Bangalore 20 November 2014

After resting in Mumbai overnight we then flew down to Bangalore to meet our driver and car for the next two weeks.

Big Bull temple Bangalore.

Big Bull.

Lalbagh Botanical Gardens.

The routine that developed in the next two weeks was breakfast, pack, check out meet the driver at 9:30am and drive to the next city collect out guide and sight seeing after lunch.

Return to India the start 18 November 2014

I left Darlington by train on the morning of 18 November 2014 to meet my sister in Sheffield and then to continue the journey to Manchester International airport.  We had planned a holiday to return to India after 40 years.

We were flying on Emirates via Dubai airport it took 7 hours to get to Dubai and then 2.5 hours waiting for our connection to Mumbai.  The second leg to Mumbai took around 4 hours.  We were met by my daughter's partner Rajiv who took us on a quick excursion to see the Gateway to India and the Taj Hotel, however we were both quite jet-lagged and found it hard to stay awake.

 The temperature on our first night was around 30C which was quite warm compared to the UK where it was under 10C when we had left Manchester.

I took a few photos but was out of practice using my camera at night!

Tree House Calcutta 1966

Just came across another photo of my tree house in Calcutta this is taken a lot nearer than the one posted in August 2014.

G D Paulraj - Planting Rice

I returned from a three week vacation to India on 7 December, it was the first time I had been back to India since 1974 some forty years ago.  While touring in south India I came across a framed painting by G D Paulraj resting on the floor of a museum in Pondicherry.  The museum contents were meant to have come from the former French Governor's house.  As Pondicherry got independence in 1954 this could be a guide to the age of the painting.

I talked to some other visitors about the Raj family but none of them knew about the artists.  Certainly the subject matter reflected what was happening in the fields today.  It was the only 'Raj' painting I saw on my travels.  I attach below  a photo I took of workers in the fields in November 2014 in Tamil Nadu, but they were not planting rice.

Mahabalipuram extract from cine film taken in 1962

Extract from a cine film taken in 1962.  This shows my father and I looking at the rock carvings at Mahabalipuram in Madras.  Not sure I have managed to upload a movie before.  Please note there is no sound.

I recently visited India and tried to take some photos in the same locations I will be posting these in the next few weeks.  Some 52 years apart a lot of time and very much busier as well.

G D Paulraj - Working in the fields

This painting was recently in the exhibition to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Paul Raj.  It depicts a group of women working in the fields it is not very different to one hanging on the wall of my daughter's house.

The colours must have been distorted over time or by the camera, they seem a little forced?  The earlier posting can be found here. (click on link)

G D Paulraj - After the Task

This recently appeared for sale and the vendor called it 'After the Tusk'? This was a little strange I think it might be called 'After the Task' which would make more sense it is a nice painting.