Those who are regular readers of my blog would be familiar with Swati Maheshwari’s name. An amateur photographer of merit, her captures have adorned many of my posts. I especially love her photo features where she unravels the mystery of her subjects, be it Nature or an inanimate object or even humans. She is a committed environmentalist and practices what she preaches. But first and foremost she is a Sunshine person whose cheerfulness instantly puts a smile on my face. My young friend has since become my daughter, having married the younger one.
In her other avatar, Swati works in the field of Marketing Communications and Market Research. She lives in Mumbai and spends her free time reading, writing, crocheting, cooking and travelling.
In this beautiful guest feature Swati pays rich tributes to the women of rural India, who have remained on the periphery of social and economic development in spite of possessing vast untapped potential. It is this trait that Swati captures in her eloquent portraits.
I am presenting the updated post which she had done for me some years ago and which remains one of my favourites till date.
Read on……
******
When I look at a woman, my mind is awhirl with questions that intrigue, tease and make me wonder about the thoughts that go on in her mind. What she is like, who she is in her life, the stories, the joys and sorrows that are etched in the lines of her face? She is not just a person, but an entire saga of life itself. As strange as it may seem, every woman is alike in a certain way and yet every woman is unique in her own way. Come with me on the journey of discovery of this wonderful being and her myriad fascinating facets.
The fragility, that speaks of strength. The puzzled eyes that have a strange calm. It’s hard to imagine what goes on in her mind, how she perceives the world and its ways. Maybe she is scared of what lies in store for her? Perhaps there is hidden strength that can endure everything that comes her way?
__
Life is a journey for her too – in fact she is at the very start of it. And a very adventurous one at that. She is unsure of her future, where it is headed – there are a million possibilities and destinations. Or maybe she knows exactly how it’s going to unfold – that’s how it’s always been, that’s how it will always be.
__
She is like a blank canvas, ready to be splashed on with varied hues. She is willing to absorb it all, and also aspiring to paint something beautiful of her own. She is restless, for she can’t wait to make the world her oyster!
__
She redefines beauty; beauty that is not confined to the blush, the foundation, the mascara and the powder. It’s her shy demeanor, her everyday ways of living that make her charming.
__
She is a bundle of tales, a trail of stories. Her life is a memoir. She has been a little girl – a young lady – a mother. Her life has changed over the years, her world hasn’t.
__
She is untutored yet willing to learn, to take on something new. She is a perfect bridge between the past and the present. She is an adept blend of old and new. So what if the new is something to be mastered? She is probably one of those who are not afraid of change. Unlike many of us.
__
Every wrinkle is a bittersweet testimony to the life she has lived through the years – playing different roles. And yet her life is an enigma. Has she lived a life of regrets, or one of adventure? A life full of love, or one of emotional deprivation?
__
She works tirelessly through the hot days. What could be her secret to work-life-balance? Does she ever wonder if she is in the right profession? That maybe she was born to do something else?
__
She looks at the world around her and absorbs everything into her curious mind. When she wonders about things she doesn’t completely understand, she lets them be. Sometimes she chooses to not question anything, often she doesn’t know what to ask. She will always belong to simplicity.
__
She thrives on faith; it is her strength and anchor. She believes in Him – an undying, unwavering belief. She lives on hope and a little fear too as she performs the ageless rituals – nothing should be changed, lest He is offended.
___
What matters to her the most are her loved ones, her family. She only confines herself to their wellbeing. That’s the purpose of her life, to give her very breath to them –- whichever role she dons during the course of her life — daughter, wife, mother, grandmother.
__
She is a bundle of contradictions — bold, yet soft; confident, yet unsure; dutiful, yet ready to break the rules; strong, yet willing to accept her destiny with grace. She is an epitome of contrasts. She is beautiful.
She is always a woman to me.
The Cybernag 
Lovely. Each picture describes women so beautifully.
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The women make the picture beautiful 🙂 The Indian rural women are so enchanting.
