Street / Photo challenge

The Developing Your Eye, photo challenge street couldn’t have come at a better time,for Alice here,fell through the rabbit hole and came out into this surreal world – a twilight zone where culture is the king and kitsch its queen .

The place goes by the name of Kingdom of Dreams in Gurgaon and it literally pulls all stops . It is a smorgasbord of every clichéd thing that immediately makes one think of India . Vibrant -check! Culture exuding richness-check! Incredible India – you bet !

Culture Gully or the culture street is a quick guide to our many states. It is an awe inspiring sight to see gigantic sculptures and massive frescoes , the architecture reflecting the colourful southern temples juxtaposed against the house boats of Kerala,the majestic Delhi fort in red sandstone standing in contrast to the ochre coloured Goan facade … I could go on ,for we are blessed with 29 distinct states.

From intricate wood carvings of Kashmir and Karnataka ,the marvellous brushstroke of the traditional Odisha art form on the walls , the stately murals of the apsaras on the roofs to the kitschy parrots in the toilets and the vehicles plates in yellow ,white and black on the staircase , the eyes couldn’t drink fast enough.Could the swirling clouds in the blue sky be so magnificent? Was the ceiling really false ?

Bathed in twilight , the street hummed with life , the shutterbugs yelping with excitement ,posing ,pushing their way through the multitude and then there were many who simply sat on scattered chairs ,drinking in the atmosphere .

Of course there was food available too and it was yum !