http://www.sanjanamanaktala.com/wildlife daily 0.75 2016-02-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1450215488458-CNTVXPOL1XHAAOGPX31F/C2I-5.jpg Japanese Wildlife - Respect Snakes scare many people, but I find them fascinating. This rat snake, or aodaisho, was quietly sunning itself by the walking path in the Quasi-National Park I was in, when a couple of misbehaved kids (a rarity in Japan) came running over and started screaming when they saw it, calling to their parents and chattering excitedly. I suppose I should be glad they didn't throw stones at it out of fear or hatred, but the shouting was enough to send it slithering from its happy little spot in the sun, towards the cool protection of the underground. As it left, I was shooting continuously, and it shot me this glance. I realized then that what we each demanded and supplied, simply what we needed to coexist, was respect. 23 July 2013, Onuma Koen, Hokkaido https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1450215488458-CNTVXPOL1XHAAOGPX31F/C2I-5.jpg Japanese Wildlife - Respect Snakes scare many people, but I find them fascinating. This rat snake, or aodaisho, was quietly sunning itself by the walking path in the Quasi-National Park I was in, when a couple of misbehaved kids (a rarity in Japan) came running over and started screaming when they saw it, calling to their parents and chattering excitedly. I suppose I should be glad they didn't throw stones at it out of fear or hatred, but the shouting was enough to send it slithering from its happy little spot in the sun, towards the cool protection of the underground. As it left, I was shooting continuously, and it shot me this glance. I realized then that what we each demanded and supplied, simply what we needed to coexist, was respect. 23 July 2013, Onuma Koen, Hokkaido https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1450214631678-FWYVZNS227Y7AU45VRES/C2I-1.jpg Japanese Wildlife - Calm Caught one day entirely by chance and only for a few moments, this Mandarin Duck represents the beauty and calm of bird-watching. It's riotous colours represent the leaping joy you feel when a species you've been longing to spot suddenly appears in front of you. I had barely a month left before leaving Japan, but I got to cross another item off my bucket list. 25 May 2014, Inokashira Koen, Tokyo https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1450338669755-DFDDVA25L8UPNWXYB4ZN/image-asset.jpeg Japanese Wildlife - Fear I chose stark contrasts and frantic action for this image, for two reasons: the gulls follow the boats because people feed them, and while it is a novel experience, it's also an unhealthy dependence and a skewing of the natural order. This uneasiness was brought home to me by the genuine dislike bordering on fear that my companion was experiencing while on the boat. The image thus reflects the uncomfortable tension created by greed, fear, and exhilaration of close human-wildlife contact. 26 March 2014, Matsushima Bay https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1454065326887-Q0610O0KF26XXRGSVLI9/image-asset.jpeg Japanese Wildlife - Caution Being a herbivore low on the food chain isn't easy, even in a land where natural predators run thin. This doe was feeding quietly on the path through the wildflower garden, but hearing us approaching, her ears pricked up. She looked around, and then watched us slowly inching towards her. Her nervousness was palpable, and seconds after this shot, she slipped into the undergrowth to continue her meal in undisturbed silence. 28 July 2013, Notsuke, Hokkaido. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1454066168750-H7IDRDPMA7LRLWRD9ZMJ/image-asset.jpeg Japanese Wildlife - Power There are few sights more majestic than a raptor, always larger than expected at close quarters, swooping down on unsuspecting prey. They project power and ruthless confidence - this is what they need to survive, what they were made to do. Being on a ferry at a height gave me this unusual vantage point, looking straight into the eyes of a black kite. 29 September 2013, Nokogiriyama, Chiba. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1454489457716-W35FZX85EFC4IYGPDLS1/image-asset.jpeg Japanese Wildlife - Curiosity Faced with the unusual, we go one of two ways: accepting or rejecting; fighting or fleeing; staying or going. But before we make these choices, before we set our path in stone, there is a moment: a moment of ephemerality, a moment of curiosity, a moment of wonder. With one last inquisitive glance, this Hokkaido fox, or kitsune, chose to slip away, its enchantment on us complete. 26 July 2013, Hokkaido. http://www.sanjanamanaktala.com/bhutan daily 0.75 2021-05-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452689339339-WF3NDBE7UXCPVKB7W3EE/image-asset.jpeg Bhutan Punakha Dzong, one of the largest monastery-fortresses in the county and the former capital, sees many tourists on a daily basis. Functionally, however, it is also the administrative centre for the district, and by law all office-workers in Bhutan must wear traditional clothing. So here, two young monks in training tail a working professional, possibly a government officer, exiting the building. As unfamiliar and exotic as it is to an outsider, this is their daily life. Punakha, Bhutan, 2015. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452689339339-WF3NDBE7UXCPVKB7W3EE/image-asset.jpeg Bhutan Punakha Dzong, one of the largest monastery-fortresses in the county and the former capital, sees many tourists on a daily basis. Functionally, however, it is also the administrative centre for the district, and by law all office-workers in Bhutan must wear traditional clothing. So here, two young monks in training tail a working professional, possibly a government officer, exiting the building. As unfamiliar and exotic as it is to an outsider, this is their daily life. Punakha, Bhutan, 2015. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1451391952278-KZ901JWUYLVT9SEN3ZXD/Bhutan+Shortlist-21.jpg Bhutan Colourful prayer flags emerge through the mist. Flags like this are a common sight in the Indian territory of Ladakh, reflecting the influence of Tibetan Buddhism on Himalayan cultures. They’re also often visible on cars and bikes in Delhi, a sign of pride in those who have made road trips north. Dochula Pass, Bhutan, 2015. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1451391785362-0CIM51DWP6FXX1VLJ9EX/Bhutan+Shortlist-48.jpg Bhutan A young monk hurries through Punakha Dzong, one of the largest, most famous, and most beautiful monastery-fortresses int he country. Punakha, Bhutan, 2015. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1451392126497-RN21NFC9CKJS9B9R3KMC/Bhutan+Shortlist-16.jpg Bhutan Decoratively painted wood-carved penises at a market reflect Bhutan's tradition of the phallus as a symbol of fertility and good luck. Thimphu, Bhutan, 2015. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1451392213788-BNKNC6PBU2Q5YZZ4E0JO/Bhutan+Shortlist-15.jpg Bhutan Even in urban settings, buildings must reflect the traditional architectural style, making every walk down the busiest streets a lesson in Bhutanese heritage. Thimphu, Bhutan, 2015. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1455021742745-JQ5AXOFKZNS1HJIQH3PZ/Bhutan+Shortlist-38.jpg Bhutan Children make the most of the endlessly mountainous terrain, playing on their tricycles without a care in the world. At the risk of romanticising poverty, look how happy they are. Punakha, Bhutan, 2015. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1455021733979-CSYAZYNFQPZX12Z0CWW9/Bhutan+Shortlist-39.jpg Bhutan Punakha Dzhong offers nearly endless opportunities to create beautiful images. The purple jacaranda in bloom, the red-clad monks walking down the bridge, framed by the wooden entry bridge, against the majestic building and the bright blue sky. Punakha 2015. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1455021787021-I715SPXO6PE04IEX21SI/Bhutan+Shortlist-41.jpg Bhutan Monks in the Bhutanese Buddhist tradition represent inner culture: the culture of the mind, its habits, preoccupations, thoughts, non-thoughts, and peace. It would be wonderful to be invited in. Punakha, 2015. http://www.sanjanamanaktala.com/naturescapes daily 0.75 2021-06-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622301747400-9RHH1Z89SAU7XQUHOC2R/Naturescape-1.jpg Naturescapes - Country Roads A road winds its way through the barren desert landscapes of Jordan, with a single car making its way through the vast, unending valley. Jordan, 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622301747400-9RHH1Z89SAU7XQUHOC2R/Naturescape-1.jpg Naturescapes - Country Roads A road winds its way through the barren desert landscapes of Jordan, with a single car making its way through the vast, unending valley. Jordan, 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622301774325-G1H8IA2443H10VTUXSW3/Naturescape-4.jpg Naturescapes - Wadi Sun Beauty in barrenness comes from the interplay of darkness and light. The towering cliffs of Wadi Rum emerge through the late afternoon haze, a strange arid landscape that feels unearthly but in fact, is one of the oldest on the planet. Wadi Rum, Jordan, 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622301745691-15V2T575T97IAXTDNIC5/Naturescape-2.jpg Naturescapes - Growth In the semi-arid eastern desert of the Arabian Peninsula, a lone tree struggles starkly to survive the elements. Jordan, 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622301779397-6XNR3HKTHC2LZ90BBW67/Naturescape-3.jpg Naturescapes - The Other Side of the Desert As the last golden rays of the setting sun light up the sandstone cliffs of Wadi Rum, two camels walk in the shadow and two in the light. Wadi Rum, Jordan, 2018 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622301804409-AEUGTJV2TZMPPFS8Y6AN/Naturescape-5.jpg Naturescapes - Cat of the Desert Camels are ubiquitous in the desert landscape, and have been for thousands of years. Wadi Rum, Jordan, 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622301806619-M24BUW6SINTIGP328RXP/Naturescape-6.jpg Naturescapes - Salt Border Sunset over the Dead Sea silhouettes a tree and conceals an international border. The landmass at the other end is Israel. Jordan, 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1451404709306-BWQ23Y4RH5MNB6EOUIF8/C2I-6-3.jpg Naturescapes - Ghost Forest In a shrimp-shaped peninsula on the eastern coast of Hokkaido, known as Notsuke, lies an extraordinary natural phenomenon. Dead fir and oak forests, called Todowara and Narawara, lie perfectly preserved in a long and narrow sandbank, along with abandoned fisherman's huts. Around 7 am in July 2013, the area was covered with an eerie mist, and the slowly decaying remains of these trees made me, just for a moment, believe in ghosts. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452629580386-TWR1UTAMEMAADFO3NAFZ/image-asset.jpeg Naturescapes - A Path to Nowhere Desolate landscapes usually offer a stark unforgiving view of the world, but here I found siren softness in the mist, ghost firs salted and drying over decades littering the sand. The boardwalk promised a road cutting through the fog, which ended abruptly, but from this vantage point, the road could go on forever. 2013, Hokkaido, Japan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1451424806632-AVURAXVHRLV4Z4G1RYC4/Cityscapes-9.jpg Naturescapes - Imperial Palace In the centre of the sprawling metropolis that is bustling Tokyo, lies an oasis of calm, beauty, greenery, water and zen. The Imperial Palace, largely closed to the public, houses the Royal Household, the Emperor and his family, the leaders of one of the few surviving developed country monarchies. Walking around the massive complex housed within Edo-era walls, the immersion in history feels complete. Tokyo, Japan, 2014. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1450216352771-IWVRL1P1NPHGP2IFTJPD/Hokkaido-7.jpg Naturescapes - Hell Valley Jigokudani, or Hell Valley, is one of the most geothermally active spots on the planet. Sharing its name with the famous Snow Monkey onsen, this one is in Noboribetsu, in Hokkaido. What they don't tell you is how it looks and smells like something out of Dante's Inferno. The sufuric fumes, the bubbling mud, the mist in the air, and the heat - all add up to an experience like no other. The massive geothermal lake Oyunuma, natural hot spring footbath in the river, and the onsen resorts nearby make this an incredible find, well worth exploring. 24 July 2013, Noboribetsu, Hokkaido. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1450217978965-ZF730TGX2JW9DD6B0V87/Hokkaido-4.jpg Naturescapes - Path Divergent Even if it isn't a literal wood they're diverging in, paths like these in the midst of very literal natural grandeur remind me of what's at stake. Those clouds could turn into typhoons pretty quick, and because of climate change, they're going to be stronger than ever. If you ever need to remember what it is that environmentalists are fighting for, it is this. 28 July 2015, Shiretoko, Hokkaido https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1451476746313-FDN7KZUZ4PDVDBMY73DG/C2I-8.jpg Naturescapes - Aqua Culture I like to have my camera out and ready to capture moments whenever and wherever I find them. On a local train student trip across Honshu, we were passing pretty paddy fields as the sun set in fantastical looking skies. Shooting out of the window of a moving train isn't ideal, but I stayed ready and when this gap in foliage emerged, revealing waters reflective of a rainbow sky, I shot. Japan, 2014. http://www.sanjanamanaktala.com/photography daily 0.75 2024-09-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452680953106-JVDJ7C3H0VTQ09CK251N/image-asset.jpeg Photography This young pair of African lions was trying to figure out how to mate for the first time. We caught them in deeply dappled sunlight, and I managed this powerful image as they both suddenly went on high alert; a herd of elephants was approaching, which would eventually chase the two away from their comfortable spot. Sabi Sands, South Africa, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452681380395-68U46FYXSO3XNBNCCDRA/Africa-10.jpg Photography In Londolozi, the leopards are each identified and tracked from birth - their family trees and lineage are carefully recorded, and in a minimally invasive way, they are brought in for treatment if they fall sick. This male was resting quietly, biding time through the heat of the afternoon, till the cooler breeze of the evening would bring hunting time. Sabi Sands, South Africa, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1453964495261-SUVTFC915C3B1YWUS86V/image-asset.jpeg Photography Sisterhood between the females of a pride is a key part of social bonding. Nuzzling strengthens these bonds, I imagine in much the same way that touch between humans stimulates oxytocin production. Cubs watch and learn. Botswana, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452682688172-E3VOWY3A7TQ6EDKPESYE/Africa-11.jpg Photography Symbiotic relationships exist everywhere in nature, and the oxpecker and the rhino are one such, albeit slightly lop-sided. The tickbird pecks off skin parasites from the rhino, even cleaning out wounds of botfly larvae and other parasites. But the bird prefers engorged ticks that have already had their feed, and while cleaning out wounds, as seen here, it can pick off scabs and cause fresh bleeding. At least in terms of predator warnings, though, which the oxpecker gives the rhino, the relationship is truly equal. Sabi Sands, South Africa, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452685838426-D9YFR0UKYQ4PAQ12CMFK/image-asset.jpeg Photography A young litter of cubs surrounds their mother in the late evening, playing and rubbing against her for comfort and strengthening social bonds. The bonds between a pack are crucial for hunting, but also uncharacteristically friendly - often for no reason other than affection. The complex pride dynamics of lions as social cats consistently offer up incredible insights into the animal psyche. Savute, Botswana, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452682704018-2XAIX3YXB1NRA88W8UC5/image-asset.jpeg Photography - Following in Her Footsteps Motherhood in all its forms for some reason strikes a unique chord. This tiny elephant calf trots along after its mother, staying close for safety. If the hyenas get too close, they could easily snap the tip of its tail or trunk off! Mum is cooling herself off with a sand shower, as they regally but gently turn their backs on us to return to the herd. Sabi Sands, South Africa, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452687148845-AS98N456FYR7HKUYFNH0/image-asset.jpeg Photography Leopards in trees might be one of my favourite things ever. Sabi Sands, South Africa, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452686212262-37I43MBXAFSFIARF5A6B/image-asset.jpeg Photography Collective nouns are a peculiar thing, but delightful for lovers of the English language. Zebras, for example, together are called a dazzle. A dazzle of zebras. This image demonstrates why. Sabi Sands, South Africa, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452687204559-V2HIXGDX7OGCX53EHEVS/image-asset.jpeg Photography A leopard leaping down a tree might be one of my luckiest shots ever. Seeking protection from larger predators and protecting its food from potential thieves like hyenas, limber leopards leap up and down trees in the bush seemingly effortlessly. Close to dusk, we came upon this individual resting in the tree, and after a long wait, we had milliseconds as the guide whispered, "She's coming down!", and without time to fix camera settings or anything, she slipped down the tree and soon vanished into the bush. Sabi Sands, South Africa, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452681360244-APUDY1ZIYBVB0LBO7RCV/Africa-7.jpg Photography The lioness's bond with her cubs is one the most powerful and most delightful sights the the African bush has to offer. This family, the Tsalala Pride, comprised of two adult females and eight cubs in two litters. If cubs reach the age of two, adulthood, males separate from the pride and females usually stay on. But the bush is a dangerous place, and very few cubs survive. At this age though, they offer one of the most heart-warming squeal-inducing sights there is. Sabi Sands, South Africa, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452687539983-D52OV0LMZ5TX99F8M0FV/image-asset.jpeg Photography The African sacred ibis was central to Egyptian mythology, seen as the representative of the god Thoth, god of wisdom, knowledge and writing. It was considered the herald of the flood and is found mummified in tombs across ancient Egypt. However, due to habitat destruction and other factors, the ibis is extinct in modern Egypt. Luckily, it still thrives in sub-Saharan Africa, and soars across the sky wowing unsuspecting tourists like myself. Sabi Sands, South Africa, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1454488209647-FNB0MXVW08ONIEWV83JZ/image-asset.jpeg Photography The cool blues of the evening set off the the vibrancy of this female leopard's coat, as she languidly draped herself across the branches. Watching out for predators and prey alike, she gazed calmly out into the distance, giving us ample opportunity to frame and reframe shots. Wary but self-assured, she dominated the landscape effortlessly. Sabi Sands, South Africa, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1450215488458-CNTVXPOL1XHAAOGPX31F/C2I-5.jpg Photography - Respect Snakes scare many people, but I find them fascinating. This rat snake, or aodaisho, was quietly sunning itself by the walking path in the Quasi-National Park I was in, when a couple of misbehaved kids (a rarity in Japan) came running over and started screaming when they saw it, calling to their parents and chattering excitedly. I suppose I should be glad they didn't throw stones at it out of fear or hatred, but the shouting was enough to send it slithering from its happy little spot in the sun, towards the cool protection of the underground. As it left, I was shooting continuously, and it shot me this glance. I realized then that what we each demanded and supplied, simply what we needed to coexist, was respect. 