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Thank you 🙂 These women made the images beautiful, I didn’t have to do much! Indian rural women are way too enchanting!
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Second comment on the same post. Each picture evokes curiosity and the descriptions below each are equally mesmerizing. What a lovely job you do with the camera and with your words but more than that it is your sensitivity and depth of emotions which spellbinds. Beautiful, Swati!
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Thank you, Rachna! On my road travels (as a pillion), I get to see so many women on either side of every countryside road – leaves me inspired in a strange way 🙂
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This was such a lovely post. I loved the narration and the beautiful shots. Every picture was really worth a thousand words.
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Thank you! These women seem to be full of stories and that’s what I love about them. I am so glad I was able to share their beauty in this post and I hope I did justice to it 🙂
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A lovely post dedicated to the most beautiful and strong creation of God!
Everyone can take pictures but few have the ability to see what you saw in every face and make us see it so effortlessly too. Every line that followed the photo had a story to tell, which could easily be the story of that person. Loved it!
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Thanks, Varsh! These beautiful women made the images come alive with their individual charm, the words that followed came without much effort, all thanks to their persona and the inspiration they gave.
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The writings beneath makes us linger after each capture. Such a lot of depth and curiosity in every photo! A beautiful post unraveling the hidden sides of beautiful women.
I am looking forward to explore more of her snapshots.
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Hi Dashy! I am glad you noticed the curiosity in the images – that’s something I was trying to capture 🙂
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Very nice and interesting Post,all the photographs have beautifully captured,
the emotions and feelings उनकी खामोशी बहुत कुछ कह रही है
I enjoyed reading this post.
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Thank you! Yes, their silence speaks volumes 🙂
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As I finished reading this wonderful post,I was wondering which one,the pictures or the write up beneath,served to embellish the other.I concluded that the description under the pictures brought out the soul of each picture and was written extremely well.Some faces linger in the mind long after I have read the post.
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Hi KP, the images inspired me to write the descriptions. Through my road travels I end up meeting a lot of interesting people but rural women and kids are the most intriguing of all 🙂
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Wow! What a super talented mother- daughter duo you are! Loved the photos and the stories they tell. And also the great introduction to Swati and her work. I will definitely be exploring her blog and website soon.
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Hello 🙂 I have heard a lot about you from Amma! Look forward to interacting with you more 🙂
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Thank you! I too hope to interact with you more. Sorry we couldn’t meet the other day at Powai but did meet your better half for a bit 🙂
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I liked the presentation of this post. Perfect words to with these wonderful pictures. Great work.
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Thank you, Arindam!
I had a great time putting it together. Clicking these women was a lot of fun and learning for me. I am glad I could portray it here and share it with you 🙂
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cool to see them and nice of you to share her work 🙂
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Thank you so much 🙂 It was indeed very nice of her to give me this space to share this feature 🙂
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Thank you Angela. Every woman was an inspiration, which is how I was able to portray them to the best of my abilities 🙂
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These pictures are very inspiring and touching ! beautifully captured and perfectly written, thanks for sharing !
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I agree with Corinne. Amazing portraits and equally amazing words. Being able to read people’s faces is truly an art. 🙂
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Thanks, Jyothi.
These women spoke a lot with their body language and expressions, much more than their words could convey. It was a great journey for me – into their world and back!
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This post is so full of beauty in pictures and words, Swati. So proud to be a woman!
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Thank you so much!
When I met these women, I realized women have such strength within them. And I only hoped to have the same within me. Proud to be a woman 🙂
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Love the beautifully woven stories Zephyr and amazing captures Swati. I am so curious to know whats going through the mind of that old lady with wrinkled face.
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Glad you liked the effort.
That old lady with the wrinkled face was actually quite sad. I was talking to her about her sons/family, etc and she seemed like she had them and yet she didn’t.
She said she only needed money, nothing else. I felt like she was disappointed with the way her life had turned out and now, when she was too old to do much about it, she had much to repent.
