The Folk Culture of Rajasthan ...

Rajasthan is known for its rich traditional history its cultural uniqueness and for its folklore. We experienced it all first hand, but the most spectacular of this all, is in Jaisalmer, we had just witnessed the best sunset of our lifes amidst the dunes, and had just ridden a camel on the sands. The beauty of it all capturing our mind heart and soul, after this what were we to expect , a lovely evening with the Rajasthani folk music and dance performers. We not only sat back and saw this awesome performance, we decided to even join in on the fun, with our own down south special "tappanguth" done along with the spectacular beating of the drums. The male performers were full of energy, cracking jokes, telling stories, performing music, all at once. The female performers were elegant and so graceful were their moves, especially as it got accentuated by their bright and colourful attire.

Speaking of which, let me just tell you a little about Rajasthani folk dances. There are many folk dances in Rajasthan , "Gowari Dance" is a dance drama done mostly by the "Bhil" tribe, they usually perform around a central point which is of a deity, and then a "Madal" and "Thali" is always there while performing. The performing troupe usually travels from village to village doing performances. Then there is the "Ghoomer Dance" which is probably the most well known and famous dance form of Rajasthan, it is a comunity dance done mostly during festivities and fairs.

Then there is the "Chari dance" - if you have ever wondered why they do these dance moves along with brass pots on their heads, is it only to display their balancing skills ? no it is done to rejoice the fact that they found water, the women of Rajasthan had to walk miles just to find a pot of water, and when they did find it they would dance with these pots on their heads and add graceful hand movements along with this.

The other dance forms are " Kalbeliya dance", "Gair Dance" and "Bhawai Dance".

If you are planning a trip to Rajasthan do not miss the dunes in Jaisalmer and do not miss the dance and music performance in the desert under the stars.

Parinitha Konanur

Tips on what to carry for Travel Photography

All travelers love to travel - to see, feel, experience and also capture what they see. So travel photography becomes pretty much part of the travel experience be it a DSLR user who is an amateur/pro or a point and shoot user wanting to take back home memories.

The most important part of photography is [ whether we like it or not ] the equipment. Travel photography needs depend on what kind of travel you do, if you love to go to sanctuaries and national parks dont travel without a telephoto lens. Though it adds to your luggage and weight there is no point in trying to capture a bird in the morning light with a 18-55 lens. And a telephoto will also help you get some close up shots of all those monuments and architecture details, or even the close up on faces. Telephoto lenses also give you a shallow depth of field and thus will help in bringing many of your subjects into proportion.
The next must have lens is commonly used 18-55 lens - these are good for pretty much everything you want to capture on your trip, from people to trains, to mountain top views. It not heavy and is less cumbersome. You could also take a 50mm lens along, its not heavy and could give you some great shots of people and happenings. It gives a very ethereal quality to all photographs.

The next you need to think of is you battery back up and storage. DSLRs come with a charger for their batteries, DO NOT forget to pack this [ should be first on your list ] without this all efforts are in vain. Then for the point and shoot users get a good quality rechargeable batteries, carry atleast one extra pair [ fresh unused ones] and a good quality charger for them. I would also suggest you to carry a multiple pin plug point . This is my personal MUST HAVE. This way you wont be worried what all to put to charge and fight for your turn to charge your phone, I-pod and camera Battery. This is important because most hotels and budget rooms provide only one Plug point. This is also good because in case the wiring is not good at your room or on your train, or waiting room, this will take the brunt.

Next is your camera bag, there are many options in the market the best thing to do is carry a not so conspicuous bag and keep your lens, may be your video camera and other accessories in it and then a sling kind of bag for your main DSLR. This helps you to take out your camera fast as soon as you see a subject of interest. Also lets you keep the other accessories from catching the public eye [ thieves and shy people who dont like to be photographed ] ...

The next is your storage, carry more than one memory card instead of one large sized memory card carry two to three smaller ones, that way you have no tension of a damaged card that will make you lose all your photographs, or losing it. You can also back up your photographs by downloading them and sending it to yourself via mail, or uploading it as you go onto Picasa. 

All this said the most important is to go with a clear head and a never ending enthusiasm to capture the best shots and to try something new every time and move away from your safety zone.

The other things you must carry are a soft cloth to wipe the lens in case it gets dirty and an absolute must carry is a lens blower. Most places have dust and it can prove fatal to your camera and lens.

Parinitha Konanur