Welcome drawings

Every morning, on the floor of the entrances of houses, shops, offices and temples, complicated drawings appear wishing the best for the new day and giving a warm welcome to the guest to come in.

Children of India

Hellooooo... What is your name?... What is your country? Photo.. photo.. Gentle smailing. Gentle manners. Never, never asking for money. Good education.

In Memorian

In the Gate of Souls, housed in the Hall of Thousand Columns in Siva Temple at Madurai, I ligthed a candle for the soul of Manolo, my beloved uncle.

On the road again

Left my elephants behind. Will be back in Kerala in few weeks but now is time to be back on the road to see and breath more about people, landscapes, traditions and monuments of this beautiful Mother India. Destination: Tamil Nadu. First stop: Madurai and its big walled and painted city temples.

22 de Febrero: San Fermin

5 elefantes, 5 de la manaderia Khrisna Hnos. Bien presentados. Paticortos y trompilargos. Solo para corredores expertos. Martes laborable. Asistencia media. Encierro limpio. (Ver con sonido, pls)

Rashgavan, the mahout

His family has been working like a elephant's trainers (mahouts) for the past two generations. Spent a week with him and his family (above with his daugthers) and tough me many things about this passional but dangerous work (in fact last year 37 mahouts were killed only in Kerala state by mad elephants) An elephant male come into must (sexual period) once a year during two months and in that time they are completly out of control even for his lifelast mahout. All informations he gave are for my next book "About men and elephants" that will be published next year.

Elephant Parade. Details

Elephants Parade (dedicado a Rafilla)

Here, in the state of Kerala, elephant is most whorshiped animal. Poorams (Processions) are organized all year round and villages compete to organize the best event.

Sarees and dothis (I)

Splendid, elegant, fresh, delightful, top-fashion. Saree is a full dress and dhoti is a well colour combined ensamble of two pieces: long shirt and wide pants. All photos have been shooted in streets or bus stations of small villages of Southern India in normal days and normal hours. All they are working class women wearing clothes plenty of style and charm. On the ther hand, all men in India wear ugly shorts and horrible trousers. Why so much difference???

The Blue Mountains

From 0 m. at Belur to 2.500 m. above sea level travelling in a toy train that seems to be brougth out from a fairy tale. After 6 hours of a slow motion trip all the way up, one reaches another India (in fact this part of the country is konwn as the Indian Switzerland) with chilly nigths, rainy days and misty landscapes with waterfalls, deep gorges, conyphera forest and some lost tribes hidden from civilization. The Blue Mountains. A world apart in my way to Kerala to see one of the first goals of my trip: elephants

Kamasutra stone tales

It seems that in the last 10 centuries Indian society, in terms of sexuality, has moved backwards. In Xth c., sex was a mere part of life and so it that was teached and presented in temples and schools. But 1000 years later you can not kiss your girlfriend in the street, even hold her around the hip, and in Bollywood films is strictly forbidden to show even a simple kiss between actors. And not to tell about sexual scenes. Better before.

Belur and Halybee. More Details

Astronauts one millenium before Gagarin???? Telescopes 500 years before Galileo????Hands with its lines, rings and rosaries. Beautiful microdancers.

Astonishing sculptures

Temple in Belur. XI (eleven!!!!) century. 10.000 stone sculptures. All different. Among them, 644 small elephants, (see size of pendrive rigth below) . All diff. More than 500 lions. All diff. Dancers. Images of dieties with astonishing microdetails. Fingernails. Chains with links where you can pass a needle through. Lizzads with scales chasing insects. Rings, brazlets with skilly filigree. Sculpters now recognize they are not able to reach te level of their ancestor's masterpieces, 900 years ago.

Bats for thousands

Coming to Belur (Southern Karnataka) to see sculptures. Get the hotel. Nice room. Get out and hear a scandalous uproar above. Look up... and see thousands of 1 meter wide bats flying around searching a place in treetops for siesta... Afortunately they only eat fruit.

Barefoot's Paradise

Is what I like most of India. Everywhere (but the street) barefoot . At home, at restaurant, at hotel, at temple, at school, at cinema, at shops, at market, visiting monuments, at the office... Everybody. Teachers, servers, childs, students, parents, barmen, typers... Barefoot's paradise. Mola

New proverb (to be translated) Tienes menos porvenir que un limpiabotas en India.

Inside Mysore Palace

See text in entry 12. Pictures inside the palace ara prohibited. These have been taken from postcard with a Nokia N-93 device.