Detail, Madurai Temple

A slice of watermelon

Rameswaram gentlemen

 A few portraits I managed to collect (or steal) amid the chaos of the Shiva festival in Rameswaram.

Seaside scenes, Rameswaram

 It's no secret that I love the sea. But in Rameswaram, it feels different. There's no escaping from it. It's everywhere.

Black, Rameswaram

Madurai Temple

 A visual overdose of colours and details, as you find only in India.

Madurai Temple is the largest temple in southern India. The grounds are huge and every last corner is covered with these extraordinarily dramatic statues.

Fisherman, Rameswaram

Smiles, Rameswaram

Twigs

Dhanushkodi

 At about 1km from the tip of the strip of sand, you come across a tiny inhabited village. In 1964 it was completely destroyed by a hurricane. Only the church facade and a few stone walls survive and eerily stick out among the wooden huts. There is nothing but sand and sea water. Rameswaram (the closest town) is 4km away.

This has got to be one of the harshest places to live.

At world's end

From Rameswaram, there's a 5km-long slither of land that leads out at sea towards Sri Lanka. At the end, you reach the point where the Bay of Bengal meets the Indian Ocean. The landscape is otherworldly: nothing but sand, seashells, water and wind. And this lonely, colourful boat.

Pilgrims, Rameswaram

Red (4)

Holy men

Don't be put off by the stern faces, they aren't as scary as they look.

In town for the Shiva festival, these holy men lined the streets, awaiting for offerings from pilgrims. I was told it used to be quite a common choice of lifestyle, but the tradition seems to be slowly disappearing. We were so lucky to get this glimpse into the 'old' India.

Shiva festival, Rameswaram

 When we reached Rameswaram, the Shiva festival was in full swing. The small town was inundated with pilgrims from all over the country. The chaos was indescribable, the religious fervour disquieting. It felt as though there was electricity in the air.

We found it quite unnerving and, at times, overwhelming. But it did make for some great people-watching!

Reaching Rameswaram

 Reaching Rameswaram was like reaching the promised land. After a never-ending journey, we stopped on the bridge linking the peninsula to the continent. Only 40km left to the town.

But the view from the bridge - oh that view alone was worth the whole trip. The setting sun gave everything a golden glow and the colourful fishermen's boats looked eerily beautiful.

Only in India (5)

Railway leading to Rameswaram

Women in saris