Prime Minister Modi and Maharashtra ministers

This is the stage on which PM Modi is sitting with the Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Nitin Gadkari, the Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India, Prakash Javadekar. Minister of Human Resource Development, Sharad Pawar and other Indian politicians at the formal inaugaration of the Pune metro. This event took place in Pune on the 24th of December 2016.

A closer look at the politicians who mostly look bored.

Rani of Jhansi Statue in Pune

The Rani of Jhansi, or Lakshmi Bai died at the age of 30, brutally murdered by the British on 18th of June 1858. She was the Maratha queen of the princely state of Jhansi, which was ruled by the Marathas. This state was situated in the north-central part of India. Although she was born to a Maharashtrian Brahmin family, she was adopted by the Peshwas. In her childhood she was trained in the defense arts.

She was a famous freedom fighter who took part in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. She did not hide in the kitchen, but instead went out to fight. It is now a legendary story of how she fought with the sword with her small prince tied to her back. This statue in Pune's Deccan area commemorates her.  Unfortunately, the hideous hoarding of rabble-rousing modern politicians ruin the scene.

Rani ki Jhansi's statue is in a very busy area in Pune. This view is from the back.

Related Images: Vishram Bag Wada Pune - Photos
Or Balcony and railing designs of old Pune houses or wadas

Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw statue in Pune. Or try any of the labels below this post for more photographs on this blog.

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Wax statue of Hitler at Tussauds in London

This is the half figure of Adolf Hitler, the head of the Nazis who was the Chancellor of Germany during the second world war. He was a dictator of Nazi Germany and was responsible for the Holocaust. This wax statue can be seen at Madame Tussauds in London, United Kingdom.

Related Images: Michael Jackson Wax Sculpture at Madame Tussauds or Wax figures of Johnny Depp and Leornado DiCaprio at Madame Tussauds

Cabbies or taxi drivers

Taxi drivers or cabbies in Mumbai appear to be a disgruntled lot if one goes by these photos taken at different times in different parts of Mumbai!

Here are two cabbies chatting while waiting for a fare. 

A worried taxi driver waiting at the red light.

Another cabbie at a junction.

An elderly cab driver in South Mumbai. He is wearing a white uniform. Some wear khaki, some wear white.

Taxi drivers waiting for a fare near a bus-stop in Bandra.

Related Photos: or Truck Drivers in India or Rickshaws in Pune, India or Auto Rickshaws and Cycle Rickshaws in China or Taxis and auto rickshaws crammed with people or School Rickshaws with small children
Or Fire Station and Fire engine
Or more images filed under the label of Transport 

Shah Rukh Khan wax sculpture at Madame Tussauds, London

This is a wax statue of the Indian cinema superstar Shah Rukh Khan at the museum of Madame Tussauds in London.

Related Images: Sachin Tendulkar Wax Sculpture or Mahatma Gandhi and Indira Gandhi together at Madame Tussauds London

Hollywood celebrities at Madame Tussauds: Michael Jackson Wax Sculpture at Madame Tussauds or Wax figures of Johnny Depp and Leornado DiCaprio at Madame Tussauds

Gandhian principles explained by the Wheel of Life

The word "Wheel" is associated with Mahatma Gandhi as he used the spinning wheel as a symbol of freedom (from British Rule). A Wheel of Life exists in Buddhism as well, said to be made by Buddha himself.  The Wheel of Life depicted here has nothing to do with any religion, whether Buddhism or Hinduism. It simply stands for Gandhian principles and the Gandhian way of life. It tells us about Gandhism in a nutshell.

The wheel explains what it means to be a Gandhian with Truth or Satya and Non-violence or Ahimsa at the core of existence. Love, Strength, Food and Knowledge are in the circle after that, next importance. Subjects which are important after these basic ones are Sociology, the Art of Teaching, Health, and Economics. After these basic values, one has to give importance to larger societal issues like Cleanliness and Hygeine, a Casteless Society, Mother Tongue, Upliftment of Women, Equality, Village Development, Service to Harijans, and  Nai Talim which can loosely be translated as 'Basic Education for all.' However for a more holistic meaning try the wiki.