23 July 2013, Onuma Koen, Hokkaido https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1450214631678-FWYVZNS227Y7AU45VRES/C2I-1.jpg Photography - Calm Caught one day entirely by chance and only for a few moments, this Mandarin Duck represents the beauty and calm of bird-watching. It's riotous colours represent the leaping joy you feel when a species you've been longing to spot suddenly appears in front of you. I had barely a month left before leaving Japan, but I got to cross another item off my bucket list. 25 May 2014, Inokashira Koen, Tokyo https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1450338669755-DFDDVA25L8UPNWXYB4ZN/image-asset.jpeg Photography - Fear I chose stark contrasts and frantic action for this image, for two reasons: the gulls follow the boats because people feed them, and while it is a novel experience, it's also an unhealthy dependence and a skewing of the natural order. This uneasiness was brought home to me by the genuine dislike bordering on fear that my companion was experiencing while on the boat. The image thus reflects the uncomfortable tension created by greed, fear, and exhilaration of close human-wildlife contact. 26 March 2014, Matsushima Bay https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1454065326887-Q0610O0KF26XXRGSVLI9/image-asset.jpeg Photography - Caution Being a herbivore low on the food chain isn't easy, even in a land where natural predators run thin. This doe was feeding quietly on the path through the wildflower garden, but hearing us approaching, her ears pricked up. She looked around, and then watched us slowly inching towards her. Her nervousness was palpable, and seconds after this shot, she slipped into the undergrowth to continue her meal in undisturbed silence. 28 July 2013, Notsuke, Hokkaido. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1454066168750-H7IDRDPMA7LRLWRD9ZMJ/image-asset.jpeg Photography - Power There are few sights more majestic than a raptor, always larger than expected at close quarters, swooping down on unsuspecting prey. They project power and ruthless confidence - this is what they need to survive, what they were made to do. Being on a ferry at a height gave me this unusual vantage point, looking straight into the eyes of a black kite. 29 September 2013, Nokogiriyama, Chiba. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1454489457716-W35FZX85EFC4IYGPDLS1/image-asset.jpeg Photography - Curiosity Faced with the unusual, we go one of two ways: accepting or rejecting; fighting or fleeing; staying or going. But before we make these choices, before we set our path in stone, there is a moment: a moment of ephemerality, a moment of curiosity, a moment of wonder. With one last inquisitive glance, this Hokkaido fox, or kitsune, chose to slip away, its enchantment on us complete. 26 July 2013, Hokkaido. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622465110762-OL0ZNLR28Q7Y2MRKEPVM/Tigers-2.jpg Photography I was nearly hanging off the back of our gypsy to catch these shots - I was losing my balance but couldn’t raise my voice, resulting in a quiet but urgent “Guys. Guys. GUYS. A little help here?” As you might imagine, I did not fall off. Ranthambhore, India, 2016 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622465168605-CR0MM5A3OW14OVRSC666/Tigers-9.jpg Photography Truly the most special tiger sighting I’ve ever had. Mom plays with and grooms her sub-adult cub, with our jeep parked immediately parallel to them. Ranthambhore, India, 2016 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622465263050-TGGK1FL5OG3XM3EBUF0P/Tigers-18.jpg Photography India’s national animal pads through the brush, as India’s national bird looks on from behind. Ranthambhore, India, 2016 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622466894605-MBDNFWYL6F0VG675DXMK/Tigers-15.jpg Photography - Big Cats They’re really just giant versions of my little goofballs. Ranthambhore, India, 2016. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622465197208-1VPXDTMLZHURBIQ3MJ2P/Tigers-17.jpg Photography Sub-adult male scent marks the stone remnants of manmade structures. Let’s be very clear about who this territory belong to - him, not us. Ranthambhore, India, 2016. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622465229653-6UZSHZ659FK9MSUM939S/Tigers-22.jpg Photography Not technically up to standard perhaps, but one of my favorites. Mother and son silhouetted against the water. Ranthambhore, India, 2016. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622301747400-9RHH1Z89SAU7XQUHOC2R/Naturescape-1.jpg Photography - Country Roads A road winds its way through the barren desert landscapes of Jordan, with a single car making its way through the vast, unending valley. Jordan, 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622301774325-G1H8IA2443H10VTUXSW3/Naturescape-4.jpg Photography - Wadi Sun Beauty in barrenness comes from the interplay of darkness and light. The towering cliffs of Wadi Rum emerge through the late afternoon haze, a strange arid landscape that feels unearthly but in fact, is one of the oldest on the planet. Wadi Rum, Jordan, 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622301745691-15V2T575T97IAXTDNIC5/Naturescape-2.jpg Photography - Growth In the semi-arid eastern desert of the Arabian Peninsula, a lone tree struggles starkly to survive the elements. Jordan, 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622301779397-6XNR3HKTHC2LZ90BBW67/Naturescape-3.jpg Photography - The Other Side of the Desert As the last golden rays of the setting sun light up the sandstone cliffs of Wadi Rum, two camels walk in the shadow and two in the light. Wadi Rum, Jordan, 2018 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622301804409-AEUGTJV2TZMPPFS8Y6AN/Naturescape-5.jpg Photography - Cat of the Desert Camels are ubiquitous in the desert landscape, and have been for thousands of years. Wadi Rum, Jordan, 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622301806619-M24BUW6SINTIGP328RXP/Naturescape-6.jpg Photography - Salt Border Sunset over the Dead Sea silhouettes a tree and conceals an international border. The landmass at the other end is Israel. Jordan, 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1451404709306-BWQ23Y4RH5MNB6EOUIF8/C2I-6-3.jpg Photography - Ghost Forest In a shrimp-shaped peninsula on the eastern coast of Hokkaido, known as Notsuke, lies an extraordinary natural phenomenon. Dead fir and oak forests, called Todowara and Narawara, lie perfectly preserved in a long and narrow sandbank, along with abandoned fisherman's huts. Around 7 am in July 2013, the area was covered with an eerie mist, and the slowly decaying remains of these trees made me, just for a moment, believe in ghosts. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452629580386-TWR1UTAMEMAADFO3NAFZ/image-asset.jpeg Photography - A Path to Nowhere Desolate landscapes usually offer a stark unforgiving view of the world, but here I found siren softness in the mist, ghost firs salted and drying over decades littering the sand. The boardwalk promised a road cutting through the fog, which ended abruptly, but from this vantage point, the road could go on forever. 2013, Hokkaido, Japan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1451424806632-AVURAXVHRLV4Z4G1RYC4/Cityscapes-9.jpg Photography - Imperial Palace In the centre of the sprawling metropolis that is bustling Tokyo, lies an oasis of calm, beauty, greenery, water and zen. The Imperial Palace, largely closed to the public, houses the Royal Household, the Emperor and his family, the leaders of one of the few surviving developed country monarchies. Walking around the massive complex housed within Edo-era walls, the immersion in history feels complete. Tokyo, Japan, 2014. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1450216352771-IWVRL1P1NPHGP2IFTJPD/Hokkaido-7.jpg Photography - Hell Valley Jigokudani, or Hell Valley, is one of the most geothermally active spots on the planet. Sharing its name with the famous Snow Monkey onsen, this one is in Noboribetsu, in Hokkaido. What they don't tell you is how it looks and smells like something out of Dante's Inferno. The sufuric fumes, the bubbling mud, the mist in the air, and the heat - all add up to an experience like no other. The massive geothermal lake Oyunuma, natural hot spring footbath in the river, and the onsen resorts nearby make this an incredible find, well worth exploring. 24 July 2013, Noboribetsu, Hokkaido. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1450217978965-ZF730TGX2JW9DD6B0V87/Hokkaido-4.jpg Photography - Path Divergent Even if it isn't a literal wood they're diverging in, paths like these in the midst of very literal natural grandeur remind me of what's at stake. Those clouds could turn into typhoons pretty quick, and because of climate change, they're going to be stronger than ever. If you ever need to remember what it is that environmentalists are fighting for, it is this. 28 July 2015, Shiretoko, Hokkaido https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1451476746313-FDN7KZUZ4PDVDBMY73DG/C2I-8.jpg Photography - Aqua Culture I like to have my camera out and ready to capture moments whenever and wherever I find them. On a local train student trip across Honshu, we were passing pretty paddy fields as the sun set in fantastical looking skies. Shooting out of the window of a moving train isn't ideal, but I stayed ready and when this gap in foliage emerged, revealing waters reflective of a rainbow sky, I shot. Japan, 2014. