The art in your being is a subtle plunge into the We think of photography as pictures. And it is.

But
whirlpool of your existence where you want to reach I think of photography as ideas. And do the pictures
the depths of unknown and slowly discovering new sustain your ideas or are they just good pictures? I
possessions on your way. Street photography is a want to have an experience in the world that is a
moment of discovery in the chaotic world, gradually, deepening experience that makes me feel alive and
you spot your subject on the road and it develops awake and conscious.
into a photograph. It is juxtaposition of
This catalog presents my view of the street and the
development, in many cases, it is spontaneous. The
life beyond, the subjects are often people busy in
life on the road is very keen, and it nurtures the
their lives but they do make a special connection
photographer in you. The study of human condition
when I click them.
is one of the foremost realm and it gives the sense
of acceptance, as you are accepted by the
photograph, subject and the life with in.

Mostly, I do not look for perfection in the technical

details when I am doing a street as I have fractions
of second to compose, judge the light condition and
the view which I want to capture. Street
photography is a nightmare in that sense, but it
often lead to a pleasant end where you meet the
eye. I try to keep my photographs as candid as
possible but later when you released a shutter most
people notice that they have been taken and small
conversations after the ritual is often pleasing.

Numerous photographers has influenced me

including Henri Cartier Bresson, Mary Ellen Park, Bill
Cunningham, Dorothea Lange, Joel Myerowitz,
Martin Parr, Raghu Rai, S. Paul, Vivian Maeir etc. I
found their work depicting the simplicity of human
form as if it is a virtue. I always thought photography
is a gift and you just have to polish it, you come
closer to divine every time it insist you to click the
School Days
shutter.

As Joel Meyerowitz, once said,

 Street children make excellent subjects as often they are not
involved in expensive toys around them but they make use of
everyday objects and make a toy out of those.

This Cycle is mine!

 In my neighborhood, I often take my camera along with me in
the morning walks. Life on the street is vibrant at this hour as
everyone is commencing their day and involved in daily rituals.
This person is enjoying his morning tea from a tea stall.

Morning Tea!
Life in a metro!

People in their occupied lives often find solace in their morning music hour and wait for the train to work. Metro is the beginning of the day and for some to catch the lost
sleep which they missed in the morning.
 It is the question in broader terms. We often hear statements that by 2025
India is going to be one of the world largest economy but in reality people
are still missing the basic amenities of life. We need proper sanitation
facilities. This picture was taken in a metropolitan New Delhi.

We need toilets in India!

Laundry!

Another example of improper sanitation facilities. This child is washing his clothes on a cart which he will later use for selling vegetables. The government has campaigns
such as Swach Bharat Abhiyaan but the facilities are not reaching to the people or else, it is just a propaganda for giving a false picture to the world and urban India.
 Public transport in India are meant for masses as the major part of the
country relies on it. This person was waiting for his Bus to work but
population of India is so tremendous, often the public transport is
fully booked and people struggle to get in. India is literally fighting to
commute. This person has made two unsuccessful attempts to board
the bus. We need more buses and ways of public transport to tackle
the situation.

Failed Attempts!
Fruit Seller!

Often children of this age can be found selling fruits and vegetables on the street. They are supposed to be in school but they have to choose this part of life because of the
life demands. In western world, there are special community services who works for the under privileged children but India is lacking in that context.
 Street life is usually rewarding but often heart wrenching. This
person was cleaning his shop and his son was sitting at the counter.
This person can barely stand properly. You can find many examples
like that on the streets of India, where old people are often forced
to earn their livelihood. We need better community services for old
people in India.

Work for Life!

 Where there is a need, there is work for someone. This is a street barber.
You can find many barbers like that on streets of India where the people
living below poverty line can get a haircut and shave at a very reasonable
cost.

Barber!
 It is one of the series I am doing on School Children. It is from a collection of
photographs on Schools, Children and aspects associated with it. Government schools
are supposed to be mediocre and often childrens from under privileged families go
there. A new reform has been introduced by the Delhi Government for making the
schools more hospitable and pioneering the quality of education they provide.

School Days!
Swach Bharat Abhiyaan, I think, the concept of current BJP government of making India a cleaner place is not working. You can find streets full of garbage like shown in pictures
and it stays there for days. Delhi Government has made it mandatory for people concerned in government offices to be punctual and attentive to their work. There is some
progress but we have a long road to take where concerned people will start paying attention.
This child was dropping his sister to school, a government school and later he
has to go for work. It is an often situation in most of families living below
poverty line where every man of the household has to work to bring food on
the table and the lives of these children are perished in the weight of life
harshness.
 Many vendors like him gather on the streets of Delhi and offer services of
fixing of home appliances, utensils etc at a very nominal cost. People from
middle class and above poverty line prefer these vendors instead of going to
reputed service centers.

A Stranger on the street

 During the festive season of Diwali, it is school holidays and many children of
various age groups including adult vendors set up shops for selling flowers for
worship. Mostly found near temples. It is great way of making extra money which
in turn help their lively hood.

Florist!
 This person, a government official as a sweeper was cleaning the road. Many
sweepers in early morning hours perform this ritual as the roads are not busy
during this time of the day.

A Sweeper!
Immigrant!

Many immigrants from different states of India come to Delhi in search for work, they end up setting up a hut beside the road and start living their lives. Their children
deprived of education because of less money and facilities often start begging on the roads of Delhi near their hut.
Conversations!

