Sunday, February 28, 2010

Street Photos in India

These photos were taken on the street in India. I love taking street photos. There is always so much action in India, that there are about 200 good photographs on every block. Sometimes I would take street photos while riding in a rickshaw.


Photo of a Rickshaw station India. This is an auto repair shop in India.


Photo of an alleyway in Jaipur, India. That is my friend in the red skirt ahead of me. Notice how this Indian man is looking at her butt. Western girls attract a lot of attention from Indian men, even if they are modestly dressed.


Photo of a street vendor in India. This person was selling grains and potatoes and other spices.


Photo of Jaipur street, India. I like this camel!


Photo of an alley in Jaipur India. This entire alley was just filled with bangle stores. In many of the stores they will demonstrate how they make the glass bangles.

Friday, February 26, 2010

India Travel Photos Ajmer

These are photos of my trip to Ajmer. I went there to see the mosque with the tomb of a famous sufi saint. These are photos taken on the street.


Photo of Goa. This picture captures the essence of the Goa scene.


Photo of Ajmer, India.


Photo of a flower shop, Ajmer India. This Photo shop was across the street from the mosque. People buy there flowers here to bring into the mosque with them to offer to the sufi saint.


Photo of shops at Ajmer India.


Photo of people in Ajmer India. I like this photo because it shows a lot of action with the kid running down the street smiling, and the man with the bicycle loaded with milk jugs. The streets in India are never still.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Tibetan Refugees in Bylakuppe Camp, India

These are photos of Tibetan refugees at a Tibetan refugee camp in South India called Bylakuppe. These are older people who left Tibet in the 1950's and 1960's when China was first invading Tibet.


Photo of a Tibetan woman gardening. This cat was just lounging on this woman's back as she picked vegetables. The woman didn't seem to mind, and she was laughing when I asked to take her picture. This is one of the sweetest things I have ever seen. I have a soft spot for cats.


Photo of Tibetan Medicine Doctor. I visited this man's traditionall Tibetan medicine clinic at the Tibetan refugee camp. Tibetan medicine is a holistic form of medicine, that incorporates all aspects of health, including spiritual health. The diagnosis process is a lot like Traditional Chinese medicine, feeling the pulse and looking inside the mouth. The doctor may prescribe certain herbs or even meditation to cure his patients.


Photo of Traditional Tibetan Medicine. Since many of the herbs used in Tibetan medicine are hard to find in India, the are shipped from Tibet. The doctor stores them like this to give to his patients.


Photo of a red Dragonfly. This dragonfly is the same color of the robes of Tibetan Buddhist monks. Could this be an incarnation of a lama?


Photo of an old Tibetan Refugee. This woman came from Tibet in the 1950's as a refugee. She was one of the original people who started the Bylakuppe camp. We visited her in her home and she told us some of her amazing story of survival.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Buddhist Temples at Tibetan Refugee Camp in Bylakuppe

These are photos of Tibetan Buddhist temples at the Tibetan refugee camp in Bylakuppe, India. At the camp there are many temples where Tibetan monks live. The monks left Tibet because of religious persecution.


Photo of Tibetan Buddhism Temple in India


Photo of Tibetan Refugee camp with a Buddhist temple.


Photo of a Tibetan Buddhist Temple of Tibetan Refugees in India.


Model of the Potala Palaca Temple in Lhasa. This is a model of the main Tibetan Buddhism palace temple in Tibet.


Tibetan Refugee Temple in Bylakuppe, India.


Photo of a Tibetan refugee monastery in Bylakuppe, India. This is where the Tibetan monks live, next to the temple.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Tibetan Refugee Art

These photos are from a Tibetan Refugee Camp in Bylakuppe, India. I visited this camp in 2006 when I was studying abroad in India. This camp is interesting because it is in southern India. Most of the Tibetan refugee settlements are in Northern India. These are photos of Tibetan Artists and Artisans at the refugee camp.