The use of Khadi is also given importance although it is not relevant today. It was more important during British Rule when Indians were forced to buy cloth made in England. Hindi propagation is also given importance, and this was considered important by Gandhi to unite the nation at that time. This is less relevant today as people have realised that adoption of Hindi can lead to giving less importance to one's own mother tongue, although not many Hindi speakers share this view.

Interestingly service to Harijans and other castes has been clubbed with upliftment of women. Women have been considered the lowest caste in India, unworthy of equal treatment to men.

This has been put up in Gandhidham, Ahmedabad, where the Mahatma Gandhi Ashram is. I have changed the colors of the background as the original framed picture was rusty and discoloured.

Please click on the picture to see a bigger image of the Wheel of Life.

Read his famous sayings which have been framed and put up at Gandhidham: Mahatma Gandhi quotes

More related photographs: Postcards written to Mahatma Gandhi without an address or Mahatma Gandhi and Gandhidham in Ahmedabad - Portraits and Paintings or  Free Images of the Indian Flag

For drawings and sketches of Mahatma Gandhi (with the spinning wheel): Mahatma Gandhi spinning wheel drawing and sketch or  Sketches and drawings of Mahatma Gandhi or check out Mahatma Gandhi's wax figure at Tussauds: Mahatma Gandhi and Indira Gandhi together at Madame Tussauds London

Postcards written to Mahatma Gandhi without an address

These postcards reveal how great Mahatma Gandhi was. There was no need to write his address. People from all over the world simply wrote his name and the postcard was delivered to him. Those were the days when idealism and heroism ruled! Today the post office will discard any letters and postcards without an address however well known the person is!

This postcard is addressed to Mahatma Gandhi, India and is sent by a James Thomas Williams from Highgate in N.G. Not sure which country it came from.

This postcard also just bears Mahatma Gandhi's name and the city - Poona as Pune was called in those days. What is interesting is that it also says "The Gandhi Prison"! There was a time when Mahatma Gandhi was imprisoned by the British and the sender of the letter did not know the name of the prison but he was smart enough to write "Gandhi Prison"!

People from all over the world had heard of Mahatma Gandhi and wrote to him even though they barely knew how to spell his name. The previous writer spelt his name as "Ghandi" and this one writes "Ghanudi"!  This one is addressed to the city of kolkatta, which has been spelt the Indian way "Kulkutta." Even "Wardha" has been scribbled at the bottom right hand corner as the writer probably was not sure where Gandhi was.

Another postcard written to the Mahatma without an address.

This one is the best. It just has a photograph of Mahatma Gandhi underneath the "To"

(These postcards have been put up at the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad which is a museum for Mahatma Gandhi.)

Related Pictures: Mahatma Gandhi and Gandhidham in Ahmedabad - Portraits and Paintings  or check out Mahatma Gandhi's wax figure at Tussauds: Mahatma Gandhi and Indira Gandhi together at Madame Tussauds London  or Gandhi's famous sayings (framed): Mahatma Gandhi quotes or take a look at Mahatma Gandhi's wisdom pictorially explained: Gandhian principles explained by the Wheel of Life

For drawings and sketches of Mahatma Gandhi (with the spinning wheel): Mahatma Gandhi spinning wheel drawing and sketch or  Sketches and drawings of Mahatma Gandhi

Anna Hazare's arrest drama in pictures

These are screenshots of television news channels during the farcical arrest of social activist Anna Hazare in New Delhi yesterday. These images are from English and Hindi news channels.
Anna's arrest created a media frenzy, evident in these scenes captured from different television channels.

This is an image from the English channel Times Now. Anna Hazare Arrested the channel screams.

Live India, a Hindi channel has a dramatic picture of Anna Hazare staring defiantly from  behind bars.

People protest all over India. Headlines Today, an English channel showed this image of people protesting in different places. Most channels showed clips from other places besides Delhi.

