When it comes to describing India, words fail. The heat, the sights, the sounds, the smells are all unlike anything ever experienced, in their excessiveness and magnitude. I therefore turned to photography, taking hundreds of photos across India in an attempt to capture the essence of the country and, hopefully, inspire others to venture.

  • One of many crowded busses in India
  • A Hindu temple near Mysore
  • Construction seems almost constant

I was drawn to the intricate architecture, buildings constructed hundreds, if not thousands of years before; hotels that look more like palaces, offering amenities fit for the royalty who could have lived within their walls; animal encounters, in the wild and on the street, often when I least expected it; the idea that you had to look closely, amidst the chaos, to find the magic.

  • The Lake Palace in Udaipur
  • A wedding we encountered whilst walking the streets of Jaipur
  • Lambs transported on donkeys along a major Indian road.
  • The Taj Mahal

It was also the Indian people with whom I connected. I exchanged pleasantries with some, spent significant time with others, and merely passed by a few. Regardless of the extent of my interactions, everyone captivated me.

  • A local girl collects firewood outside of Udaipur
  • A rickshaw driver and his grandson set to take us around Jaipur
  • A woman walking the road toward Udaipur
  • A camel ride in Lake Pichola during the dry season.

Their personalities, their stories, their energy.  They are what kept me in the moment. They are what I remember. They are what truly made India a destination worth visiting.

  • Manigandan, his brother and mother
  • Kumar, an elementary school student outside of Chennai
  • Two girls showing us around Mumbai
  • Two sisters at an orphanage just outside of Chennai

If the country has been or is now on your adventure list, consider visiting with a program such as Global Volunteers. Service work proves one of the best ways to fully immerse in a place, a culture and its people. Once back, share your own photos of India!