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That was a power packed post! It stirred me from within and touched my heart. 🙂 The woman and her myriad emotions at different stages in her life, you brought everything out soooooo beautifully Swati… Loved it! Way to go girl! 🙂
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Thanks a lot 🙂
I am just glad I was able to communicate what I felt. It wasn’t difficult though – A look into their eyes and I knew exactly how to put it in words 🙂
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Awesome Swati!! Good luck with all your new ventures!!
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Gee! Thank you, thank you! 🙂
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The pictures are good and the organic range of products you offer is even better. All the best for your ventures.
Destination Infinity
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Haha
Thank you for the wishes
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superlative post swati- the pics so brilliantly captured and all the emotions so rightly poured; take a bow gal. yup the women so alike and yet so unique
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Thank you so much! So happy that you liked my effort and that I have been able to convey exactly what i wanted to.
🙂
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They say one reads between the lines. Here , you have read the emotion lurking behind every line and curve of the photographs
!.
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Thank you, Stuti.
I am not sure if I have done justice to bringing out their emotions, but this was an enriching experience for me. These pretty ladies were magical 🙂
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if i hadn’t read this post, i wouldn’t have known that someone can actually write so well. I will remember this post.
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That is such a big compliment. Thank you so much! Means a lot 🙂
However, the ladies in the photos inspired me enough to let these words flow on their own!
Glad you liked it 🙂
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For those who keep cribbing they can’t understand women, can use this post as a quick start guide to knowing more about those from Venus. Great pictures!
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Thanks 😉
Also, looks like this post has helped you completely figure out ‘those from the Venus’. Gives me a great sense of achievement, to be honest 😉
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Aren’t you at your sarcastic best today?
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Swati and I have been living together for the last many many years and I know how excited she was while making and clicking for this blog-post. I think I enjoyed reading this post as much as she did while compiling it together!
By the way, she is my sis 🙂
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Welcome here, Surabhi. Nice to meet Swati’s sister and glad to know that you liked the post too. She has indeed done a great job. Hope you like my blog too 🙂 Come again.
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Beautiful, natural, down to earth pictures with apt powerful narrations, Swathi. More lines in the faces of women, more experiences. Though dull with age, their eyes speak volumes.
Thanks Zephyr for introducing Swathi, who introduced here, the true women of our country, to us!
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Thank you so much!
Yes, their eyes captivate me. They speak volumes.
Am glad I got the opportunity to showcase this feature here.
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It is a pleasure hosting young people, with such passion for the their hobbies and work, Sandhya. This post made me cry and laugh at the same time, so beautiful it is. 🙂
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She has done this post with her whole heart. We can see that.
Kudos to both of you!
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Nice work Swati. My 2 cents of suggestion is you may like to experiment with much lesser processing and tones. Some of the portraits are powerful.
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Thanks for the suggestion Mayank. That’s something another friend told me too.
Hopefully I will be able to do a much better job the next time 🙂
Thanks again 🙂
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Lovely pictures Swati. Like you said, each one has more than one story hidden behind those eyes, those wrinkles, their age and their youth – each and every detail is intriguing. And you have captured them beautifully. Photography comes naturally to you. Keep clicking.
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Thanks, Neha
Photography is a hobby that I would like to give more time to.
Glad that you liked this feature, it’s taken me a long time to put this piece together and something very close to my heart
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There is something so pristine about this post!
I guess this is what happens when two people at their creative bests come together and create Magic!
Wonderful! 🙂
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Thank you, thank you 🙂
*bow*
These women were magical and that’s why it shows in the post too! And they all posed so very eloquently for me, made my job much easier 🙂
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I know you are wary of being called a budding amateur photographer, Swati. May I call you a fantastic photographer, please?
I loved the post and the accompanying write-up and the emotions it took me through. Absolutely beautiful.
Zephyr, this post was a real treat in more ways than one. 🙂
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😀 Thank you so much! I am all glee after reading your comment 😀
It means a lot that you appreciate. It is very encouraging for an amateur like me!
