Village & Rural

Transporting water on bullock carts to the village from the nearby stream.

Old lady sitting in the farm while her cattle graze

Old and frail India: Close up portrait of an elderly person. This old man had a very staid expression and looked like he had seen many ups and down in his life. Sitting outside his house, he was watching as the people passed by in a village near Nagpur, Maharashtra. Jan 2007.

Elderly lady in front of her house located in a village near Nagpur, Maharashtra, India

"The little bundle of joy". Even with major dry skin all over, with her nose running and her cloths torn this little girl was full of energy and a bundle of joy. Probably seeing a camera for the first time she was shy yet curious. With water being a key resource, every effort is made to use minimum and to conserve it. Image shot near Nagpur, Maharashtra, India.

India: This lady is making chappatis and roti on an open fire on a flat vessel called tawa heated by fire wood. As people arrive for a village fair (called "Haat") at a village near Nagpur, Maharashtra, India these small units provide low cost meals.

Children outside their village home playing with a young goat.

Young calf eating fodder in the NGO SIRDI's cow shed area.

Food stall in the village. Selling an assorted sweets and other snacks. The young boy is heating some peanuts with a charcoal-pot.

Meeting with the women from multiple villages when visiting them and an NGO on an international evaluation visit.

Lady visiting the local village Haat (Village fair). Sunday market

Sweet smile of innocense.

Local barber.

India: "Simply Old": This old man was sitting at the corner outside his house and watching everyone passing by. Took permission to take his picture. Image taken in a village near Nagpur, Maharashtra. Jan 2007.

Cloth spun from the locally grown cotton and thread made by village women.

Cloth spun from the locally grown cotton and thread made by village women.

Cloth made from the cotton produced by the fields in rural India and then dyed using natural colours by the village women folk.

Spindles of threads used to make cloth from the locally grown cotton by village women.

Thread made by rural women from the locally grown cotton.

Thread made from cotton. Cloth made from the cotton produced by the fields in rural India and then dyed using natural colours by the village women folk.

Improvised bicycle used to make thread from cotton. Locally available cycle converted to this spinning machine called "charkha" which Mahatma Gandhi used to use.

Locally village women doing block printing on the cloth they produce.

Blocked printed cloth. Locally village women the around the area grown cotton, nuture the plants. use the cotton to spin the cloth, dye it and then produce this cloth and do block printing on it.

"Liquid of life": Water is a vital life-line for humans particularly for those living in rural India where getting potable water can be very difficult. The villagers use sand bags to block a stream and fill water in large cans to be taken on bullock carts to the village about 5 Kms away. Jan 2007.

"Life Force". Water is scarce and a vital resource. More so for those living in rural India where getting potable water can be very difficult. Villagers fill water in large cans to be taken on bullock carts to the home and fields. Village near Nagpur, Maharashtra, India. Jan 2007.

India: Finger in mouth - this was exactly how this little girl was walking down the rural street carry water for her family. Image shot in village near Nagpur, Maharashtra. Jan 2007.

India: Young children typically girls carry vessels filled with water from the local village hand pump to their homes as part of their daily chores in a village near Nagpur, Maharashtra. Jan 2007.

Simple childhood. Living in a rural home, with the most basic of facilities has its own problems. Yet this has not reduced the enthusiasum of this little bundle of joy. She sprang to her feet and gave a smile when she saw me taking this picture.

India: Children in a village near Nagpur, Maharashtra, India standing outside the home.

Lady of the house outside her modest home and her girl child at the entrance seen in the background.

India: Little girl standing outside the door to her house in a village near Nagpur, Maharashtra, India.

This girl child seen at the entrance of her rural home in a village near Nagpur, Maharasthra, India.

Mother with her baby in hand in front of her most basic house. Moving to see such abject poverty. The girl behind is naked and without any cloths and this site was not uncommon.

Old lady walking down the road in her village near Nagpur, Maharashtra, India.

India: Lady with her child and a large bag on her head was walking back towards her village located near Nagpur, Maharashtra. Its amazing how well they balance these bags and the loads they can carry over long distances. Jan 2007

Its the responsibility of the women to fetch the water. Seen here are two women heading to the village hand pump to bring water in their metal pots.

Ladies working with the NGO coming out of the village community centre.

India: This young girl gathered and is carrying the fire wood to her home in a local village near Nagpur, Maharashtra. Living on the edge of a forest burning wood collected from the forest is the primary source of fuel. Jan 2007.

India: "Deep thought": This lady was listening while attending a meeting organized by SIRDI which is an NGO working with rural women. In their conversation, they told me that even a few years back let alone talk or being photographed they would not even come near a man but today with the working of the NGOs in the village they have a better understanding and knowledge so they wish to participate. Jan 2007.

India: In a village near Nagpur, Maharashtra I took a portrait of this lady in a blue saree. Jan 2007.

India: Portrait of a girl in a village near Nagpur, Maharashtra. This girl had drapped the torn cloth over herself and with her earings gave a pose for a picture. Jan 2007.

India: Mother with her two daughters was sitting at the entrance of her house in a village near Nagpur, Maharashtra. Jan 2007.

India: A young mother looks on as she breast feeds her child in a village near Nagpur, Maharashtra. Jan 2007.

Children hitching a ride on a bullock cart carrying a grain cutter.