This is a scene of a huge number of people on the streets in support of Anna Hazare.

Anna Hazare is being likened to Mahatma Gandhi. 

Within hours the government seems to have panicked. First some of Anna's associates who were arrested (eg. Kiran Bedi) are released. Then there is news that Anna Hazare is being released. This is an image from CNN-IBN and it tells us that the police have sent a release warrant to Tihar Jail where Anna is lodged.

All news channels are reporting it now. This image is from the Hindi channel Total Live. Anna Hazare is to be released but negotiations are on. The government of India is not showing any signs of sense, sensibility or leadership by these tactics. One wonders if Rahul Gandhi is in the lead. Or is it Chidambaram? Surely it cannot be Manmohan Singh? Just curious to know whose strategy this is...or wait maybe they have all put their heads together!

Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw statue

Field Marshal Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw,(3 April 1914 – 27 June 2008) was a Field Marshal of the Indian Army. Under his command, India won the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War, that led to the liberation of Bangladesh. "Sam Manekshaw was the first of only two Indian military officers to hold the highest rank of Field Marshal in the Indian Army (the other being Field Marshal K M Cariappa). His distinguished military career spanned four decades and five wars. "

These are pictures of his statue in Pune Cantonment in Maharashtra, India.

Sketches and drawings of Mahatma Gandhi

These are sketches or pencil drawings of Mahatma Gandhi's photos and portraits. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (MK Gandhi) was the prominent leader during India's Independence Struggle from British Rule. He believed in non-violence and used methods based on this idealogy to fight British Imperialism.

In this drawing, MG has an inquiring or even puzzled or sceptical expression on his face. He is wearing some cloth on his right shoulder.

Here Gandhi seems engrossed in writing something. He is sitting on a mattress. He is bare-chested and wearing a dhoti.

In this one Mahatma Gandhi has his eyes closed. He has covered himself with a shawl.

In this photo Mahatma Gandhi is laughing or grinning broadly. This picture is on some Indian currency.

(These sketches are based on copy-right free photographs available in the public domain and have been made by me on the software Photoshop).

For more drawings and sketches of Mahatma Gandhi (with the spinning wheel): Mahatma Gandhi spinning wheel drawing and sketch

Related Images:  Free Images of the Indian Flag

Or Mahatma Gandhi and Gandhidham in Ahmedabad - Portraits and Paintings or Mahatma Gandhi and Indira Gandhi together at Madame Tussauds London

For MG's sayings which have been framed and put up at Gandhidham: Mahatma Gandhi quotes or take a look at Mahatma Gandhi's wisdom pictorially explained: Gandhian principles explained by the Wheel of Life

Mahatma Gandhi quotes

These are photographs of some quotes and sayings of Mahatma Gandhi which have been framed and kept in Gandhidham, the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi in Ahmedabad.

The first two quotes demonstrate the broad-minded thinking of Mahatma Gandhi and his understanding of human nature. This wise quotation says

This world is inhabited by all kinds of people. They are isolated by land and water, religion, customs, habits. The minds and hearts of these people are much alike. Under sudden or stressed emotions, they blossom forth or explode in riots, fights, dance, song, prayer. At such times they become one mind, one heart. And the world vibrates with the intensity of their feelings, emotions, anger, laughter.

It is not surprising that Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi help fight apartheid in South Africa. He loved all humanity and that is clear in this wise saying:

I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the cultures of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any. 

The quote below shows us his belief in true democracy and his cynicism about western democracy. If he were alive today he would have something bitter to say about the state of Indian democracy as today Indian democracy is not functioning as Gandhi envisioned:

My notion of democracy is that under it the weakest should have the same opportunity as the strongest...No country in the world today shows any but patronising regard for the weak....Western democracy as it functions today, is diluted fascism...True democracy cannot be worked by twenty men sitting at the centre. It has to be worked from below by the people of the village.

The saying of Mahatma Gandhi's wife Kasturba aptly shows the thinking and position of women in the early twentieth century. Even though women had a lower status than men it is interesting what they actually thought of the men.