This post is very close to my heart, and I am so happy that it has received such wonderful response 🙂
Thank you very much 🙂
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Beautiful pictures and wonderful captions.I really liked them.Those pictures did speak for themselves.Way to go Swati!Proud of you..
Chithi,Thank you for introducing us to Swati and her pictures..
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Hello Hello 🙂
Nice to meet you here:)
I am so glad you liked this post. All thanks to your wonderful Chithi, I have been introduced to so many of her adored readers, friends and fans! 😀
Doing this post was a lot of fun for me! Yay!
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At first i felt as if you picked up interesting faces to do this post,but on second thoughts no; because every face has a story if only we care to give some thought to the person in front of us—-which you have done splendidly.
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Thank you so much!
It’s hard not to notice the story when you look at these photos closely.
Glad you liked it 🙂
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Excellent photography – the composition, the light and the candid captures! Love the varying textures in all. Look like film photographs not digital and that adds to the story that each image screams and sings on its own making the captions superfluous!
Bravo!
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Thank you so very much! It means a lot coming from you. I am still learning how to use the camera, but it’s something that interests me a lot. Wish to learn something from you someday! Your photos have always been inspiring for me 🙂
Once again, thank you so much!
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Beautiful, beautiful photographs and beautiful descriptions to go along with them. Loved this feature.
Thank you so much for this post, Zephyr and Swati!
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Hi 🙂
Thanks a lot for appreciating. I am glad you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed putting this piece together. It’s something I had in mind for a long time but got shape only now. And your kind words only make it all the more special for me 🙂
Thank you so much!
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Fist of all beautiful pictures b ya Budding photgrapher , although I would like to debate on the “budding” word because to me the pictures are awesome and seem very professional.. budding are the likes of me who have no clue how to use the camera they have spent so much money on and yet take pics and shamelessly splash them around 🙂
secondly the descriptions after each photos is a story in its own and you have done a tremendous job.. as you say it does not need ingerediants to look beautiful the woman with a child looks so beautiful and full of grace .. then a couple of pictures down the old woman with all the lines shows the experience she has had in this life ..
Awesome post
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Hello 🙂
I am so so floored by your words 😀 Thank you so much for appreciating although this is just a simple effort in terms of photography. I have been practicing since a very long time (even studied photography as part of college curriculum) but one thing that I have realized is that it only gets better with time and experimenting 🙂 So just keep fiddling with the camera till you completely figure it out 🙂
The descriptions go well with the photos because, honestly, these are straight from the heart. All of these women were so beautiful in their own way, it was just amazing meeting each one of them. Even the little girls featured here seemed far more matured than I would have been at their age, and yet so naive and simple.
I am so glad that you liked it and consider me better than a budding photographer. Means A LOT! :)))
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wow.. the photos and the descriptions are great.. thanks both of you for sharing.. 🙂
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Thank you so much!
There are many such stories yet to be told. This was just a very small effort 🙂 These women were awe-inspiring!
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Quite a journey you have taken us through. Really good work… The narrative really makes you think more than you do. Kudos! 🙂
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Thank you Shoumu! You know how much I wanted you to see this post! Am so glad you liked it 😀
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Full of paradoxes, she is woman
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How true! She is a pool of paradoxes. That’s all I was thinking while writing the description for each photo! I think it shows in the text too.
Hope you enjoyed reading it 🙂
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Pah! Where is the ‘Love the post’ button when you want it? 😛
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You could always ‘Like’ it on FB and a button is there right at the top 😛
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I don’t mix my FB profile with my WordPress one. Ever. 🙂
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That is so cute :)))
You saying it means much more than any ‘love the post’ button 🙂
Thanks a lot!
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🙂
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What a lovely set of pictures and an awesome narrative.
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Thank you so very much!
The description just followed on its own because every face captured here has inspired me to write what I have written.
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Lovely pictures Swati 🙂 My eyes could see the hope and the despair in their eyes. The commentary with the photos was lovely 🙂
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Thank you so much!
