Portraits

These are some portraits that I took of my friends during our recent trekking and nature trip to Coorg (Kodagu) in Karnataka, India.


These pictures were shot inside Nalnad Palace, a 18th century historic monument that is of great importance to the Kodavas, the natives of Coorg.

 
While a couple of photos were shot against the colourful and beautifully carved entrance gates of the palace, the other photo was shot against the old walls of the inside.


The photos here are of my friends Vishwadeep Anshu and Amith Kishore.

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Portraits in different moods

During my recent trip to Coorg (Kodagu), a tropical hotspot in Karnataka, India, I took a lot of portrait shots. And some of them came out with very interesting results.


Take this case as an example. Here, I took the portrait of Mani, who is a local Kodagu farmer and who dovetailed as our trekking guide during our treks here.

 
I took these photos both in continuous and single shot modes and the results totally surprised me. Each photo of Mani conveys a different emotion or should I say mood.

 
And all this in spite of him knowing very well that I was taking his photograph and him being warm and welcoming to the cause.

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Toothpaste Ad Portraits

From the time I started using a camera, I have loved taking portraits. Portraits are very special as they capture the essence of the moment, the true emotion of that person at that time.


In this instance, me and my friends were sitting inside a 18th century palace in Coorg to avoid the monsoon rains outside. We had just finished our day long 25 kilometre trek and hence there was mutual feeling of elation.


And this feeling of elation brought out vibrant smiles on our faces and when I took portrait shots of Sreedhar and Amith, it ended up coming like the ones seen in a Toothpaste advertisement.

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Nalnad Palace near Kakkabe in Coorg

Nalnad Palace is a 18th century monument that holds a very important place in the Kodava history. It is situated near Palace Estate in Kakkabe, which is popular tourist destination in Coorg. In its heydays, this palace served as the royal hunting lodge and summer home of the Kodava Kings.


Nalnad Palace is situated at the base of the Thadiyendamol peak and makes for a great place to end the trek from Thadiyendamol.


This is exactly what me and my friends did. We had walked nearly all day in heavy rains from Honey Valley to Thadiyendamol and by early evening we found ourselves at Nalnad Palace and thus got two full hours of daylight to explore and appreciate this historic place.

 
It was raining for most of the two hours that we were at this place and hence we spent more time admiring the superb architecture and fabulous paintings. There are intricate wood carvings all round the structure. The ancient paintings and the historic architecture also catch one’s eye.


The things that stand out here are the low slung conical roof, crested dome, pillared facade, intricate wooden friezes, wall murals and the courtyard with its four bulls. Even the main entrance palace doors are ornately decorated.


This is a must see place in and around Kakkabe. The Padi Igguthappa temple, which is the holiest Kodava shrine, the village of the Kapala tribesman and Chelavara Falls are some other favourite tourist spots nearby. Kakkabe is well connected by buses, jeeps and cabs from Madikeri and Virajpet, which are the top cities in Coorg.

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