Our men are fighting the government for the sake of truth. We must encourage them in this fight. We must bear bravely whatever harassment the government may subject us to...The boycott of alcohol and foreign clothes is a task that women have to do. Men are not blessed with the kind of common sense that we have for  we understand the language of sorrow better than men.

Related Images: Mahatma Gandhi's wisdom pictorially explained: Gandhian principles explained by the Wheel of Life or Free Images of the Indian Flag
Or Postcards written to Mahatma Gandhi without an address or Mahatma Gandhi and Gandhidham in Ahmedabad - Portraits and Paintings or the photo of the wax sculpture of MG: Mahatma Gandhi and Indira Gandhi together at Madame Tussauds London
For drawings and sketches of Mahatma Gandhi (with the spinning wheel): Mahatma Gandhi spinning wheel drawing and sketch or Sketches and drawings of Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi and Indira Gandhi together at Madame Tussauds London

These are photographs of the wax figures of ex-Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi, and the spiritual leader of India Mahatma Gandhi who led India to freedom from the British in 1947. These two people are leaders of India from different times in history and play very different roles but at the 200 year old museum in London, they stand side by side.

It was surprising to see Indira Gandhi's dark brown complexion on her wax figure as I assumed that these wax figures were meant to be life-like. I have seen Indira Gandhi in person and so have hundreds of Indians. She had a milky white complexion due to her Kashimiri heritage. I guess the English think that all Indians have a similar dark brown complexion, failing to take into account the various different shades that we all are. Colour wouldn't matter except for the fact that the museum boasts of life-like wax sculptures. If they are not meant to have the same colour as in real life then why not paint everyone a dark brown?

Related Images: Mahatma Gandhi and Gandhidham in Ahmedabad - Portraits and Paintings
For drawings and sketches of Mahatma Gandhi (with the spinning wheel): Mahatma Gandhi spinning wheel drawing and sketch or Sketches and drawings of Mahatma Gandhi
Or Mahatma Gandhi quotes (framed photos of his famous sayings) or  Postcards written to Mahatma Gandhi without an address or take a look at Mahatma Gandhi's wisdom pictorially explained: Gandhian principles explained by the Wheel of Life

Ahmedabad and the river Sabarmati

These two photographs were shot in Ahmedabad from a hotel overlooking the river Sabarmati. One was shot in the morning, while the second image was shot in the evening.

Although Ahemedabad is not the capital of the state of Gujarat, it is one of the largest cities in India and growing fast. It lies on the banks of the river Sabarmati and was once the capital of the state. Today it is the commercial centre of the state of Gujarat, one of the richest states in India.

Related Images: Howrah Bridge of Kolkata Photographs and Sketch or Vidyasagar Setu or the second Hoogly bridge or The River Nile
Or Mumbai Ahmedabad Highway scenes

Mahatma Gandhi and Gandhidham in Ahmedabad - Portraits and Paintings

These are paintings of Mahatma Gandhi at Gandhidham in Ahmedabad. MG or Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was India's idealogical leader during India's Independence movement from the British in 1947. He is famous all over the world.

Mahatma Gandhi believed in achieving his goals through non-violence.

This is Mahatma Gandhi's room, where he used the spinning wheel

This is a photograph of Gandhidham, which is Mahatma Gandhi's memorial in Ahmedabad, in Gujarat, India.

For drawings and sketches of Mahatma Gandhi (with the spinning wheel): Mahatma Gandhi spinning wheel drawing and sketch or  Sketches and drawings of Mahatma Gandhi or check out Mahatma Gandhi's wax figure at Tussauds: Mahatma Gandhi and Indira Gandhi together at Madame Tussauds London

Or read his famous sayings which have been framed and put up at Gandhidham: Mahatma Gandhi quotes or  Postcards written to Mahatma Gandhi without an address or take a look at Mahatma Gandhi's wisdom pictorially explained: Gandhian principles explained by the Wheel of Life