Yes, their eyes, that’s all I can see when I look at these photos.
It was a moving experience for me to put this piece together.
Glad you appreciate :))
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Splendid, Awesome. Beautiful pictures and very nice descriptions. The one on beauty touched my heart. We have so much to learn from these wonderful women.
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Thanks a lot!
The one on beauty is one of my personal favorites too. The woman in the photograph was not shy when I asked her if I could click her. She gracefully smiled for me, even though it was at the end of a hard day of work at the field with her child in her arms. That inspired me to no end. And changed the idea of beauty in my mind.
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When I read the title, I wondered what the post could be about. Such a refreshing post. Brilliant!! My hands are itching to wove a story around each picture. 😀
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Hello 🙂 Please please please do weave a story around each one of these and share! I would love to read it 🙂
Glad you enjoyed this post, it’s something very close to my heart and I had a great time putting this piece together 🙂
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Coming up soon Madam 🙂
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Yay! Will look forward to it. I replied to your comment on my blog too. 🙂
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Down to earth.
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True. Down to earth, closer to the reality, raw, rustic, natural and so very beautiful in every sense of the world.
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Beautiful photographs. I love the role of shadows in those pictures. And the writeup completely complimented them.
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Thank you so much!
Am so glad you noticed the shadows. They are there for a reason. I wanted to depict the paradoxes, the contrasts in their life with the shadows.
Thanks again 🙂
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Those photographs gave me goosebumps…amazing!
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I was hoping someone would say that they got goosebumps looking at these. I had goosebumps too, while clicking some of these. These women speak for much more than what I have written here. It’s hard to imagine what their individual life stories would be like.
Their eyes tell a million stories!
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Zephyr, what a post ! And I actually met her at the Indi meet. Such gentle powerful photos. Congratulations to Swati ! What can one say ? I guess, only this :
She is the flower
that blooms,
in the tree’s scheme of things.
Never the “heroine”
pretending,
next to
dahlias and orchids
in bought bouquets,
she faces
the winds
in the bloom of her life,
aware of the fruit
that comes later.
Unarranged, undisplayed,
but oozing strength
in a seasonal blossom,
she tangles with birds,
while allowing the bees,
and moths,
and tolerates
the wandering
of the little ants
all over her.
She blossoms,
with some like her,
some still tiny,
and some
who actually leave
and are taken away
to adorn
someone’s artificial celebration.
And they all learn,
that regardless
of the time of their Life,
it doesn’t matter,
what color you are,
what size you are,
how sharp you are,
or how old you are.
It is about remembering
what the Big Tree taught you,
getting on with others,
being true to yourself,
putting in the great effort,
facing big storms
and emerging, head up,
smiling.
Another day,
Another sun,
and she rises,
brushes off some dewdrops,
and smiles
as she sees
in the distance
the silhouette
of
the little
strong woman
with the camera……..
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http://kavitalihi.blogspot.in/2012/08/sunshine-women.html
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Doesn’t it look like they are all happy to see the ‘little strong woman with the camera’ and are ready to bare their souls to her viewfinder? 😀
Loved the comparison with dahlias and orchids of the hardy seasonal flowers 🙂
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I have no words to tell you for this! I am speechless.. A BIG THANK YOU for this. It’s a beautiful poem that sums up exactly what I would like to describe these women as.
Thanks once again. And a special thank you for mentioning the ‘the little strong woman with the camera..’
Overwhelmed.
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Zephyr, this post was refreshingly different in it being a photo story. It is true that a picture speaks more than a thousand words. Swati, you have woven a story with some awesome pictures. And, indeed, each woman is Shakti — urban or rural. She carries in her a powerhouse of energy and is a nurturer of an entire family. And, yes I have enjoyed your other pictures on Zephyr’s blog too! I am in awe of your work and your understanding of larger realities of life at such a tender age.
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Thanks a lot! There is nothing more satisfying than someone appreciating a piece of art created by you 🙂
Photography is a hobby for me and this is the first time I have showcased it elsewhere. So far they were for my eyes only 😉 Your words are truly encouraging and that means a lot to me!
