Wish you a beautiful year

We comprehend... that nuclear power is a real danger for mankind, that over-crowding of the planet is the greatest danger of all. We have understood that the destruction of the environment is another enormous danger. But I truly believe that the lack of adequate imagery is a danger of the same magnitude. It is as serious a defect as being without memory. What have we done to our images? What have we done to our embarrassed landscapes?
- Werner Herzog, German film director

I'm not sure I've fully understood that quote. Nevertheless it inspired me to search deep into my memory to bring up images which have been stored there sometime during the last few years, and have not been erased. Most of them contained friends and family in special moments. There were some fro school and college. There were few recent ones (a couple of cure girls at Mayohall, for example) But there were some other special ones too, like the face of an old man whom I'd seen just once which I'm attempting to describe below.

As usual on that day (some 3-4 months back) there was chaos and hustle near the Indian express bus stop. Mad rush of people and madder rush of vehicles. And amongst all this, I noticed an approaching face which looked so serene that I wondered for a moment whether it was an illusion. Judging from his attire, he seemed to be returning after prayers in the mosque. He had crutches which supported his slow but steady walk. He reached the bus stop, found a relatively calm place to stand, and waited for the bus. Everything about him looked so peaceful yet majestic - his posture, his face, his movements. He was looking around, but was he smiling at the chaos? He missed one insensitive bus on his route but got the next one as the driver noticed him and halted near him. As he walked slowly towards it and waited till others got in, the whole world seemed to have calmed down a bit For a few seconds, I became blissfully unaware of the honks, the jostle, my bus number and my watch.

If you are wondering what is so special about this image then you are with me. Some images just remain there without telling us why. And even when we know why, we might just not be able to express it.

Wishing you all a great 2006 filled with beautiful and deep images. Let me today share some recorded images, from some nice places I've been to in the recent past, which helps me dig up more pleasant images from memory.