Hundreds of handicapped individuals are not provided with pensions or other monetary help from the government and they are forced to set up small shops on the cart to
sell vegetables or other amenities.
 Another example of lack of services for old individuals. The government
has pension plans and services but often they dont reach old individuals
and lost in corruption of our system. There people are forced to beg for
an early morning tea near temples or beside the road.

A Beggar!
Beginning of the day!

In Delhi, it is very easy to find home help at a very nominal cost unlike western world where home help is expensive. These two women, help many middle class families at a
nominal cost and enjoying the chit chat after work. They usually clean, sweep and wash utensils in almost 10 homes a day to earn a living of pennies. The rate of work is not
decided by the current market price and there are no guidelines that how much a person should get for performing such kind of work. It is not structured at all.
 It is one of the common commute for the middle class for quick commute
option. It is called Auto Rikshaw. Before the fair policies was not structured
but new reforms in welfare of these individuals gave them certain
guidelines which are often not followed by them.

Auto!
 Delhi government has banned the sale of tobacco products to minors but
often on the street you can find even a 10 year old smoking a cigarette or
chewing tobacco. The issue is not going to get resolved as anyone on the
street are capable of setting up a shop of tobacco products on the street
which in books is illegal but law enforcement take bribe from such
individual shop keepers to keep their shop. They are usually called as
PANWADIS.

Chewing Tobacco!
 This woman is preparing morning meal for her shop where many individuals below
poverty line eat in the morning and lunch hours. She has a stall beside the road and give
bribe to law enforcement to keep her shop. The pension plans or money from the
government for old individuals never reach her and she is forced to keep this lively
hood.

Preparing my shop!
 This child supposed to be in school instead of taking loads on his cart for
pennies. The system of India propagates this kind of labor. There are policies
and rules but these children are forced to work for a single meal in a day.

Starting my day!
 Sometimes they do, sometimes they dont. You can find many individuals with their
push cart on streets of Delhi waiting for work from a privileged educated society. The
unemployment grant like in western world is not in place in India and they are forced
to do this kind of work which is uncertain.

Waiting for work!

 These two children are bunking from the government school. The school authorities
often do not pay attention to attendance in government schools and do not inform
parents. You can find them chewing tobacco, smoking cigarettes or wandering on the
street during school hours.

Bunking!
 Anybody can set up a shop anywhere in Delhi, this shop provide services for tyre
puncture for two wheelers. Many middle class people get their tyres repaired at these
locations.

Tyre Puncture!
 Several vendors provide street water which is not preferred by the middle or privileged class of
the society. The water is often unhygienic but the under privilege do not have the choice but to
use these kind of services. There are no regulations to check the cleanliness of the water by the
government and this kind of cart can be made by anyone to start selling.

Street Drinking Water!

Morning Breakfast!

Anybody can set up a hut on streets and start living. They often live in inhuman condition. This woman is cooking her morning breakfast on a medieval stove. They often are
forced to live like that and the government officials often take bribes from them to keep their hut.
 People on street often take baths, relieve themselves of streets in Delhi. This
person is getting ready for work after a bath on a street. There are no
regulations or policies or amenities for such individuals and if there are public
toilets available then it is the lack of cleanliness and unhygienic which are often
overlooked by the people who are hired to clean them. In some situations,
people hired to clean them show up once in a day for a month and they say, a
part of their salary is given to the concerned authorities for marking their
attendance.

Getting ready for work!

 Another example of someone doing the dishes on the street beside their hut where they
live and this often make streets dirty and occupied but corruption has taken a toll on
Delhi or India as a whole. They give bribes to continue living on streets and begging
on the road is their lively hood.

Dishes!
Sandy of the Street!

Plenty of street animals can be found on streets of India. There are policies to prevent it but corruption and lack of attention is becoming a huge problem. These animals
often get diseases, sometimes, even rabies and they bite people or else, they die on the street and their carcass lies there for days. It spreads diseases but no one pays
attention on increasing population of street animals in Delhi or India precisely.
Tea Stall!

Shops like this are found everywhere in Delhi, which are not allowed legally but bribery let them stay and earn their lively hood. It is in a way good for the people living
below poverty line as a vendor and customer, where you can find a morning tea at a reasonable cost but there should be some reforms to uplift these individuals which are
currently missing from the policies of the government.
 This individual is waiting for work, at a place on the street which is called as
PHATAK, a gateway to work, where people from middle privileged class can
come and hire them. These people are often immigrants with skill set of labor
or construction work.

Waiting for Work!

Sleeping on Streets!

You will find people sleeping on the street of Delhi, which is very common and people like us dont pay any attention towards it. There are lack of facilities such as night
shelters in Delhi, sometimes even in the bitter cold during winters some people living on the street die due to bitter cold and lack of facilities.
 An immigrant living on the street of Delhi in a hut.

Immigrant!
 Another instance of people in old age forced to earn their lively hood due to
lack government policies for the welfare of such individuals.

An Old Man at work!

 A Street picture of an old man, scribbling his daily earnings.

Making Plans!
 A Boy making necklace of flowers near a temple instead of going to school
on busy Friday Morning.

Children at work!
 A Boy waiting at the bus stand.

Waiting!
 This boy owns a snack shop on the street. I found him reading something on
the newspaper which he uses to pack the meals.

Children at work!
 Lack of clean drinking water is a huge problem for people living below
poverty line.

Drinking Water!
 An old lady on the street selling flowers for living.

An Old Lady!
 A boy selling coconut water for a living instead of going to school.

Children at work!
 A Street priest begging for money for a living. In return, they give you good
luck charm and Tabeez which you can wear on your neck.

Street Priest!
 Three children going to government school.

School Days!