Photo of unfinished Tibetan Buddhism Tanka paintings. I visited at art studio and school where young Tibetans were learning how to paint Tankas. These are traditional Tibetan Buddhism paintings depicting gods and goddesses of Tibetan religion. The art is very exact, making sure that each paintings has the right proportions and colors and details.


Photo of a Tibetan Refugee Artist sketching for a Tanka. Like artists in other cultures, these kids were really "cool." They had long hair and earrings and wear dressed in trendy clothes.


Photo of tibetan rug weaving. The camp employed local Indian women to weave Tibetan carpets.


Photo of Tibetan Prayer Flags. This man was making Tibetan Prayer Flags at the artist studio.


Photo of Tibetan artists painting Tankas.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Hassan II Mosque Morocco Photographs

These are more photographs of the Hassan II Mosque in Morocco. I visited this mosque on my last day in Morocco, and watched the sun set over the ocean there. It was a nice goodbye to that country.



Photo of lovers resting on a fountain at Hassan II Mosque. I can only imagine they were wooing each other with Rumi poems as they secretly met at the mosque.


Photo of a muslim woman sitting at Hassan II mosque. The mosaic tile work at this mosque is amazing. All of the building materials for this mosque came from Morocco, except for a few pieces of marble that came from Italy.


Watching the sunset at Hassan II mosque.


Photo of Hassan II mosque over the sea in Casablanca, Morocco.


Photo of Hassan II Mosque.


Photo of the sunset in Casablanca.


More sunset.


A man resting at Hassan II Mosque, waiting for the call to prayer.


Photo of the detailed stone work of the Minaret of Hassan II mosque, Morocco.


Photo of a girl sitting at Hassan II mosque


Photo of the inside of Hassan II mosque. This staircase leads down to the bathing facilities, so worshipers can ritually wash themselves before praying.


Photo of the minaret of Hassan II mosque


the sun setting at Hassan II mosque, Morocco

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Photos of Hassan II Mosque

These are photos of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco. This is a newly built mosque that is constructed over the ocean. Inside, the floor is made of glass so you can see the ocean while you are praying. Unfortunately I did not have the chance to go inside. Foreigners and non-Muslims can only go in the mosque on a tour. It is the largest mosque in Morocco, and the third largest mosque in the world, after the mosques in Mecca and Medina.



View of the ocean from Hassan II Mosque, Morocco.


Photo of men in fez sitting at the entrance to Hassan II mosque, Morocco.


Photo of the entrance doors to Hassan II Mosque, Casablanca, Morocco. I made sure there were people standing under the doors so that you can see the enormous size of them.


Photo of Muslim women relaxing at Hassan II Mosque, Morocco.


Photo of arches at Hassan II mosque.


Photo of the inside of Hassan II mosque. Notice the ornate decorations and chandeliers inside the mosque.


Photo of a girl as Hassan II mosque. The mosque looked like a meeting place for many young people. Even couples seemed to be waiting for the lovers to meet them at the mosque. I guess since this is a pious Muslim country, teenagers tell their parents they are going to mosque, when they are really going to meet their boyfriends or girlfriends.


Photo of the Atlantic Ocean at Hassan II Mosque, Morocco.


Photo of the Minuet at Hassan II Mosque, Morocco.


Photo of the outside of Hassan II mosque, Casablanca, Morocco.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Sahara Desert Photos Morocco

These are photos taken of the desert in Morocco. Most of them were taken from my train window. I love riding trains because you get to see so much of the countryside, that normally would be inaccessible. These are pictures of tribal communities in the Sahara desert in Morocco, sheep herders in Morocco, and sheep in the desert.



Photo of a herd of sheep, Sahara Desert, Morocco.


Photo of a desert community, Morocco.


Photo of sheep herders, Sahara desert, Morocco.


Photo of houses in the Sahara desert, Morocco.


Photo of a sheep in the desert, Morocco.


Photo of a flock of sheep in the desert, Morocco.


Photo of the desert and mountains in Morocco.


Photo of a house in Morocco.


Desert village in Morocco.



Desert mountains in Morocco.