Indian priests from Kerala

These are photographs of a Hindu priests in Kerala, inside of the temple premises.
In the first image there is an old man sitting quietly outside the temple with a younger man. A cell phone hangs around his neck, along with the rudraksha bead necklace (the holy beads used in prayer). Interesting how technology and religion have come together!

Another photograph of the duo, sitting quietly outside the temple sanctum. The younger man is busy with his cell phone.

A temple priest is fixing the bronze diya which is usually lighted up as part of the Hindu rituals.

Related Images: Priest performing a Pooja
For religious symbols from Hinduism: Hindu Religious symbols or Swastika graphics from India or Paduka or Guru's feet or or Shiva Pindi or Lingam  or  Significance of Animals and other life in Hinduism or Significance of Nandi in Hinduism or Diya graphics and illustrations and Sketch
Or check out all the photographs filed under Hinduism, or Religion or Temples

People from Kerala

These are photographs of ordinary and poor people from the state of Kerala. 

Two women, one young and one old, trudging through the jungle. 

Two workers fixing a shamiana or canopy for a function in a hotel.

An old man in a short lungi walking on a road in the jungle

Two Ayappa devotees taking photographs from a cell phone. 

Related Images: Old Rural Indian Men portraits and expressions or Elderly Indian men in ethnic clothes or A village in Maharashtra or Old and elderly women in India or Old men in India
or Ayyappa devotees in Madurai or Tea Gardens in Kerala or Rubber Plantations in Kerala
Or check out any of the labels below this post for hundreds of more photos on the topic you like.

Banana Chip Making Machine in Kerala

This is a locally made machine which slices bananas and drops them directly into the hot oil. A peeled banana is pushed into a hole and comes out sliced on a tray. They fall into boiling hot smoking oil where the banana chips are fried.

Another view of how the machine works.  Chips roll off the steel tray into the hot boiling oil

You might also like Cooking on pavements in India or Photos of frying in hot oil or Chinese cook making barbecued meat
More related Photographs: High Calorie Food - Sausages and Fries or Fried and roasted insects
Or try the label "Food" for different types of cuisine, snacks and people cooking food.

Tea Gardens in Kerala

These are picturesque scenes of the tea gardens in Kerala, India. These photos of tea plantations were shot while moving in a car.

A row of pretty houses, a temple and a dirt road in the backdrop of lush tea gardens.

A closer shot of the tea bushes.

Tea being grown on the hills of Kerala.

A photo of a tea estate plantation in Kerala.

Related Images: Rubber Plantations in Kerala
You might also like Palm Plantations of Malaysia or Man and Bullock cultivating field  or Sugarcane fields or Rice fields near Chennai

Strikes in Kerala

Strikes and hartals are common in states like Kerala or Bengal. These are some photos I took while we were traveling in Kerala.

A group of people sitting on chairs on the road waving red flags, holding placards and shouting slogans. A common street sight in the Indian state of Kerala which has a communist regime.

This man is stopping vehicles (rasta roko) including people in cars with families, and tourist vehicles. The main idea is to harass the ordinary citizen because of some political differences of political parties. We were tourists who had just two days in Kerala. One of these days was entirely wasted. Never again will be visit this state. Stuck without water and food. This does not speak well of communism nor of decency, tourist friendliness or good economics or in fact good sense. It does give visitors a feeling that this is a  banana state.

People are patiently waiting to be let go. Commercial vehicles appear to be resigned to their fate. Interestingly a few vehicles were allowed to go. Probably vehicles belonging to their own party. Shameful.

Check out all the photographs on this blog on Kerala which includes tourist attractions and scenery.

Kerala Houseboats

These are photographs of some small houseboats in the backwaters of Kerala. These boats are partly made from coir and other natural materials. These are used for leisure travelers, and very popular with tourists.

Cruising the backwaters of Kerala in these boats gives tourists an opportunity to see the natural beauty of the state of Kerala.

A houseboat parked in marshy land.

For more photos of tourist attractions in Kerala: Periyar National Park in Thekkady Kerala or Ancient Kerala Church called Cheriya Pally or check out all the photos taken under the label of "Kerala"

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Periyar National Park in Thekkady Kerala

Periyar National Park in Thekkady is Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala, Southern India. It is an elephant and tiger reserve. In the hills of Cardamom and Pandalam of the south side of the Western Ghats, this area lies near the Tamil Nadu border. It is a very scenic place as the photographs show. Boating is available, and there is a resort within the park premises.

A view of the jungle and the hills from Periyar National Park.

A view of the river at Periyar National Park.

You might also like Sunsets on Lake Vembanad in Kerala or all posts on Kerala.

For panoramic nature scenes or blog headers try Nature headers of a lake-side or for other nature scenes try Nature headers of beach scenes or Panchgani scene of lake and hills or Free Headers of Nature Scenes - Lake and Trees
Try the label "Nature Headers" if you are looking for more free nature headers for your blog. For Urban landscapes which can be used for headers click the label Urban Landscapes.
If you click the label Headers, you will find both nature as well as urban scenes or try any of the labels below this post.

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Monkey faces

These are some monkey faces, some angry, some pensive. Monkey's expressions can be very similar to humans. These photographs were taken in a national park in Kerala.

In this one the monkey seems apprehensive.

This is a side profile of a monkey who is unaware of our presence.

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A large black monkey eating leaves. He has a very thick and rough coat.

A monkey sitting on a tree branch, feeling safe in the tree.

You might also like Monkey silhouettes or Cat Portraits or Stray Dogs Pictures or Man with camel - photograph and silhouette
Or just click on any of the labels below this post.