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622287868973-LBOPMSMHTCN5CPXAG511/Amman+Cityscape-2.jpg Photography - Theatricity The Roman Amphitheatre in Amman seats 6000 people and was oriented northwards to keep the sun off the spectators. From the 2nd Century when it was built right up until the modern day, the amphitheatre has served as a meeting place for Jordanians looking to sit, talk, watch, listen and laugh. Even as the walk up the steep ancient stairs to the top rung of seats had me out of breath, the view downwards was breath-taking. Amman, 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622282814868-LZ6DI913ASD8VX0HLFPD/Amman+Cityscape-4.jpg Photography - Freedom Many Arab states have similar flags: they use red, white, green and black, the colours of the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire, in different shapes and combinations. But the flag of Jordan is just one star away from that of Palestine. At a time of war and intensifying occupation of Palestinian lands, it is worth remembering that Jordan is home to nearly 2.2 million Palestinians, pushed out of their homes. As the flag flies high among a flock of birds at sunset, it’s hard not to think of the freedom Palestinians have so long been denied. Perhaps then, the city of Amman could be a symbol of hope, for a peaceful and just future. Amman, 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622286935876-NG09EWYR9PF7B5HXQFKY/Amman+Cityscape-5.jpg Photography - Herculean Skyline The Temple of Hercules, or rather what’s left of it, sits atop a hill overlooking the city of Amman. Young Jordanian boys stand framed by its soaring pillars, as the departure of the setting sun leaves behind a blue world. Whatever I had expected of Jordan, the extent of ancient Graeco-Roman architecture was not it. But then, I’ve always loved surprises. Amman, 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1453107460709-KV7V0LHR1O4UWBF6RTCH/image-asset.jpeg Photography - Lodhi by Night Historians speak of the Seven Cities of Delhi, yet one of Delhi's most loved and lived-in sets of monuments, the tombs in Lodhi Gardens, fall in the interstices between the great seven. After the Tughlaq dynasties and before the Mughals and Sher Shah Suri, before the creation of the Purana Quila, the last rulers of the Lodi dynasty were entombed in then open land. The creation of gardens around them in the name of Lady Willingdon makes today's Lodhi Gardens unique: Afghan tombs in a British garden. In the minutes after sunset, winter offers stunning skies to complement the age-old architecture, lifting the weight of history and reminding us, through the lady standing before the tomb, how special this city really is. January 2015, New Delhi. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1454264164461-NCGS2N49QY6OVSNKKD8U/image-asset.jpeg Photography - Sunset Point Humayun's Tomb is a stunning example of Mughal architecture at the heart of Delhi, the model for the Taj Mahal and a stunning interweaving of Persian and Hindu architectural styles. Thousands of tourists on the sightseeing route busily enter and exit this World Heritage Site from the West Gate every day, but the southern lawns are slower-paced. Young people sun themselves on the fresh green grass, enjoying the age-old majesty that surrounds them. Here, things are calm. 11 August 2014, Delhi. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1451423842834-ZWQJ16JGRQ9721R3XLXC/Agra-17.jpg Photography - Mughal Mahal The tiny human figures in the bottom right corner of the frame provide a sense of the grand scale of this grand monument. Taken on a short trip showing foreigner friends around, from an angle I had never noticed before. Taj Mahal, Agra, India, 2014. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452532114021-Q3JXROT8OJL9O3ZK3P1G/Rainbow+Bridge-2.jpg Photography - Bridging the Rainbow Monochrome shot under Rainbow Bridge, Tokyo, taken during a summer boat cruise of Tokyo Bay where wearing yukatas would get you a 1000 yen discount. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1451393367558-OX9WRO91VC70DJ1AMVU9/C2I-10.jpg Photography - Tokyo Towering In red on the right is Tokyo Tower, and on the left in the corner is Tokyo Skytree, which took over its broadcasting duties, and is now the tallest tower in the world. From Roppongi's building though, Tokyo Tower is still number one. Taken from the Mori Museum viewing deck, while showing my family my favourite spots in the city. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1451393353994-PMDU72SZUYM6ISGQ9G6C/C2I-1.jpg Photography - Clocking Cosmo The Cosmo Clock in Yokohama, once the largest ferris wheel in the world. Taken from a mall balcony on a chilly winter evening, balanced on the railing to get the long exposure movement of the rising ride next to it. Yokohama, Japan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1453979928432-XC2XA54ZQQCT0OHX9TJJ/image-asset.jpeg Photography - Temple Town Sensoji temple is one of the oldest, largest, and most famous in Tokyo. It is hard to capture the scale and rhythm of this sprawling complex, but in tight glimpses, I could see the clean geometry of modern Japanese architecture tracing its roots back to the simplicity behind ornate traditional forms. Tokyo, 2012. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1450216093506-6DPNBULN06FLG8AM7MEG/image-asset.jpeg Photography - Summer at Yoyogi 15 June 2014, Yoyogi Park, Tokyo https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1453980239360-RF5TYBGS3O2H9A9RVQI1/image-asset.jpeg Photography - Luck and Prayers Most large temple complexes in Japan have a section where you can buy slips of paper (omikuji), for fortune-telling and wooden tablets (ema), to write down a wish, which is offered to the gods as a prayer. These are shinto traditions, but Buddhism and shinto are deeply integrated in life in Japan, so the custom is followed at Buddhist temples like Sensoji too. Often, the single complex will house both a temple and a shrine, also seen at Sensoji. Tokyo, 2012. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1453981334399-77Q3YFK0FFYPDP6ZPZ15/Japan-4.jpg Photography - Lottery Omikuji are little slips of paper drawn at a temple or shrine which tell your fortune. They can offer great blessings, great curses, or a range in between. Today this is more like a game for Japanese people, but once, omikuji were even used to choose the Shogun! When the luck offered is poor, people traditionally tied them to pine trees, playing on the homonyms 'matsu', meaning both 'pine' and 'wait'. By tying the ill-fortune to the pine tree, perhaps it could be warded off and made to wait for a while. Tokyo, 2012. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1453981013059-VRDRVZFB822P79TYXUST/image-asset.jpeg Photography - Make a Wish These wooden plaques are used to write prayers on to offer to Shinto gods, and often have elaborate drawings or paintings on them. Ema, meaning "drawn horse" or picture of a horse, emerged as the poor man's alternative to offering horses as a sacrifice. 2012 was the Year of the Dragon, making this kind of imagery popular at shrines across the country. At one time, ema decorations were displayed similar to today's art galleries, making it yet another delicate art form in a culture that celebrates tea ceremonies and flower arrangements as metaphors for life. Tokyo, 2012. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1454007541347-JSJNEGX86IZBAKUR75XS/image-asset.jpeg Photography - Clean Before entering a shrine or temple, you must wash your hands and rid yourself of all that is unclean. The purification ritual traditionally involves rinsing the mouth as well, but that is often avoided. Tokyo, 2012. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622297612960-ZFBS2E45CEHSOB1GVIP2/Culture-4.jpg Photography - Horse-drawn History The Nabatean city of Petra is spread over a hundred square miles in the middle of the desert - so it can be kind of difficult to navigate entirely on foot. These horse-drawn buggies help carry tired travellers from one end of the ruined city to another. I stood by a turn in the Siq, the cleft rock passageway leading to the city, waiting for one to drive past to capture it in motion. Petra, Jordan, 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622298958471-54NGTMGSHL6W13K50Y43/Culture-3.jpg Photography - The Rest Step Though many visit explicitly to soak up the history of the Roman Amphitheatre, young Jordanian children are more interested in playing than in atmosphere. In the peak heat of the day though, even they get tired sometimes. This boy stopped for a moment to rest, looking back at his friends who soon joined him. Amman, Jordan, 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622297638958-5DTZ6PLXHZFPQCZBIYCQ/Culture-5.jpg Photography - A Donkey Among Camels At the risk of stereotyping, it was not unusual to see traditionally-dressed men on a donkey leading a string of camels in the city of Petra. Even if there is an element of pandering to tourists, it’s easy to imagine this exact sight occurring 2000 years ago when the Nabatean civilization was at its peak. If recreating the past can help tour guides secure a better future, then who’s to object? Petra, Jordan, 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622297662679-UT5Q8PUASA2KH42OLRC4/Culture-7.jpg Photography - Unhidden Treasure The first sight of the famed Treasury at Petra peeked through the twists and turns of the Siq. Small figures at the bottom demonstrate the awe-inspiring scale of the carvings and skill of the carvers. Petra, Jordan, 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622297667346-N3D9VYW9Z9MLJ0E4BKOM/Culture-2.jpg Photography - Rock Paper Stairs Often slippery, sometimes crumbling, it’s plain to see that the stairs up the Roman Amphitheatre in Amman carry centuries of history in their bones. Amman, Jordan, 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622303207008-YW3U9YYN272S8W85I8FT/Culture-10.jpg Photography - Complex Columns The Oval Plaza in the Roman ruins of the city of Jerash sits at one end of Colonnade Street, ringed by 1st century AD Ionic columns. It is part of a complex that includes a Temple of Athena, a Temple of Dionysus, two Roman theatres, a hippodrome and Hadrian’s Arch, constructed in honour of the Empreror Hadrian who ruled lands from Britain across Europe. Jerash has been home to an unbroken chain of human occupation from more than 6,500 years ago. If touristing in Rome is too crowded for you, consider Jordan. Jerash, 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452689339339-WF3NDBE7UXCPVKB7W3EE/image-asset.jpeg Photography Punakha Dzong, one of the largest monastery-fortresses in the county and the former capital, sees many tourists on a daily basis. Functionally, however, it is also the administrative centre for the district, and by law all office-workers in Bhutan must wear traditional clothing. So here, two young monks in training tail a working professional, possibly a government officer, exiting the building. As unfamiliar and exotic as it is to an outsider, this is their daily life. Punakha, Bhutan, 2015. