Excuse the pun but sheesh, that was too good to resist especially as anyone who has travelled in India will generally mention the word COLOUR somewhere in their recollections. The country is a serious assault on all the senses and nowhere is more prominent than in the markets, where vivid colours interact with the constant soundtrack of vendors and customers, gorgeous scents and frenetic energy.
The market in Mysore was one of our favourites and typifies the market experience in India. Check it out!
In the depths of the market, we met this incredibly savvy, multi-lingual kid who invited us into his family shop to watch him hand-roll incense. We can’t say that we’d ever really put much thought into how incense powder ends up neatly on its little stick but hey, you learn something new everyday, right?!
This video does not do it justice but here’s a quick peek at the ruckus of the market.
A beautiful, albeit cliche, glimpse of India at its best!
What are those gorgeous powdery cones?
Aren’t they stunning?! They are beautiful piles of powdered dye, for religious uses like the Holi festival (the one where they throw colour on everybody) and…hmm…not too sure what all the uses are! Perhaps one of our Indian readers can help?
They are stunning. And make for amazing pictures! 😀
This powdered dye has many uses according to its type. The skin-friendly one is called ‘Gulal’ and is mostly used during the Holi festival (already mentioned by waterfallsandcaribous). Another type is used in making ‘Rangoli’ in the house as decoration (google ‘rangoli’ to see images). Hope that helps 🙂
This is amazing! You took some seriously beautiful photos during your time there. I love the incense making ordeal. We love incense, but like you, have never, ever considered how that gets accomplished. What a cute kid, I love how proud he is in showing you how to make it!:D
Another wonderful post! Makes me want to go sooooooo bad!
That kid was a total card, very, very bright and cheeky – the sad thing (for us) is that these kids work instead of going to school but when you find out how many languages they speak and just how savvy they are, it kinda makes you wonder about different types of education. Interesting times.
Oh and GO TO INDIA!!!
I was wondering too about all the beautiful powders – dye perhaps or for celebrations? Absolutely gorgeous photos, I find myself wondering how many photos you took on that trip!
*Blush* – we took somewhere in the region of 6,000 photos…actually, by the time we got to the south we were taking far less as we were exhausted, had seen enough palaces, temples and forts to last a lifetime AND were very distracted by the ocean, hehe.
love the colors!! And all the pictures! Beautiful and so unique looking 🙂
Thanks so much! It really is an easy place to take photos, everything is so eye-catching!
Amazing pics! You’ve captured the sights and colours that make the life in India so vibrant. Thanks for sharing them with us!
Our pleasure 🙂 Looking through all our pictures makes us want to re-visit all the places – arggggghhh!
Beautiful – and fascinating – pictures. Thanks.
Thanks for your lovely comment!
Beautiful shots…
Its a beautiful country, just lending itself to photography.
These are really lovely market pictures. You two are way more unself-concious than me at taking photos!
Can’t help but wonder what you two are getting up to in Hong Kong after all these months? I know you ate pies and jumped on the Stonehenge bouncy-castle, but what else?
The cool thing in India is that loads of people are totally volunteering to be photographed and to interact with you, so we were really able to get right in and snap away without sneaking up on anyone.
Oh and re Hong Kong – YES, we are SOOOOO slack with our blogging and promise that we have just two more Indian ones to do and anticipate the Hong Kong Chronicles will start…at the start of next week! Exciting. We’ve been doing loads…so stay tuned!
Stunning photographs! This is exactly why I want to go to India… the markets/food look so amazing 😀
Mmm food…..And yes, you’d LOVE it. Keep working on that plan!
I love how people are so willing to have their picture taken!
Never have we been somehwere where people are more willing to hang out and have their photo taken. Its like being handed the opportunity to make a National Geographic cover every day. Steve McCurry eat your heart out, haha. (We are totally kidding – that man is a genius!)
Ginga!!!!!! Mass piles of ginga awesome, I can almost see my face… Hahaha
Haha hope you’re not comparing yourself to the dried up stuff!
Woweee wow wow. I want to smell the mixture of all those beautiful flowers + incense…
There are myriad smells all competing for attention – its hard to know where exactly to follow your nose!