Category: architecture

India in Detail

As I write this, I’m on a plane heading to India, where I will be working for the next couple of weeks. Since I will likely be too busy to post to my blog, I’ve scheduled this post to keep you, and my blog, company while I am away.  Enjoy.

India is incredibly photogenic, however, this is not a post where you’re going to find scenic postcard shots of the Taj Mahal or crowded market scenes.  Rather, I’m going to focus on a few ingredients, a few details, and present them together to give you a taste of… the full flavor….of India.

When I enjoy an Indian meal, I take no spice for granted. I taste every one of them.  It’s like a full-blown symphony plays in my mouth, and each instrument gets a solo at some point during the show.  I become captivated with guessing…”what is that hint of something…that flavor which I would not have expected…”.  I savor it, and appreciate that the dish would be incomplete without it.

The same may be exemplified with a traditional Indian textile:

Each bit is an abstract part that makes up the whole fabric.  Look close and discover various stitches, colors, textures, patterns, and even some mirrors!  As with Indian cuisine, many layers of flavors and spices (scraps and threads) come together to form the perfect masala (or bedspread, in this example).  And there’s always a bit of the unexpected in all of it.

The whole of India is like that, too. 

I’ve scoured the cupboards of my India photo archives to toss together some flavorful ingredients, many of which have never before been published, and present to you a recipe for my visual “Masala of India.”

Incarnations of Vishnu (Khajuraho)

Indian Textiles (Jaipur)

 Mosaic Inlay (Agra)

 Clay Sculpture Faces (Calcutta)

Waters of the Ganges (Varanasi)

Marigolds (Calcutta)

Carved Erotic Temples (Khajuraho)


Carved Floral Relief (Taj Mahal, Agra)

Himalayan Berries (Darjeeling)

Astronomical Map (Observatory, Jaipur)

Ceramic Tiles (Delhi)

Marble Lattice (Amber Palace)

Rounded Stucco Corner (Agra)

Floral Garlands (Calcutta)

Indian Tea Leaves (Darjeeling)

Mix well,  and add enlightenment as needed!

You may also enjoy these related posts on India:


Calcutta the Beautiful

Published in the Rough Guide to India

A Taste of Darjeeling

Gallery of India Images

Puerto Ricotecture

The Caribbean island of Puerto Rico is a popular cruise destination with many national historic sites as well as interesting architecture of the capital Old San Juan, which I call “Puerto Ricotecture”.


USA – Puerto Rico – Images by Kymri Wilt

What most cruisers don’t realize is that the sites are quite accessible without boarding a large tour bus and elbowing your way amongst 50 other visitors struggling to get on and off and rush through according to a schedule.  Delightfully, San Juan is an easy place to stroll around on your own and visit sites in your own time. 

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