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1451391952278-KZ901JWUYLVT9SEN3ZXD/Bhutan+Shortlist-21.jpg Photography Colourful prayer flags emerge through the mist. Flags like this are a common sight in the Indian territory of Ladakh, reflecting the influence of Tibetan Buddhism on Himalayan cultures. They’re also often visible on cars and bikes in Delhi, a sign of pride in those who have made road trips north. Dochula Pass, Bhutan, 2015. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1451391785362-0CIM51DWP6FXX1VLJ9EX/Bhutan+Shortlist-48.jpg Photography A young monk hurries through Punakha Dzong, one of the largest, most famous, and most beautiful monastery-fortresses int he country. Punakha, Bhutan, 2015. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1451392126497-RN21NFC9CKJS9B9R3KMC/Bhutan+Shortlist-16.jpg Photography Decoratively painted wood-carved penises at a market reflect Bhutan's tradition of the phallus as a symbol of fertility and good luck. Thimphu, Bhutan, 2015. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1451392213788-BNKNC6PBU2Q5YZZ4E0JO/Bhutan+Shortlist-15.jpg Photography Even in urban settings, buildings must reflect the traditional architectural style, making every walk down the busiest streets a lesson in Bhutanese heritage. Thimphu, Bhutan, 2015. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1455021742745-JQ5AXOFKZNS1HJIQH3PZ/Bhutan+Shortlist-38.jpg Photography Children make the most of the endlessly mountainous terrain, playing on their tricycles without a care in the world. At the risk of romanticising poverty, look how happy they are. Punakha, Bhutan, 2015. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1455021733979-CSYAZYNFQPZX12Z0CWW9/Bhutan+Shortlist-39.jpg Photography Punakha Dzhong offers nearly endless opportunities to create beautiful images. The purple jacaranda in bloom, the red-clad monks walking down the bridge, framed by the wooden entry bridge, against the majestic building and the bright blue sky. Punakha 2015. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1455021787021-I715SPXO6PE04IEX21SI/Bhutan+Shortlist-41.jpg Photography Monks in the Bhutanese Buddhist tradition represent inner culture: the culture of the mind, its habits, preoccupations, thoughts, non-thoughts, and peace. It would be wonderful to be invited in. Punakha, 2015. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452629340988-9XEX3QXF637P4E5YM2YE/Hokkaido-8.jpg Photography - Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance One of the most famous Buddhist chants in the world, nam myoho renge kyo, comes from the Japanese translation of the title of the Lotus Sutra. In some forms of Mahayana Buddhism, this is considered to contain the complete teachings of Buddha. I'm not a religious person, but when I experience the power in this imagery of this lotus to evoke a zen-like calm, the connections make sense. Hokkaido, Japan, 2013. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452755270881-UMWWZGBQV02ST91L1FS6/image-asset.jpeg Photography - Half of a Yellow Sun Following individuals as they exist against the backdrop of larger events provides a perspective far-removed from the mainstream - the subaltern. Literature is uniquely empowered to do this, and today, this image created in Botswana reminds me of the Biafran war. Geographically separated but historically linked, the territories share the weight of British colonial history, and everything that comes with it. The quiet sepias of the image remember and mourn this history, wherever it exists. Okavango Delta, Botswana, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452629017288-IN9SZ4VH6ZUNXES35AFO/image-asset.jpeg Photography - Pearly Dew Drops Drop A fleeting glimpse of this web at around 7 am on a chilly July morning in Notsuke Peninsula excited me. "The blind spot which opens the visibility of the text is its absent center." The spider in Derridean "play" shifts between absence and presence, but the structures around it remain. If the spider had been present, the beauty of the web would become secondary; instead, it is subject. 2013, Hokkaido, Japan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1454492216756-5EO0OXVPR2K6P8BP13VJ/image-asset.jpeg Photography - The Secret Garden The bustling streets of the largest megametropolis in the world are an unusual place to find nature. But nature finds a way. In an abandoned flowerpot on the corner of a busy road in Ebisu, these wild daisies caught my attention. The bright colours, the contrasting shutters in the background, and the little ants scurrying through the sparse foliage, if it can even be called that, all struck me as unexpectedly delightful. The resilience and restorative power of the natural world never cease to amaze. Tokyo, 2012. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452711896224-AL660LYV2R7DBDZZUZJO/image-asset.jpeg Photography - Ode to the West Wind The last vestiges of a brilliantly colourful autumn slowly fade into grim winter. The creeping cold tries to consume everything in its path, but tiny fragments defiantly remain, a reminder that this too shall pass, and spring will come again. Tokyo, Japan, 2013. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452629296752-TQ7D94YP43CG6HRLOVB2/image-asset.jpeg Photography - the lesson of the moth Hiding underneath leaves, wet with dew, wandering in Noboribetsu, a hot spring town. Spectacular sulphurous streams fade into a mild orange background. Life is what you pay attention to. 2013, Hokkaido, Japan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1451393607358-F6BYZFH2MJ1X786ONPF4/Printing+for+Youngsters-16.jpg Photography https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1451393672916-3RPOJ3U3RSOPH0ABTG25/Printing+for+Youngsters-17.jpg Photography https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1451393662550-2K67DGQN7WE6SI0HGOVA/Printing+for+Youngsters-15.jpg Photography https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1451393628650-2B0X2PNT2UKRAD18UD6S/Printing+for+Youngsters-12.jpg Photography https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1454939502662-6KVJ1VPGU1OYN1ZPLF03/Printing+for+Youngsters-19.jpg Photography https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1454939454416-I3Y82Q9Y7IOUGZ7UH4MO/Printing+for+Youngsters-20.jpg Photography https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622303896241-ZZQWZJFO6ZDGJYEW4EOW/Culture-5.jpg Photography https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622394906713-BI7JC10SHUWEZTKQV60M/Screenshot+2021-05-30+at+10.40.00+PM.png Photography https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622463489315-DT59AFLCYRIE6UOL71D0/Naturescape-4.jpg Photography https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622464690238-0GIOE8Y5EO60ZNOP8GTW/Screenshot+2021-05-31+at+6.07.50+PM.png Photography https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1623317353260-2778R7TTHZF5CZLY2079/Tigers-9.jpg Photography http://www.sanjanamanaktala.com/cityscapes daily 0.75 2021-06-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622287868973-LBOPMSMHTCN5CPXAG511/Amman+Cityscape-2.jpg Cityscapes - Theatricity The Roman Amphitheatre in Amman seats 6000 people and was oriented northwards to keep the sun off the spectators. From the 2nd Century when it was built right up until the modern day, the amphitheatre has served as a meeting place for Jordanians looking to sit, talk, watch, listen and laugh. Even as the walk up the steep ancient stairs to the top rung of seats had me out of breath, the view downwards was breath-taking. Amman, 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622287868973-LBOPMSMHTCN5CPXAG511/Amman+Cityscape-2.jpg Cityscapes - Theatricity The Roman Amphitheatre in Amman seats 6000 people and was oriented northwards to keep the sun off the spectators. From the 2nd Century when it was built right up until the modern day, the amphitheatre has served as a meeting place for Jordanians looking to sit, talk, watch, listen and laugh. Even as the walk up the steep ancient stairs to the top rung of seats had me out of breath, the view downwards was breath-taking. Amman, 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622282814868-LZ6DI913ASD8VX0HLFPD/Amman+Cityscape-4.jpg Cityscapes - Freedom Many Arab states have similar flags: they use red, white, green and black, the colours of the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire, in different shapes and combinations. But the flag of Jordan is just one star away from that of Palestine. At a time of war and intensifying occupation of Palestinian lands, it is worth remembering that Jordan is home to nearly 2.2 million Palestinians, pushed