A religious parade in Mandi. I think this was the start of the ten-day festival to Shiva's wife, but I'm not sure...
...the same parade, but ten days later, at the end of the festival.
A random shrine, somewhere in India. I don't know why this tree is holy, but apparently it is...spontaneous shrines are very common all over Delhi.
An AIDS prevention message in McLeod Ganj, home of the Dalai Lama and Tibetan government-in-exile.
A saddhu (holy man), at a rest stop on the way to Dharamsala. I *think* that's his real hair!
A weaver in a tiny, tiny weaving studio in Mandi. He and another weaver squeeze into a tiny 10'x6' brick room--there's barely enough room to sit behind the loom!
Another festival parade in Mandi. I think that's the wedding procession for Shiva's wife, but I honestly don't know...
This, on the other hand, is not a parade. This is the bus station/main square in McLeod Ganj. It usually looks pretty much like this.
And, the inevitable textile photos...this is my travel shawl, which is now about 30" across.
This is the funniest bobbin winder I've seen in my travels. It's a small electric fan, with a rubber band around the propeller thing, driving a bobbin-winder to the left.
Another charkha. Indian charkhas, unlike Thai/Lao/etc. charkhas, tend to be of solid wood, like this round wheel.
A better shot of the beggar-woman spinning on her tahkli. She and I traded spindles for awhile, and I showed her how to spin on my silver spindle!