Esther's photos with the keyword: hindu

Varanasi is considered to be a holy city by Buddhists and Jains, and is viewed as the holiest place in the world by Hindus who believe that it was founded by the Hindu deity, Lord Shiva, around 5,000 years ago. It is believed to be one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. The cremation ghats are very busy with multiple cremations ongoing day and night. Cattle and goats wander unmolested through the smokey haze and eat the sweets placed around the deceased. AIMG_9886

On the road to Agra, we saw plenty of these semi-homemade vehicles. The truck body is usually quite ordinary (as compared to commercial trucks which are brightly painted), but the front is fully of marigolds and plastic streamers. The swastika symbol on the side of the truck is not associated with Nazism in India. This symbol dates from the Neolithic period of ancient India and symbolizes good luck. It can be found over doorways, in ancient and modern Hindu temples and on property. This type of vehicle is known as a Jugaad. According to Wikipedia, jugaad means, "an arrangement or a work around. . . . Jugaad vehicles cost around Rs. 20,000 (less than US$ 400). They are known for having poor brakes and can not go beyond 60 km/h. They operate on diesel fuel and are just ordinary water pump sets converted into engines. The brakes of these vehicles very often fail and one of the passengers jumps down and applies a manual wooden block as a brake. These vehicles do not have any vehicle registration plate as they are not registered with the Regional Transport Office (RTO). Hence, they end up not paying any road tax." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jugaad AIMG_5864

Agra, India is known for its stone carvers and its inlaid stonework. After all, it is the site of the Taj Mahal. ODT: Set AIMG_6193