out of their homes. As the flag flies high among a flock of birds at sunset, it’s hard not to think of the freedom Palestinians have so long been denied. Perhaps then, the city of Amman could be a symbol of hope, for a peaceful and just future. Amman, 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622286935876-NG09EWYR9PF7B5HXQFKY/Amman+Cityscape-5.jpg Cityscapes - Herculean Skyline The Temple of Hercules, or rather what’s left of it, sits atop a hill overlooking the city of Amman. Young Jordanian boys stand framed by its soaring pillars, as the departure of the setting sun leaves behind a blue world. Whatever I had expected of Jordan, the extent of ancient Graeco-Roman architecture was not it. But then, I’ve always loved surprises. Amman, 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1453107460709-KV7V0LHR1O4UWBF6RTCH/image-asset.jpeg Cityscapes - Lodhi by Night Historians speak of the Seven Cities of Delhi, yet one of Delhi's most loved and lived-in sets of monuments, the tombs in Lodhi Gardens, fall in the interstices between the great seven. After the Tughlaq dynasties and before the Mughals and Sher Shah Suri, before the creation of the Purana Quila, the last rulers of the Lodi dynasty were entombed in then open land. The creation of gardens around them in the name of Lady Willingdon makes today's Lodhi Gardens unique: Afghan tombs in a British garden. In the minutes after sunset, winter offers stunning skies to complement the age-old architecture, lifting the weight of history and reminding us, through the lady standing before the tomb, how special this city really is. January 2015, New Delhi. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1454264164461-NCGS2N49QY6OVSNKKD8U/image-asset.jpeg Cityscapes - Sunset Point Humayun's Tomb is a stunning example of Mughal architecture at the heart of Delhi, the model for the Taj Mahal and a stunning interweaving of Persian and Hindu architectural styles. Thousands of tourists on the sightseeing route busily enter and exit this World Heritage Site from the West Gate every day, but the southern lawns are slower-paced. Young people sun themselves on the fresh green grass, enjoying the age-old majesty that surrounds them. Here, things are calm. 11 August 2014, Delhi. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1451423842834-ZWQJ16JGRQ9721R3XLXC/Agra-17.jpg Cityscapes - Mughal Mahal The tiny human figures in the bottom right corner of the frame provide a sense of the grand scale of this grand monument. Taken on a short trip showing foreigner friends around, from an angle I had never noticed before. Taj Mahal, Agra, India, 2014. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452532114021-Q3JXROT8OJL9O3ZK3P1G/Rainbow+Bridge-2.jpg Cityscapes - Bridging the Rainbow Monochrome shot under Rainbow Bridge, Tokyo, taken during a summer boat cruise of Tokyo Bay where wearing yukatas would get you a 1000 yen discount. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1451393367558-OX9WRO91VC70DJ1AMVU9/C2I-10.jpg Cityscapes - Tokyo Towering In red on the right is Tokyo Tower, and on the left in the corner is Tokyo Skytree, which took over its broadcasting duties, and is now the tallest tower in the world. From Roppongi's building though, Tokyo Tower is still number one. Taken from the Mori Museum viewing deck, while showing my family my favourite spots in the city. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1451393353994-PMDU72SZUYM6ISGQ9G6C/C2I-1.jpg Cityscapes - Clocking Cosmo The Cosmo Clock in Yokohama, once the largest ferris wheel in the world. Taken from a mall balcony on a chilly winter evening, balanced on the railing to get the long exposure movement of the rising ride next to it. Yokohama, Japan. http://www.sanjanamanaktala.com/love daily 0.75 2016-02-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622394810279-UJFXFRZ41Y8XHNZA9GOH/Screenshot+2021-05-30+at+10.40.00+PM.png Love https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1451393607358-F6BYZFH2MJ1X786ONPF4/Printing+for+Youngsters-16.jpg Love https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1451393672916-3RPOJ3U3RSOPH0ABTG25/Printing+for+Youngsters-17.jpg Love https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1451393662550-2K67DGQN7WE6SI0HGOVA/Printing+for+Youngsters-15.jpg Love https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1451393628650-2B0X2PNT2UKRAD18UD6S/Printing+for+Youngsters-12.jpg Love https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1454939502662-6KVJ1VPGU1OYN1ZPLF03/Printing+for+Youngsters-19.jpg Love https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1454939454416-I3Y82Q9Y7IOUGZ7UH4MO/Printing+for+Youngsters-20.jpg Love http://www.sanjanamanaktala.com/japan daily 0.75 2021-05-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1453979928432-XC2XA54ZQQCT0OHX9TJJ/image-asset.jpeg Japan - Temple Town Sensoji temple is one of the oldest, largest, and most famous in Tokyo. It is hard to capture the scale and rhythm of this sprawling complex, but in tight glimpses, I could see the clean geometry of modern Japanese architecture tracing its roots back to the simplicity behind ornate traditional forms. Tokyo, 2012. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1453979928432-XC2XA54ZQQCT0OHX9TJJ/image-asset.jpeg Japan - Temple Town Sensoji temple is one of the oldest, largest, and most famous in Tokyo. It is hard to capture the scale and rhythm of this sprawling complex, but in tight glimpses, I could see the clean geometry of modern Japanese architecture tracing its roots back to the simplicity behind ornate traditional forms. Tokyo, 2012. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1450216093506-6DPNBULN06FLG8AM7MEG/image-asset.jpeg Japan - Summer at Yoyogi 15 June 2014, Yoyogi Park, Tokyo https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1453980239360-RF5TYBGS3O2H9A9RVQI1/image-asset.jpeg Japan - Luck and Prayers Most large temple complexes in Japan have a section where you can buy slips of paper (omikuji), for fortune-telling and wooden tablets (ema), to write down a wish, which is offered to the gods as a prayer. These are shinto traditions, but Buddhism and shinto are deeply integrated in life in Japan, so the custom is followed at Buddhist temples like Sensoji too. Often, the single complex will house both a temple and a shrine, also seen at Sensoji. Tokyo, 2012. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1453981334399-77Q3YFK0FFYPDP6ZPZ15/Japan-4.jpg Japan - Lottery Omikuji are little slips of paper drawn at a temple or shrine which tell your fortune. They can offer great blessings, great curses, or a range in between. Today this is more like a game for Japanese people, but once, omikuji were even used to choose the Shogun! When the luck offered is poor, people traditionally tied them to pine trees, playing on the homonyms 'matsu', meaning both 'pine' and 'wait'. By tying the ill-fortune to the pine tree, perhaps it could be warded off and made to wait for a while. Tokyo, 2012. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1453981013059-VRDRVZFB822P79TYXUST/image-asset.jpeg Japan - Make a Wish These wooden plaques are used to write prayers on to offer to Shinto gods, and often have elaborate drawings or paintings on them. Ema, meaning "drawn horse" or picture of a horse, emerged as the poor man's alternative to offering horses as a sacrifice. 2012 was the Year of the Dragon, making this kind of imagery popular at shrines across the country. At one time, ema decorations were displayed similar to today's art galleries, making it yet another delicate art form in a culture that celebrates tea ceremonies and flower arrangements as metaphors for life. Tokyo, 2012. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1454007541347-JSJNEGX86IZBAKUR75XS/image-asset.jpeg Japan - Clean Before entering a shrine or temple, you must wash your hands and rid yourself of all that is unclean. The purification ritual traditionally involves rinsing the mouth as well, but that is often avoided. Tokyo, 2012. http://www.sanjanamanaktala.com/ideasgallery daily 0.75 2021-05-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452629340988-9XEX3QXF637P4E5YM2YE/Hokkaido-8.jpg Ideas - Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance One of the most famous Buddhist chants in the world, nam myoho renge kyo, comes from the Japanese translation of the title of the Lotus Sutra. In some forms of Mahayana Buddhism, this is considered to contain the complete teachings of Buddha. I'm not a religious person, but when I experience the power in this imagery of this lotus to evoke a zen-like calm, the connections make sense. Hokkaido, Japan, 2013. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452629340988-9XEX3QXF637P4E5YM2YE/Hokkaido-8.jpg Ideas - Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance One of the most famous Buddhist chants in the world, nam myoho renge kyo, comes from the Japanese translation of the title of the Lotus Sutra. In some forms of Mahayana Buddhism, this is considered to contain the complete teachings of Buddha. I'm not a religious person, but when I experience the power in this imagery of this lotus to evoke a zen-like calm, the connections make sense. Hokkaido, Japan, 2013. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452755270881-UMWWZGBQV02ST91L1FS6/image-asset.jpeg Ideas - Half of a Yellow Sun Following individuals as they exist against the backdrop of larger events provides a perspective far-removed from the mainstream - the subaltern. Literature is uniquely empowered to do this, and today, this image created in Botswana reminds me of the Biafran war. Geographically separated but historically linked, the territories share the weight of British colonial history, and everything that comes with it. The quiet sepias of the image remember and mourn this history, wherever it exists. Okavango Delta, Botswana, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452629017288-IN9SZ4VH6ZUNXES35AFO/image-asset.jpeg Ideas - Pearly Dew Drops Drop A fleeting glimpse of this web at around 7 am on a chilly July morning in Notsuke Peninsula excited me. "The blind spot which opens the visibility of the text is its absent center." The spider in Derridean "play" shifts between absence and presence, but the structures around it remain. If the spider had been present, the beauty of the web would become secondary; instead, it is subject. 