, despite the fact that they get quite crowded at peak hours.



Some cities have the prettiest streets ever, with vendors selling things ranging from roasted snacks to plastic toys, and the colourful little edifices, old and new, on either side of the street. Added to that the general hustle and bustle, around the shops, bus stops, stations etc.

Friday, 18 March 2016

Chennai, as I see it.

 I have spent several weekend evenings or full Sundays, going to various places in Chennai for photography. I've been capturing the quirky colourful streets, the local trains, the greens of IIT M, the beaches, and the hustle and bustle in general of the city. A part of me loves this city.
Crowds at Marina

The popular Schmidt Memorial in Besant Nagar beach.

Kalikundram Road
4th Cross CIT Campus on Bhogi morning
Covelong Beach, Kovalam
Besant Nagar Bus Stop.
A scene from Tharamani Bus stop.
 After all, there is a lot, a lot more to any city than just those big glass and concrete structures which we call malls.

At Mylapore

Hustle and bustle at Marina

Napier Bridge.

The Velachery local.