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Martial Arts from Kerala

The Kerala style of martial arts is called Kalaripayattu and it is an ancient fighting system art. It is practiced in Kerala and some parts of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka and also parts of Sri Lanka. Here are some photos from one of their shows.

Two men in silk and red bordered lungis using shields and swords.

A graceful pose of two men practicing martial arts. They are ready to attack.

Fighting ferociously to defend themselves! They are using poles or sticks.

A man in a sword ready to pounce on his opponent. He is certainly battle ready!

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Toddy or Kallu, a palm alcoholic drink

Photos of the milky and cloudy palm wine called Toddy called Kallu in Tamil. It is also known as palm toddy. It is an alcoholic beverage made from the sap of some type of date palms or coconut trees. It has a strange taste for those who have never had it. It tastes strongly of coconut and is slightly acidic in taste. It is available very cheaply in the southern states although its sale is restricted to government shops in Kerala. Toddy has to be consumed the same day as it is produced as afterwards it becomes sour and even more acidic.

A bottle of Toddy bought at a store in Kerala.

A close up of this slightly sour strong tasting alcoholic drink which is popular with the locals.

Related Images: Beer shops in small towns in India or Alcohol and hard drinks photographs or Wine bottles and a wine bar or  Coconut water vendor in India

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Rubber Plantations in Kerala

Kerala is a lush green land and the home to several cash crops like coconut, tea, rubber, coffee and spices. These are pictures of the picturesque rubber plantations. These were first planted here by the Dutch as Rubber is not native to India. These tall slim trees are now a major revenue earner for the state of Kerala, India.

Plastic pouches are on the trees to collect the sticky white latex, the milk of rubber. Processing yields natural rubber. Rubber trees are tall with straight trunks and smooth green leaves.

You might also like Palm Plantations of Malaysia or Man and Bullock cultivating field  or Sugarcane fields
Rice fields near Chennai

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Ancient Kerala Church called Cheriya Pally

Cheriya Pally, an old Syrian Christian church in Kottyama in Kerala, one of the few old churches which are well maintained. Cheriya Pally is a church that has been influenced by the local culture and architecture of Hindu temples, and more important the Kerala style of architecture. This is evident in architectural influences as well as the typical niches for the oil lamps which is common in Hindu temples. The fascinating part of this Church is to see the amalgamation of Christian and the Hindu styles. The Orthodox Christians have built most of their churches in this unique traditional Kerala style, which is similar to Kerala temples.

The Church was built in 1579 and most of the facade is in the European/Portuguese style of  architecture. There are galleries, pillars and cornices. There are striking religious murals on the walls, and these paintings have been influence by both Indian and Western styles of art. It was built the local king for the Christians in his kingdom.

This is a panoramic view of the ancient Kerala church called Cheriya Pally.

Overall Kerala's style of architecture is unique in India, in its striking contrast to Dravidian architecture which is normally practiced in other parts of South India. This picture shows the entrance to the church and again a tall gold or brass tower, perhaps a lamp tower, which is commonly seen in Kerala temples. Lamps are lit here. The cross at the top distinguishes it from a temple!

Here are brass lamps which are typically found in Indian temples. This is the inside of a church, in front of the main alter. These lamps go all the way down the long corridor which can be seen in the first image.

A closer look at the various murals and designs above the altar of the church.

A church and a mosque in one place - Turkey! Check out the Hagia Sophia Pictures which goes one step further. This is not just a place influenced by architectural styles but a place of worship for both religions - a churchmosque which is most of the time a museum.
There are also a lot of pictures of the Sistine Chapel  in Vatican City in Rome on this website.
More related images: Church Silhouettes or Christmas Tree Silhouette

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Cochin Airport Pictures

Cochin (in Kerala, India) airport has a unique stamp of its own. Sprawling buildings which look more like a club if it wasn't for the jet bridges (also called aerobridge, air bridge or passenger boarding bridge) sticking out of the main building.

This image is taken from a window of an aircraft and the wing of the plane is in the foreground. The buildings of Cochin airport are in the background against a deep blue clear sky.

A picture of Cochin airport from the outside. Red cobbled roofs and pink facade. A row of cars crawl towards the main entrance of the airport.

A closer look at the airport building and arriving passengers.

A man rolling a trolley towards the main entrance of Cochin airport.

Related Images: Photos of Chennai Airport or Bangalore Airport Pictures or Goa airport pictures or Mumbai Airport
Or Airport Lounge with people waiting or Airport Baggage carousel or Airport Security Checks
Closeups of airplanes or Aircraft boarding staircase or Airstair with people boarding
Or for all the photographs of airports on this blog (including international airports) try the label "Airport"

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Sunsets on Lake Vembanad in Kerala

The warm colors that you see in these photographs are very genuine. The sunset we saw on Lake Vembanad was colourful with oranges and yellows fading into darkness. In the foreground you can see fishing boats silhouetted against the fading sky.

A canoe silhouetted in the distance with two people fishing.

This is a cropped photographed of the one above. Two fishermen in a canoe silhouetted against an orange sky.

A photograph of this yellow glowing ball of the sun sinking fast. A fishing trawler is silhouetted against the horizon.

You might also like Sunrise and Sunsets or Two boatmen in a canoe in the ocean or Canoes on the river Hooghly or Fishing Trawlers in the Gulf of Thailand

For panoramic nature scenes or blog headers try Nature headers of a lake-side or for other nature scenes try Nature headers of beach scenes or Panchgani scene of lake and hills or Free Headers of Nature Scenes - Lake and Trees
Try the label "Nature Headers" if you are looking for more free nature headers for your blog. For Urban landscapes which can be used for headers click the label Urban Landscapes.
If you click the label Headers, you will find both nature as well as urban scenes or try any of the labels below this post.

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