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<h2>Joe Englander Photography Workshops and Photo Tours</h2>
<h2>
India Photo Tour</h2>
<h3>Golden Triangle & Pushkar Camel Fair</h3><p>The Pushkar Fair is one of the largest camel markets in the world. That it
happens in India makes it exotic enough. But even though it is nominally located
in a very small town, the fair is overwhelming in its magnitude and especially
in its visual impact.</p>
<p>The location for the fair is Pushkar, an ancient religious town, in the Thar
desert of Rajasthan, the Indian state with many of the holiest Hindu sites.
Surrounded by ghats and innumerable temples, the nearby lake is dedicated to
Brahma, the Lord of Creation. Yet, once a year—for ten days in the Hindu
month of "kartik"— pilgrims flood this little town of Pushkar.
Their arrival in carts, on camels, or on foot transforms the quiet area around
the lake into a spectacular fairground, the largest in the country. Thousands
of nomads and pilgrims come, with their camels and cattle, to do a little horse
trading, camel swapping, and otherwise to transact business. Myriad delights
await visitors in the hundreds of roadside stalls set up especially for these
few days.</p>
<p>During the day, the camels are raced, tested, bought, and sold. Evenings at
the Pushkar Fair have their own charm when thousands of campfires light up the
dark. Ballads, folk dramas, skits, and folk dances are frequently staged. The
night air echoes with haunting Rajasthani folk songs. It is still primarily
a rural gathering, with thousands of colorful and friendly Rajasthani villagers
gathering together for commerce.</p>
<p>The photographs from the fair are legendary in their evocative feeling. This
is a peek back into time, into a biblical period. It is true that this fair
has become a popular photographic destination and that the influx of photographers
has already changed the nature of the festival, but it is still one of the greatest
shows on earth and well worth the experience.</p>
<p>While the show at Pushkar is enough to justify an expedition, we will enhance
the experience further by touring Delhi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Agra, by visiting
the Bangled city, the blue city, and the Taj Mahal, revealing the golden heart
of India.</p>
<p>The first jewel in the Golden Triangle will be our point of assembly, Delhi.
Delhi is like learning to swim by being thrown in the deep end of the pool:
it is overwhelming and you can only deal with it in small portions without drowning.
But what an introduction! We will visit markets and bazaars, temples and monuments;
we will walk the streets and ride the tri-shaws. Mostly, we will try not to
use all our film or discs on the first day.</p>
<p>Our second major destination in the Golden Triangle is Agra, the city of the
inimitable Taj Mahal The most romantic tomb ever created, the Taj Mahal houses
the tombs of the emperor Shah Jhan and his beloved queen Mumtaz Mahal. This
wonderful marble edifice took over 21 years to build and is the finest jewel
of art and architecture of the Mughal period. The pure white marble of the tomb
takes on subtle changes in sunshine, and indeed moonlight, and seems to change
color throughout the day and night.</p>
<p>The Taj Mahal has a wonderful, romantic history. Its magnificent beauty has
survived the test of time; it has seen the rise and fall of empires, kings,
and lesser men. Being at the epicenter of the Indian political scene, it has
endured India's transition from an empire to being part of an empire, India's
fight for independence, and finally its emergence as the largest democracy in
the world. Through all this, the Taj has retained its serenity and quiet majesty.</p>
<p>The Agra Fort and nearby Fatehpur Sikri are not merely rich legacies of Mughal
history—they are the finest examples of architecture combining both Hindu
and Muslim elements.</p>
<p>Jaipur, the third jewel of the Golden Triangle, is in Rajasthan, India's desert
state. Rajasthan was once a collection of princely kingdoms; many feudal traditions
still survive amidst forts and palace hotels in this isolated and colorful state.
The capital city, Jaipur, is still considered a "Royal City." It was
the stronghold of a clan of rulers whose three hill forts and series of palaces
in the city are important photographic attractions. Known as the Pink City because
of the color of the stone used in the walled city, it was India's first "planned"
city built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II. Built primarily of pink sandstone,
the city is said to "blush like a new bride" at every sunset. Whether
that is an accurate description is for you to decide, but it definitely seems
to glow pink in the last light of day. Its palaces and forts, Jharokhas and
Jalis, are typical of a style of architecture seen throughout Rajasthan. Much
of the color of the city comes not from the stones but from the saris and bangles
worn by Rajasthani women. Made of silk and other materials, these flashes of
color are indescribable photographic opportunities.</p><hr>
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