Horse before the cart

[Manfred M]

I'm finally getting over a nasty cold that I've had for the past week and got outside to do a bit of street photography.

This was image was taken in downtown Bangalore, a city of around 8 million.




Horses are not exactly commonly seen trotting down the streets, but then the scene is not uncommon either.

[Shadowman]

Great angle and great capture.

[Mike Buckley]

Wonderful street scene! I notice that the horse has no bag that would catch the droppings.

I'm really surprised that this is downtown Bangalore. I'm surprised because I know Bangalore is a center of India's high-tech industry including Intel, Microsoft, Cisco Systems, etc. Yet the street appears to be dirt.

[Manfred M]

Wonderful street scene! I notice that the horse has no bag that would catch the droppings.

I'm really surprised that this is downtown Bangalore. I'm surprised because I know Bangalore is a center of India's high-tech industry including Intel, Microsoft, Cisco Systems, etc. Yet the street appears to be dirt.

Actually this street is paved, the edge is broken up and looks like dirt, but there are lots of dirt streets here. I'm just glad we are not here in monsoon season. Power failures lasting an hour or so every couple of days, the internet seems to go down frequently as well and we are lucky to hit 2% of the rated speeds.

Welcome to Bangalore, the high tech capital of India.

On the flip side, there is a brand new metro that started running a couple of years a go, a brand new airport, some impressive malls and office buildings (all equipped with backup generators the size of boxcars) and lots of satellite communications equipment on the roofs of buildings.

It is a country of incredible contrasts - there's a Maseratti dealership about a 15 minute walk from where we are staying, lots of BMWs, some Porsches on the roads. Tons of motorcycles and scooters, auto-rickshaws, and a proliferation of Japanese and Korean cars, as well as the home-grown Tatas. SUVs are status symbols. There is a Japanese expat high-rise "colony" nearby (integrated with a large shopping centre). On the flip side, there are beggers on the streets at many street corners. Garbage is dumped everywhere and street dogs are at every street corner and of course, the occasional cow wandering the streets.

[Mike Buckley]

By the way, the good folks at Bangalore scanned about 2000 of my color slides years ago. I used ScanCafe.com and they shipped the slides to their facility in Bangalore.

[Wavelength]

Excellent shot and true details of the city... a long way to go......

[JBW]

Actually this street is paved, the edge is broken up and looks like dirt, but there are lots of dirt streets here. I'm just glad we are not here in monsoon season. Power failures lasting an hour or so every couple of days, the internet seems to go down frequently as well and we are lucky to hit 2% of the rated speeds.

Welcome to Bangalore, the high tech capital of India.

On the flip side, there is a brand new metro that started running a couple of years a go, a brand new airport, some impressive malls and office buildings (all equipped with backup generators the size of boxcars) and lots of satellite communications equipment on the roofs of buildings.

It is a country of incredible contrasts - there's a Maseratti dealership about a 15 minute walk from where we are staying, lots of BMWs, some Porsches on the roads. Tons of motorcycles and scooters, auto-rickshaws, and a proliferation of Japanese and Korean cars, as well as the home-grown Tatas. SUVs are status symbols. There is a Japanese expat high-rise "colony" nearby (integrated with a large shopping centre). On the flip side, there are beggers on the streets at many street corners. Garbage is dumped everywhere and street dogs are at every street corner and of course, the occasional cow wandering the streets.

Sounds a lot like the Philippines

[Sergio M.]

I really like the shot and how the DOF incorporates everything in the field of view that you want or need to see.
The man looking at us is a plus as is your conversion.

Sergio

[rpcrowe]

Very nice capture...

[NorthernFocus]

Nice shot. Very interesting material for us "westerners".

[Donald]

My compliments, sir. A superb image.

I've never seen a horse working on the streets in India or Sri Lanka, where I've had the privilege of visiting. Perhaps our Indian members can comment and give us a view on this.

[Rita]

I really like this image. Not just for the great quality of it but because of the feeling of it. Makes me feel like I am right there in the street.

[Manfred M]

Excellent shot and true details of the city... a long way to go......

Thank you Nandakumar.

I think this is why I enjoy visiting and photographing in India so much. It's the extreme contrasts and to some extent the illogic of what one sees. Seeing Porsche Cayenne SUVs on the streets is just one example. Why would one buy a vehicle that can easily exceed 220 km/hr / 135mph is a country where it is difficult to drive at an average speed of more than 30 km/hr / 15 mph in the city and perhaps double that on the highways. I suspect the answer is "because one can".

I remember a Caucasian friend back home, who is married to an Indian, told us (quite correctly, I believe), that we would either love or hate India the moment we put our feet on the ground. I suspect that would be true for many people visiting from the Developed World. Some would see past the dirty, pollution and inequality. While others would see the beautiful colours, the history and the culture.

As expected, the whole place is absolutely fascinating! In answer to our friend's comments, we fall into the "love India" category, but frankly can't think of too many of our friends and relatives that would feel the same way as us.

[just me]

Very interesting image.......I like it very much, and so much to see .........

Griddi......

[IzzieK]

Having been raised in one similar, I like the colourful atmosphere of Indian culture, just like how I enjoyed our Mideastern trip. From an Asian country to go to a developed world is a different kettle of fish altogether. In the developed country, ownership of an SUV is statues symbol. My first digital photography teacher in Australia is of Indian descent and told us that there, you are either too rich or too poor. He married an Aussie woman. It's been a long time since I saw him last...