Photos taken by vallismith

Lakshmi

This is Lakshmi the Elephant. If you give her five rupees, she will give you a blessing on the head. Ganesh is the Hindu elephant god.

• Date: February 2007
• Photographer: vallismith: gallery
• Location: India: gallery
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Rammed Earth

Here is a mold made to construct a rammed earth wall. We were learning how to set the foundation, and make it structurally sound.

• Date: February 2007
• Photographer: vallismith: gallery
• Location: India: gallery
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Suresh

This is Suresh. He runs an almost monopoly on bike rentals in my area. he can find you scooters, mopeds, motorcycles, and bicycles. He also loves western women.

• Date: February 2007
• Photographer: vallismith: gallery
• Location: India: gallery
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mr. cab driver

This is my favorite driver in Auroville. He is very reasonable, very nice,and plays soundtracks to the latest Tamil movies. I also LOVE his upholstery!

• Date: February 2007
• Photographer: vallismith: gallery
• Location: India: gallery
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lunch

this kid was very hungry after the festival.

• Date: February 2007
• Photographer: vallismith: gallery
• Location: India: gallery
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head honcho

This guy was the grandmaster of ceremonies at the festival

• Date: February 2007
• Photographer: vallismith: gallery
• Location: India: gallery
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more piercings

• Date: February 2007
• Photographer: vallismith: gallery
• Location: India: gallery
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Puja

presenting the offerings to Murugan.

• Date: February 2007
• Photographer: vallismith: gallery
• Location: India: gallery
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grandpa

This is Suresh and Praveen's grandfather. The family invited me to their home and fed me breakfast before the festival, and a late lunch afterwards. we ate on banana leaves.

• Date: February 2007
• Photographer: vallismith: gallery
• Location: India: gallery
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pleasing god

Suresh and his friend are getting their tongues pierced to signify their faith. Afterwards they dance, sing, and then walk with a small alter to another temple to remove the piercings.

• Date: February 2007
• Photographer: vallismith: gallery
• Location: India: gallery
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getting dressed

this little girl is being dressed by her mother so she can go to the shrine and celebrate at the festival

• Date: February 2007
• Photographer: vallismith: gallery
• Location: India: gallery
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festival

praying to his god

• Date: February 2007
• Photographer: vallismith: gallery
• Location: India: gallery
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dressing up

Praveen and his brother took part in the festival and invited me to come and photograph it they decorate themselves before hand to signify Puja(praying to god)

• Date: February 2007
• Photographer: vallismith: gallery
• Location: India: gallery
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festival

This is inside a shrine that was being used to celebrate a festival to the god Murugan. This god has two wives, one is named Valli and the other I can't spell.

• Date: February 2007
• Photographer: vallismith: gallery
• Location: India: gallery
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fisherman

a fisherman in the backwater of Paradise beach.

• Date: February 2007
• Photographer: vallismith: gallery
• Location: India: gallery
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christmas bindis

This was at the christmas party hosted by Idoya, the girl pictured on the left. she gave us all oranges and these red bindis for christmas.

• Date: January 2007
• Photographer: vallismith: gallery
• Location: India: gallery
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Viji

This little girl goes to the beach with her class every wednesday morning.She is an orphan and lives at the village school in Auroville. She has a cute potbelly and is very very funny.

• Date: January 2007
• Photographer: vallismith: gallery
• Location: India: gallery
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"Uncle"

This is the hardest working man at the Earth Institute. I still haven't figured out his name even though I have tried to ask him numerous times. he always smiles and tries to communicate with me when I wear flowers in my hair. During my building class, one of my fellow students from the UK nicknamed him "Uncle".

• Date: January 2007
• Photographer: vallismith: gallery
• Location: India: gallery
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paradise beach

This beach is about 10 miles from my home. It is very beautiful and not many people know about it except locals. it took us forever to find the entrance, but well worth the effort. no one but us in sight!

• Date: January 2007
• Photographer: vallismith: gallery
• Location: India: gallery
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little girl

This little girl is proving her faith as well. She did not cry during the piercings.The lemons and flowers are attached to the piercings with small threads wrapped around the needles. I am not sure why lemons, except I know they are used to sterilize the needles, and probably for decorative purposes.

• Date: 2007
• Photographer: vallismith: gallery
• Location: India: gallery
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piercings

To prove his faith, this boy had his entire back pierced, then decorated with lemons and flowers. Alot of the young people of the village do this until they are married.

• Date: 2007
• Photographer: vallismith: gallery
• Location: India: gallery
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grandmother

This is Praveen and Suresh's grandmother. She and her husband live in the village that was having the festival I attended.

• Date: 2007
• Photographer: vallismith: gallery
• Location: India: gallery
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repos

here are some ladies hanging out at the other, more popular beach near Auroville.The indian women stopped to look at this Western lady, and she decided to look at them as well.

• Date: 2007
• Photographer: vallismith: gallery
• Location: India: gallery
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my room door.

these doors are actually really amazing. they are poured concrete (from molds) that are custom fit to this particular arch. the hardware is made from steel and counterbalances itself when the door is opened. the lock is very basic, situated in the middle if the door, and uses a skeleton key.

• Date: December 2006
• Photographer: vallismith: gallery
• Location: India: gallery
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baby goat

this little boy picked up his baby goat so i could take a picture of it.while he was showing it off, the mama goat got really mad and started screaming, but she was thankfully tied up.

• Date: December 2006
• Photographer: vallismith: gallery
• Location: India: gallery
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