The Taj Mahal, Agra, India
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11/ 100 Taj Mahal

Was it worth the trip to the plastic debris-lined streets of Agra to see the Taj Mahal? Not really. It just confirmed to me why we generally avoid the biggest tourist traps. It was super busy, even just minutes after opening in the morning. We had been told that getting there early was the key, so we were there about 10 minutes after opening and it was already heaving populated with enough people to fill a small town.
Wine Store in Udaipur, India
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10/ 100 Wine Store

Udaipur is a stunningly beautiful Indian city in Rajasthan which, like many other towns in India, is inhabited by people following a huge array of different religions. The most prevalent faiths seemed to be Hindu, Muslin, Jain and Sikh — all of which discourage the drinking of alcohol.
Goats in coats - one clothed goat fights another on a bench in India
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9/ 100 Goats in Coats

On our travels around India we came across quite a few goats wearing clothes. The goats themselves were pretty feral and would just hang about the streets, scavenging whatever they could find to eat and treating the urban landscape like their native mountain homes. They seemed to spend very little time on the ground, preferring instead to perch upon chairs and scooters.
Cow drinking from a water tap in the street and dribbling into a water container used to fill up jugs in a cafe.
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8/ 100 Drinking with the Cows

Compared to Western standards food hygiene in India can be quite poor to say the least. I'm certainly not saying that our food is better here in Europe, because it really isn't, it's just that I think we have much stricter rules about food preparation than they do in India.
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7/ 100 Dirty Laundry

The sacred river Ganges is your go-to destination in Varanasi for just about everything involving water and spirituality. This giant watercourse emerges fresh and clean, high in the Himalaya mountains, before steadily accumulating all the waste and filth of northern India.
Haircut Boys in Varanasi India
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6/ 100 Haircut Boys

From what we saw on our journeys around India, the men there are obsessed with their hair, and they didn’t waste an opportunity to comb and style it to perfection. It didn't seem that any self-respecting young man would leave their house without a comb.
Sleeping with the Cows
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5/ 100 Sleeping with the Cows

On our night time forays we would often see a wonderful, whilst at the same time thought-provoking and deeply saddening, symbiosis. In the dimly lit streets young homeless children would light a small fire made from scraps of wood and the copious amounts of litter strewn everywhere.
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4/ 100 Varanasi Cows

To the Hindu, the cow symbolizes all other creatures. The cow is a symbol of the Earth, the nourisher, the ever-giving, undemanding provider. The cow represents life and the sustenance of life. The cow is so generous, taking nothing but water, grass and grain. It gives and gives and gives of its milk, as does the liberated soul give of his spiritual knowledge.
The worn and cracked feet of Varanasi pilgrims
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3/ 100 Varanasi Pilgrims

The Indian town of Varanasi, or Benares, or Banaras – variously because the original name is written in Hindi and, like many words we noticed in India, the English spelling is based on a bit of good luck. One of the worlds oldest continuously inhabited cities, it is supposedly the most holy place for Hindu people.
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2/ 100 Always Take Earplugs to India

The one thing I can never convey through my photographs is the noise in India. It is relentless and invades your mind constantly. It never stops. It is there when you wake in the morning, and there when you try to get some well-earned rest at night. I even dreamt about the noise
India Night Market
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1/ 100 A Second Arrival in India

I had traveled to India once before in 2018, so this trip was to build upon what we had learned the first time. As we were revisiting we could hopefully avoid some of the inevitable pitfalls of a first visit to a very different country, making the trip more enjoyable. As the plane descended into the orange smog above New Delhi I felt confident. I'd been through all of this before. It would be chaotic, but I was ready.
Goat in a Shirt
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100 Days in India Project

My wife, through her artistic channels, heard about a 100 Days project. Each day, for 100 days, you post an image and write about it. That image could be anything at all. She posted drawings and painting, and I decided to share my photographs and stories of the two visits I have made to India