World through my lens

a photo journey

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Paranu Baba Mandir and Kund - A place of delight and surprise in the wilderness near Prayagraj

If Prayagraj is considered to be at the heart of North India, there are roads radially moving out in all directions. The one which heads south goes to Jabalpur and Chitrakoot. Both are fascinating places which are both tourist attractions as well as historically significant. This region is UP and MP border which has very less rainfall and the soil is not conducive to farming. Life here is tough…

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Monolithic Ashokan Pillar, Kaushambi - History and Significance

Ashoka was among the greatest ruler of India. His grandfather Chandragupta Maurya founded the Maurya Dynasty after defeating the ruling king of Nanda Dynasty. The Mauryan Empire with Pataliputra (near present day Patna) as the capital controlled vasts portions of land covering the Gangetic plains right up to Afghanistan. During the peak of his power, Ashoka converted to Buddhism and erected a…

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My experiences with mirrorless camera street photography in Gurugram - Fujifilm X S-20 with Tamron 18 to 300 mm

It is summer time and the streets of Gurugram offer an opportunity for some photography at some modernity. First I have used the Auto settings to test out the colour science of the latest Fujifilm X S-20 and it comes out with flying colours. All the images are JPEGs straight out of the camera without any editing. Later I used a film recipe. This cute outlet is located in Platina Towers near…

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Boat Art at Triveni Sangam Prayagraj

Daily hundreds of visitors arrive at Triveni Sangam Prayagraj, most of them for performing Asthi Visarjan. Perhaps after Kashi, Triveni Sangam is the most visited place for this important Hindu ritual. Other places where Asthi Visarjan is performed are Gaya, Puri, Pushkar, Rameswaram and Haridwar. Nashik, Ujjain and Mathura are a few other places. Triveni Sangam at Prayagraj is a vast location…

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Buddha Jayanti Park Delhi in Point and Shoot 200 Film Recipe

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Buddha Jayanti Park, Delhi - Location and Significance

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A tragedy and British brutality at Chhawani and the resilience of Bharatvarsha

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Minto Park, Prayagraj - A reminder of a fake apology by the British

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Amazing JPEGs right out of the box Fujifilm X S-20 - Prayagraj Magh Mela at night

Fujifilm Mirrorless Cameras are known to give JPEGs which are ready to share on messengers and social media. X S-10 was a game changer for the street photographer and content creator. Fujifilm followed it up with the X S-20 which comes with a greater punch. I have paired this camera with another great street photography lens, the Tamron 18-300mm which has both stabilization as well as a quiet…

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Panchayati Akhara Shri Niranjani, Prayagraj - Worshippers of the God of War, Kartikeya

In one of the by-lanes of Daraganj, Prayagraj the ashram of Panchayati Akhara Shri Niranjani is located. It is a second largest Akhara in India and they set up 52 – foot high holy flag in their camp which represents the 52 houses of the saints. Let us explore their primary deity, Kartikeya also popularly revered in India as the “God of War”. Kartikeya – God of War Tarakasura was born with just…

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Shiv Kachari Mahadev Temple, Prayagraj - The court of Lord Shiva

In 1865, the King of Nepal Rana General Padmajang Bahadur established each form of Shiva linga to create this temple in Shivkuti on the banks of river Ganga. Does the name sound intriguing. Yes, because kachari translates to a court of justice. It is believed that Lord Shiva sets up court here where devotees can ask for forgiveness. Welcome to Incredible Prayagraj. Location of Shiv Kachari…

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Subject detection of Fujifilm X S-20 - Birds of Triveni Sangam Prayagraj with sample images

Fujifilm X S-20 provides six options for subject detection, one of them is bird. While tracking birds, the X S-20 either locks to the entire body or if available, on the eye of the bird. Here are some sample images of birds. These birds are definitely the Black headed Gulls which come from Siberia to escape the harsh winters there. Pilgrims visiting Triveni Sangam Prayagraj enjoy these birds…

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Kodachrome Daily with a 64 look - best Fujifilm recipe for bright sunny sky (Location - Chandrashekhar Azad Park)

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National Charkha Museum, Palika Bazar Garden, Connaught Place - A humble tool that challenged the British Empire

The British came to India to colonize us. They used the East India Company as means to brutally subjugate us. After that came the factories, the first one setup in Surat in 1613. While the East India Company dealt in lots of good, their main revenue came from textiles. So this is what was taught in our text books. British grew raw material in India and then shipped it back to their factories in…

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The empty canopy being India Gate - a reminder of the British Raj

8th September 2002 marks the day in history of India when Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a 28 feet grand statue of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose under the empty canopy along with inauguration of “Kartavya Path”. Before this lakhs of visitors to India Gate used to ask the question, why an empty canopy. Let us explore the history and story behind this canopy. How the British entered…

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Shaheedi Park - India's first outdoor museum park, New Delhi (Photographer friendly and open late night)

You would be amazed how much amount of scrap is collected by the city authorities in Delhi NCR. But you will not be amused to find out what the authorities do with it. Nothing! Sometimes the scrap keeps lying around for years, wasting precious warehouse space. So when in 2019 when someone came up with an idea to create a “Waste to Wonder Theme Park”, it was a runaway success. Shaheedi Park is…

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The tomb of Razia Sultan - Chandni Chowk, New Delhi

First time I tried to locate the tomb of Razia Sultan was before the Google Maps and Smart Phones era. Asking for directions in the Old City for this tomb is not exactly enthusiastic and encouraging. Winding narrow lanes lead up to this secluded plot of land. Heavily encroached upon, it is thanks to the ASI which keeps the access way clear with the sign boards. The almost neglected and forgotten…

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