2013, Hokkaido, Japan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1454492216756-5EO0OXVPR2K6P8BP13VJ/image-asset.jpeg Ideas - The Secret Garden The bustling streets of the largest megametropolis in the world are an unusual place to find nature. But nature finds a way. In an abandoned flowerpot on the corner of a busy road in Ebisu, these wild daisies caught my attention. The bright colours, the contrasting shutters in the background, and the little ants scurrying through the sparse foliage, if it can even be called that, all struck me as unexpectedly delightful. The resilience and restorative power of the natural world never cease to amaze. Tokyo, 2012. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452711896224-AL660LYV2R7DBDZZUZJO/image-asset.jpeg Ideas - Ode to the West Wind The last vestiges of a brilliantly colourful autumn slowly fade into grim winter. The creeping cold tries to consume everything in its path, but tiny fragments defiantly remain, a reminder that this too shall pass, and spring will come again. Tokyo, Japan, 2013. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452629296752-TQ7D94YP43CG6HRLOVB2/image-asset.jpeg Ideas - the lesson of the moth Hiding underneath leaves, wet with dew, wandering in Noboribetsu, a hot spring town. Spectacular sulphurous streams fade into a mild orange background. Life is what you pay attention to. 2013, Hokkaido, Japan. http://www.sanjanamanaktala.com/safari daily 0.75 2021-06-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452680953106-JVDJ7C3H0VTQ09CK251N/image-asset.jpeg Safari This young pair of African lions was trying to figure out how to mate for the first time. We caught them in deeply dappled sunlight, and I managed this powerful image as they both suddenly went on high alert; a herd of elephants was approaching, which would eventually chase the two away from their comfortable spot. Sabi Sands, South Africa, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452680953106-JVDJ7C3H0VTQ09CK251N/image-asset.jpeg Safari This young pair of African lions was trying to figure out how to mate for the first time. We caught them in deeply dappled sunlight, and I managed this powerful image as they both suddenly went on high alert; a herd of elephants was approaching, which would eventually chase the two away from their comfortable spot. Sabi Sands, South Africa, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452681380395-68U46FYXSO3XNBNCCDRA/Africa-10.jpg Safari In Londolozi, the leopards are each identified and tracked from birth - their family trees and lineage are carefully recorded, and in a minimally invasive way, they are brought in for treatment if they fall sick. This male was resting quietly, biding time through the heat of the afternoon, till the cooler breeze of the evening would bring hunting time. Sabi Sands, South Africa, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1453964495261-SUVTFC915C3B1YWUS86V/image-asset.jpeg Safari Sisterhood between the females of a pride is a key part of social bonding. Nuzzling strengthens these bonds, I imagine in much the same way that touch between humans stimulates oxytocin production. Cubs watch and learn. Botswana, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452682688172-E3VOWY3A7TQ6EDKPESYE/Africa-11.jpg Safari Symbiotic relationships exist everywhere in nature, and the oxpecker and the rhino are one such, albeit slightly lop-sided. The tickbird pecks off skin parasites from the rhino, even cleaning out wounds of botfly larvae and other parasites. But the bird prefers engorged ticks that have already had their feed, and while cleaning out wounds, as seen here, it can pick off scabs and cause fresh bleeding. At least in terms of predator warnings, though, which the oxpecker gives the rhino, the relationship is truly equal. Sabi Sands, South Africa, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452685838426-D9YFR0UKYQ4PAQ12CMFK/image-asset.jpeg Safari A young litter of cubs surrounds their mother in the late evening, playing and rubbing against her for comfort and strengthening social bonds. The bonds between a pack are crucial for hunting, but also uncharacteristically friendly - often for no reason other than affection. The complex pride dynamics of lions as social cats consistently offer up incredible insights into the animal psyche. Savute, Botswana, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452682704018-2XAIX3YXB1NRA88W8UC5/image-asset.jpeg Safari - Following in Her Footsteps Motherhood in all its forms for some reason strikes a unique chord. This tiny elephant calf trots along after its mother, staying close for safety. If the hyenas get too close, they could easily snap the tip of its tail or trunk off! Mum is cooling herself off with a sand shower, as they regally but gently turn their backs on us to return to the herd. Sabi Sands, South Africa, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452687148845-AS98N456FYR7HKUYFNH0/image-asset.jpeg Safari Leopards in trees might be one of my favourite things ever. Sabi Sands, South Africa, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452686212262-37I43MBXAFSFIARF5A6B/image-asset.jpeg Safari Collective nouns are a peculiar thing, but delightful for lovers of the English language. Zebras, for example, together are called a dazzle. A dazzle of zebras. This image demonstrates why. Sabi Sands, South Africa, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452687204559-V2HIXGDX7OGCX53EHEVS/image-asset.jpeg Safari A leopard leaping down a tree might be one of my luckiest shots ever. Seeking protection from larger predators and protecting its food from potential thieves like hyenas, limber leopards leap up and down trees in the bush seemingly effortlessly. Close to dusk, we came upon this individual resting in the tree, and after a long wait, we had milliseconds as the guide whispered, "She's coming down!", and without time to fix camera settings or anything, she slipped down the tree and soon vanished into the bush. Sabi Sands, South Africa, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452681360244-APUDY1ZIYBVB0LBO7RCV/Africa-7.jpg Safari The lioness's bond with her cubs is one the most powerful and most delightful sights the the African bush has to offer. This family, the Tsalala Pride, comprised of two adult females and eight cubs in two litters. If cubs reach the age of two, adulthood, males separate from the pride and females usually stay on. But the bush is a dangerous place, and very few cubs survive. At this age though, they offer one of the most heart-warming squeal-inducing sights there is. Sabi Sands, South Africa, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1452687539983-D52OV0LMZ5TX99F8M0FV/image-asset.jpeg Safari The African sacred ibis was central to Egyptian mythology, seen as the representative of the god Thoth, god of wisdom, knowledge and writing. It was considered the herald of the flood and is found mummified in tombs across ancient Egypt. However, due to habitat destruction and other factors, the ibis is extinct in modern Egypt. Luckily, it still thrives in sub-Saharan Africa, and soars across the sky wowing unsuspecting tourists like myself. Sabi Sands, South Africa, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1454488209647-FNB0MXVW08ONIEWV83JZ/image-asset.jpeg Safari The cool blues of the evening set off the the vibrancy of this female leopard's coat, as she languidly draped herself across the branches. Watching out for predators and prey alike, she gazed calmly out into the distance, giving us ample opportunity to frame and reframe shots. Wary but self-assured, she dominated the landscape effortlessly. Sabi Sands, South Africa, 2011. http://www.sanjanamanaktala.com/jnu daily 0.75 2021-05-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459248955694-OUMGNUCC2E2CA4CZNFMW/JNU+18+Feb-1.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459248955694-OUMGNUCC2E2CA4CZNFMW/JNU+18+Feb-1.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459248951860-RYOUWL6TQFEKG89OM40J/JNU+18+Feb-2.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459248985194-QRUGOXG2B1NCCZYVMOUZ/JNU+18+Feb-4.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459248929400-8XCIEFD5BHMUD67TE90Y/JNU+18+Feb+Phone-17.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459248987772-YHSM9ZRMQA1780Z1PBVB/JNU+18+Feb-5.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459248929072-6L8L18B3G4XHMOF8BBD9/JNU+18+Feb+Phone-12.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459249006910-W5D5PC293CTRZJVMQJMA/JNU+18+Feb-7.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459249050400-LH5YX8TQKCXOHUWRLZ1B/JNU+18+Feb-10.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459249040868-V3ICM10UBMY63BSFUEVC/JNU+18+Feb-11.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459249062432-5SONT17JABNU2OG1O3QZ/JNU+18+Feb-12.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459249070114-G72FIRB8DTISU66SG4US/JNU+18+Feb-13.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459249082855-UNPTO5NTPKHAMAERBLP1/JNU+18+Feb-14.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459249104665-3ZO7I62GA7KOGM7TG6RN/JNU+18+Feb-17.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459249117788-7AJV6AOLD9EJJJWL1N8U/JNU+18+Feb-18.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459249116729-XWJ8FX0WZJF5MKQF9OSK/JNU+18+Feb-19.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459249137443-4DYUB46RRXTXJU5MYYG5/JNU+18+Feb-21.