Light is seen tracing its way through the holes in the tarpaulin; the statues within are sun-kissed. I find myself in Domadugu, a village in the outskirts of Telangana. The kaccha home runs wide and is supported by a matrix of wooden logs. Inside, sculpted statues of the deity Ganesh are filed along a… Continue reading People of Bharat: Sushma, Hyderabad

  Bustling with commotion and cries of vendors, the street of Bijoygarh comes alive in the wee hours of the Kolkata mornings. Sauntering down the street, I see a crowd beginning to circle around a spread of fresh fruits. On reaching closer I catch a glimpse of a man in his early 40s, engaged in… Continue reading People of Bharat: Ramkrishna Mondal, Kolkata

  Hazratganj is the most unique tourist spot of Lucknow. With its unique architecture and uniformly painted shops, this place speaks much of its heritage. It is the main shopping area situated at the heart of the city and dates back to 1827, the year in which its foundation was laid by Nawab Nasiruddin Haider.… Continue reading People of Bharat: Mukesh, Lucknow

  Among the lesser known lanes of Ranchi stands a small stationary store surrounded by other shops selling a plethora of things. I am drawn to the only shop that has a woman running it, amidst all others. I walk up to her shop and greet Nupur Soni — a slender woman with a soft… Continue reading People of Bharat: Nupur, Ranchi

  It’s nearly dusk as I enter the small shop with a sign ‘Roy Copier’. The shop is about 6 by 4 feet on a narrow street in Kolkata. It’s dim, with dark blue walls — paint peeling off in too many places. It has an old, sticky-looking desktop, a basic photocopier and a lamination… Continue reading People of Bharat: Girish Roy, Kolkata

“You see that there?” Chandrabhan says, pointing to a close circuit camera perched on top of a pole at a moderately busy intersection. “I have to stay within its range, else my supervisor will raise a complaint” he continues. He motions me to pull up a chair, so that I may be comfortable as we… Continue reading People of Bharat: Chandrabhan, Ahmedabad

  I hover inside the dilapidated house. The aroma of flavourful curries intermingled, with lingering whiff of cow dung escaping from the cakes left to dry on the rooftop, welcomes me. Seema comes out of the kitchen to greet me with an enthusiastic smile; her hands are soiled in dough. ‘Aap baitho, main bas do… Continue reading People of Bharat: Seema, Ludhiana

  Gayatri, 50, has been working as a cleaner at a women’s paying-guest accommodation in Delhi. A short, rotund body belies an appearance of prosperity. She shows me a sari that she received from another resident. ‘It is a little faded, but isn’t that in fashion nowadays?’ she asks sarcastically. I merely nod, noticing the… Continue reading People of Bharat: Gayatri, Delhi