Scenic route (Pacific coast)

On the 17-mile scenic route on Highway 1 beside the Pacific, in California. Interesting geographical formations... don't get to see cliffs on the shore in India.

Clouds - II

I usually put up my cloud pics in my Cloudland site, but a few special ones I felt like putting here too. Sun behind clouds almost always results in some spectacular lighting. I couldn't believe the abrupt transitions in the shades of blue in the sky because of the cloud.

Temple, Kota

A temple (whose name I have forgotten) right in front of our home at Kota. The white gopuram contrasted well with the murky skies.

Amer fort

The gateway inside Amer fort housing Sheesh Mahal and the Diwan-i-khas.

Amer and Jaigarh forts

What's Rajasthan without forts? The upper one is the Amer residential fort at Amber (pronounced Amer) about 11 km from Jaipur. The lower one is the Jaigarh fort used for defence. The largest cannon in the world is there, though I didn't see it myself.

Hawa Mahal, Jaipur

Not much scope to try out different angles. I could find only this position to get a picture of the complete wall without a tree or a lamppost coming in between. Hawa Mahal, Jaipur.

Jantar Mantar, Jaipur

A photographer's delight. Exotic shapes and constructions at the Jantar Mantar, Jaipur. Didn't quite understand the working of the different sundials but they looked impressive.

Gurdwara, Pushkar

Gurdwara at Pushkar.
It just so happened that on this trip we visited a dargah, a gurdwara, a Jain temple, and a number of Hindu temples too. And plenty of churches on the trip to Goa. So that's me, the secular Indian!

Pushkar lake

Pushkar lake with the ghats in the background. Peaceful place but for the overbearing "priests".

Brahma temple, Pushkar

A temple for Brahma is unique because he was cursed that in spite of being a god he wouldn't be worshipped. The temple isn't all that grand; its uniqueness lies in its being a temple of Brahma (in Pushkar).

Dhai din ka jhonpra, Ajmer

Dhai din ka jhonpra is a neglected monument close to the dargah. This was a Sanskrit college until it was converted to a mosque courtesy Muhammad Ghori. The complete span of the seven arches could be captured only from this angle.

Dargah of Moinuddin Chisti, Ajmer

Didn't remember to take shots inside the Dargah of Moinuddin Chisti, Ajmer. And I wasn't sure whether it was ok to do so, it being a holy place and all that. So just this one from the outside, with this the only viewpoint possible in the alley.

Ishwari Minar Swarga Tal, Ajmer

The Ishwari Minar at Ajmer. Good for getting a bird's eye view of the city. Very curious kind of steps inside the tower.

Sunset at Ana Sagar, Ajmer

Sunsets at lakes are getting to be a cliche. You really have to louse things up to make a sunset at lake photo come out bad. At Ana Sagar lake, Ajmer.

Nasiyan Jain temple, Ajmer

A gold-plated representation of Jain philosophy. Shown here is Mount Sumeru inside the Nasiyan Jain temple, Ajmer. The whole hall can only be seen through windows so this picture too is taken with the camera outside the window.

Pigeons

Pigeons roosting on lampposts or antenna elements. Had to use flash in the last two pics or the underside of the pigeons comes out too dark. Didn't have the luxury of using a stand for more exposure.

Peacocks

Proud peacocks at the JK guest house in Jaipur. I don't believe I fluffed most of the peacock pics by not focussing properly. Guess I was in too much of a hurry. These are the best ones of the lot.

Dushera at Kota

The victory of good over evil is about to commence. Ravan, Kumbhakarna and Meghnad at the Dushera grounds in Kota.

Squirrel

This defiant squirrel stands its ground. Well the only reason this picture is here is because I have never photographed a squirrel before.

Spider web

The trick was in focussing on the web and not the trees far away beyond it. So hit upon the idea of focussing on the railing next to the web, it being on the same plane, and using that focus to shoot the web. Will look out for a bigger web next time.