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459249158261-XLV38BJ9HJVKDF0U9BTM/JNU+18+Feb-22.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459249182231-G7ULNMICDWSKAD9RI4JF/JNU+18+Feb-25.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459249183288-G3RFMHOHTM2ZN0E36FWB/JNU+18+Feb-26.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459249201319-ETQ4143AOK7KR6TUUBMJ/JNU+18+Feb-28.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459249226128-9Q299M4NZD5INRFACD7G/JNU+18+Feb-29.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459249233700-BM85AMBY4YFJPJ287NPD/JNU+18+Feb-31.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459249251534-XHU8MBS00LBE7GYTO0UI/JNU+18+Feb-32.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459249253538-OXU4WWKW1W0EFG6TOC4U/JNU+18+Feb-33.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459249278197-CKJ1SRM11U38SMZ6COL4/JNU+18+Feb-34.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459249266248-AIZUUQ4QD6HBYLBZWT6X/JNU+18+Feb-35.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459249288443-AOLIHQ6POIGBRAYDRYBO/JNU+18+Feb-36.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459249323688-8ACOPR9PF4J4677BDN2Z/JNU+18+Feb-39.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459249329008-6QOYVN8023SUEYHJ4K34/JNU+18+Feb-40.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459249347288-YLBGY3II3B1KYBFA21OT/JNU+18+Feb-41.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459249344547-W67W8NCBLF9MS4PDPMT8/JNU+18+Feb-42.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459249360565-EXC03B92SL1W4VU84WH6/JNU+18+Feb-43.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459249368016-EIOUAUE5U515CA2RJX9O/JNU+18+Feb-44.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459249393374-IBWJPB1HJ8H31Q4U8SR7/JNU+18+Feb-47.jpg JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459249412073-2UG5Q356I9OUF2OCUE88/JNU+18+Feb-48.jpg JNU http://www.sanjanamanaktala.com/writing daily 0.75 2023-03-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622393391082-4D2UQB3V9JJZKK8BO7EL/JCS-Concept.jpeg Writing - Seeing Jesus as a Superstar https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622393453494-8RXL4A9BDDUOZUUH7UW1/Screenshot+2021-05-30+at+10.20.37+PM.png Writing - Protesting with JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622391024287-UAK2RTRZTN0LWSKNZO24/TOI.png Writing - Building Back Better: Hope for a Post-COVID World https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622391211652-86X1VJXXE37A8AKVOHZ6/Screenshot+2021-05-28+at+8.02.24+PM.png Writing - Seven Decades and Beyond: The UN-India Connect https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/77b78525-ef8d-4090-8867-f20cd7a54c88/Screenshot+2023-03-28+at+6.56.54+PM.png Writing - Aspirational Districts: Unlocking Potentials, NITI Aayog, 2018 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1623400048466-WXGGW9QLOHQLUZONHTQN/Wild-Dogs-Chasing-Hyenas-by-Sanjana-Manaktala.jpg Writing - Wild Dog Pup Killed by Leopard and Hyena https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622391811481-JSZIRYH3LRF22M4HWC28/ET.png Writing - How Young Professionals Are Revitalizing Policy-making in India https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622392647377-ZAT1GDT89SS47E0L0S99/SSRN.jpeg Writing - Green Bonds in Sustainable Finance: Exploring the Case of India https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622390858959-HMB9A7LW7VC6BWBMJBZR/thewire.jpeg Writing - The Updated National Clean Air Programme is Effectively Blind https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622393527580-7VONK8CWT1GVLLV2D2U6/JCS-Concept.jpeg Writing https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622393564670-XHA7B8XU8GVYXFNTO7IR/SSRN.jpeg Writing http://www.sanjanamanaktala.com/jordan daily 0.75 2021-06-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622297612960-ZFBS2E45CEHSOB1GVIP2/Culture-4.jpg Jordan - Horse-drawn History The Nabatean city of Petra is spread over a hundred square miles in the middle of the desert - so it can be kind of difficult to navigate entirely on foot. These horse-drawn buggies help carry tired travellers from one end of the ruined city to another. I stood by a turn in the Siq, the cleft rock passageway leading to the city, waiting for one to drive past to capture it in motion. Petra, Jordan, 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622297612960-ZFBS2E45CEHSOB1GVIP2/Culture-4.jpg Jordan - Horse-drawn History The Nabatean city of Petra is spread over a hundred square miles in the middle of the desert - so it can be kind of difficult to navigate entirely on foot. These horse-drawn buggies help carry tired travellers from one end of the ruined city to another. I stood by a turn in the Siq, the cleft rock passageway leading to the city, waiting for one to drive past to capture it in motion. Petra, Jordan, 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622298958471-54NGTMGSHL6W13K50Y43/Culture-3.jpg Jordan - The Rest Step Though many visit explicitly to soak up the history of the Roman Amphitheatre, young Jordanian children are more interested in playing than in atmosphere. In the peak heat of the day though, even they get tired sometimes. This boy stopped for a moment to rest, looking back at his friends who soon joined him. Amman, Jordan, 2018. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/60b24b8ad078da664125a8b9/60b24bdb5983a735b9398712/1622297563454/ Jordan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622297638958-5DTZ6PLXHZFPQCZBIYCQ/Culture-5.jpg Jordan - A Donkey Among Camels At the risk of stereotyping, it was not unusual to see traditionally-dressed men on a donkey leading a string of camels in the city of Petra. Even if there is an element of pandering to tourists, it’s easy to imagine this exact sight occurring 2000 years ago when the Nabatean civilization was at its peak. If recreating the past can help tour guides secure a better future, then who’s to object? Petra, Jordan, 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622297662679-UT5Q8PUASA2KH42OLRC4/Culture-7.jpg Jordan - Unhidden Treasure The first sight of the famed Treasury at Petra peeked through the twists and turns of the Siq. Small figures at the bottom demonstrate the awe-inspiring scale of the carvings and skill of the carvers. Petra, Jordan, 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622297667346-N3D9VYW9Z9MLJ0E4BKOM/Culture-2.jpg Jordan - Rock Paper Stairs Often slippery, sometimes crumbling, it’s plain to see that the stairs up the Roman Amphitheatre in Amman carry centuries of history in their bones. Amman, Jordan, 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622303207008-YW3U9YYN272S8W85I8FT/Culture-10.jpg Jordan - Complex Columns The Oval Plaza in the Roman ruins of the city of Jerash sits at one end of Colonnade Street, ringed by 1st century AD Ionic columns. It is part of a complex that includes a Temple of Athena, a Temple of Dionysus, two Roman theatres, a hippodrome and Hadrian’s Arch, constructed in honour of the Empreror Hadrian who ruled lands from Britain across Europe. Jerash has been home to an unbroken chain of human occupation from more than 6,500 years ago. If touristing in Rome is too crowded for you, consider Jordan. Jerash, 2018. http://www.sanjanamanaktala.com/tigers daily 0.75 2022-11-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622467180077-TV8UFQBSM1M7Q4389GWP/Tigers-9.jpg Tigers https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622465110762-OL0ZNLR28Q7Y2MRKEPVM/Tigers-2.jpg Tigers I was nearly hanging off the back of our gypsy to catch these shots - I was losing my balance but couldn’t raise my voice, resulting in a quiet but urgent “Guys. Guys. GUYS. A little help here?” As you might imagine, I did not fall off. Ranthambhore, India, 2016 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622465168605-CR0MM5A3OW14OVRSC666/Tigers-9.jpg Tigers Truly the most special tiger sighting I’ve ever had. Mom plays with and grooms her sub-adult cub, with our jeep parked immediately parallel to them. Ranthambhore, India, 2016 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622465263050-TGGK1FL5OG3XM3EBUF0P/Tigers-18.jpg Tigers India’s national animal pads through the brush, as India’s national bird looks on from behind. Ranthambhore, India, 2016 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622466894605-MBDNFWYL6F0VG675DXMK/Tigers-15.jpg Tigers - Big Cats They’re really just giant versions of my little goofballs. Ranthambhore, India, 2016. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622465197208-1VPXDTMLZHURBIQ3MJ2P/Tigers-17.jpg Tigers Sub-adult male scent marks the stone remnants of manmade structures. Let’s be very clear about who this territory belong to - him, not us. Ranthambhore, India, 2016. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1622465229653-6UZSHZ659FK9MSUM939S/Tigers-22.jpg Tigers Not technically up to standard perhaps, but one of my favorites. Mother and son silhouetted against the water. Ranthambhore, India, 2016. http://www.sanjanamanaktala.com/sanjana-manaktala daily 1.0 2024-09-14 http://www.sanjanamanaktala.com/about daily 0.75 2015-12-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/4fb7a12ae4b093525981f4d8/1368566874099-H95SST3WFPLANLU4JJGY/download.png Who dis http://www.sanjanamanaktala.com/who-am-i daily 0.75 2021-05-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1450298088173-22XG378LINFIFYVFU92Q/image-asset.jpeg About http://www.sanjanamanaktala.com/subscribe daily 0.75 2016-01-28 http://www.sanjanamanaktala.com/in-solidarity-with-jnu daily 0.75 2021-05-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459248955694-OUMGNUCC2E2CA4CZNFMW/JNU+18+Feb-1.jpg In Solidarity with JNU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/566e7d434bf118e6b456f282/1459248951860-RYOUWL6TQFEKG89OM40J/JNU+18+Feb-2.jpg In Solidarity with JNU 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