Monsoon damaged road

I have added a photo I took around 1967 I was on a trip from Calcutta to a seaside town called Puri on the Bay of Bengal when we ran into trouble caused by heavy rains.  The road we were driving on had been washed away by the water exposing the roots of the trees.  In the background you can see some carts and cattle which have been stranded by the damaged road.  The carts look very similar to those found in the Raj brother's paintings.

Qutub Minar - Delhi

I have been looking though some old photograph albums and I came across two photos I took in 1967 of the Qutub Minar minaret in Delhi.  The minaret is believed to have been started in 1192 and measures 72.5 metres in height with 379 stairs.  In the first photo my mother is taking a cine film of the tower.

In 1967 you were still allowed to climb the tower to the top but I think I only went to the first platform which is where the second photo  was taken from.

G D Arulraj - Studio 1967

I have just been contacted by David who shared a studio with Arul for a while in 1967, he has found a photograph of Arul standing in his half of the studio in front of a selection of paintings by both Arul and his brother Paulraj.

In the foreground on the table can be seen copies of the book called "From INDIA paintings by Arul Raj" which was published by Walter T Foster.  Still available to buy from Ebay today.

Even more incredible is that I own the centre painting resting on the floor, which is a Paulraj painting.  I purchased four paintings in 2009 from California from Ebay.  The other two are by Arul.  My wife has also recognised the painting leaning against the sidewall on the floor.  We also own that one and it is painted by Paulraj's wife Pankajam Paulraj.  I have added copies of the two paintings in the past but have added them again today so viewers can compare.  It has helped date both paintings to around 1967.

And below is the one by Pankajam Paulraj as well.

This makes me think of the theory "Six degrees of separation" which says that Six degrees of separation is the theory that everyone and everything is six or fewer steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person in the world, so that a chain of "a friend of a friend" statements can be made to connect any two people in a maximum of six steps.

My thanks to David for agreeing that I can add his photo of Arul in the studio and for information on Arul that he has given me.

Fort - Me and the Driver

This one is taken in colour in 1967, I do not have many colour photos from that time.  It captures a good spirit between the Sikh driver (whose name I have forgotten) and myself.  We had visited a fort (could this be in Delhi?) earlier he had taken us to his Sikh temple and got me kitted out with a turban, a comb, a dagger and a steel bangle which I appear to be wearing in the photograph as well.

Calcutta 1967 - Basket Sellers

I have just been looking through and old family photograph album and have scanned a few photos to add to the blog.  The first shows my mother in 1967 talking to two women in a Calcutta street, maybe a mother and daughter who are carrying some large baskets on their heads.  Thought it was a great photo.

The Company Driver 'Das' and myself in 1967

Today I am adding a photograph taken in 1967 in Calcutta I am aged 10 years.  I am stood next to the company driver who was called Das.  Not sure if that is how you spell his name?

Das had a great influence on me as a young boy as I would often spend time with him while my mother went in a shop or the market.  We would talk and he would try and teach me a little Hindi some of which I can still remember.  In the background is one of the company cars which was called an Ambassador. I remember that it had a large bench seat in the front instead of two single seats as you tend to have today.

Street Photographer - New Delhi

Just thought I would post these two photos from 1967 when I was visiting New Delhi.  We spotted a man taking photos using an old fashioned box camera.  I got my photo taken by him and then had my photo taken of me getting my photo taken using my old Kodak Instamatic 25 camera in black and white as well.

It might have been taken in an area called Puran Quala, I am not really sure now.

I can still remember him making me pose to show off my new watch which was a Hindustan Machine Tools made watch.  Hope you like this one.

Rickshaw - Calcutta 1967

I thought I would add a photo of my sister and I having a ride on a traditional rickshaw in Calcutta taken in 1967 I guess.  I would expect that this short of rickshaw no longer exists?  Anyone know?

A recent visitor has said the Rickshaws are still in use in Calcutta, see their photo taken in 2010. Thanks "Accidental Fame Junkie."  Some 43 years after my own photo.

I have also added a photo taken in Madras of people working in the paddy fields, it is of low quality as it is captured from 8mm cine film.  It does look a bit like a Paul Raj painting I added a few weeks ago.  I do hope you like them.

Finally a blurred photo taken from a moving car during the monsoon in Calcutta of a motor bike up to the axles in flood water.  I am not quite sure how it kept going, but the water is quite deep.