I hope I get to do more of these 🙂
Thanks again for the kind words :))
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Great captures and beautiful descriptions Swati.
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Thank you 😀
Every photograph inspired me to write every word that followed. I just looked at each one of them and words just came out.
Glad you liked it 🙂
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Such beauties! I feel I have seen them all sometime or other. Great post.Thanks to Zephyr and Swati
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That is something I can totally relate to. Every photograph here speaks for many a women. I can’t help but realize that all women are the same and yet all women are unique.
Beauties, they surely are 🙂
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Beautiful photo feature and every photo telling a story.
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Thank you so much!
Yes, that’s what I realized when I clicked the photos, that each one of them tells a story.
This is a small attempt from me to share their stories with everyone else!
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True. Each woman has a story beyond words. And each story has a ton of happy and sad moments to tell. Thanks for introducing Swati. Beautiful pics personified.
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Thank you so much! Glad to be introduced to you :))
Yes, every woman is a story to be told, a poem to be written. A woman’s life is a ride full of ups and downs – at a personal and emotional level.
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Swati, your photographs are simply exquisite. Your compassion, your ability to look beyond easy social understandings, your love for details, the power of your observation–enthralls me. Not just because you are good photographer or your captions are excellent but because you have done this in spite of being so young in years! I applaud your work and your heart, Swati!!! May we see more works of yours. Count me as one of your followers! Sharing this on my fb page:)
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Thank you so much for all the kind words 🙂 I am extremely overwhelmed!
When I captured these photos here and there, I could weave the story in my heart already. I am not sure if I have done justice to their stories with this post, but have made the best effort to share with you all what I saw and felt.
Thank you so much for sharing it on your FB, means a lot. :))
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beautiful photos! Thank you, Cybernag and Swati!
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Thank you so much!
I had a great time meeting these women and capturing them with my camera.
Glad you liked it 🙂
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Loved this post and also of course the photos. So beautiful!!
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Thank you so much 🙂 Glad you liked it! These women are far more beautiful than what I have been able to capture.
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Such a nice tribute to the woman of India – Thanks Zee and Swati.
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Thank you so much 🙂 The women of India are truly phenomenal if you look at their power to make a difference – to their family, to the society, and the world at large 🙂
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Well done, Swati. This post is a true portrayal of the rural women of India. Very nicely done!
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Thank you!
I clicked these pictures on my trips to villages around Pune. It was a different experience meeting these women – they were so different from the urban women of India and yet so similar in their grace, power and endurance to withstand anything that comes their way!
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So beautiful! Thanks for introducing Swati, Zephyr. Woman is a miracle! I loved the commentary with the photos. Thank you, Swati!
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Thank you so much! I am delighted to be introduced to you here!
Women truly are a miracle, in more ways than one. It always goes without saying what all and how much women endure. It’s often taken for granted.
This is just a small attempt from me to magnify the enigma that women are:)
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The pictures speak more than words! These women have endured it all in all these years and deserve more accolades!!
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Thanks, Rahul. While I was putting this piece together, I met women of all ages. They all seemed to have a story to tell. I knew what I had to write with each photograph while I clicked them. They are all pillars of strength in their own way!
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Loved the photos and the editing….and of course the story woven around them….brilliant piece…. 🙂
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Thanks, Bikash! Whatever little photography I know, I have learnt it with you and sometimes from you! So your appreciation means a lot.
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What an emotional roller-coaster ride of a post, Swati! Chest swelling with pride one minute and eyes turning moist the next, each photograph telling more than one story and expressing a myriad emotions with that smile, the bewilderment, the anticipation… A portrait of the Shakti of real India of women who go about leaving their mark on the canvas of life — sometimes boldly and at others quietly — but doing it nevertheless. And you have not only captured them in their various moods but also serenaded them. Lovely 🙂
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First of all, thank you so much for giving me this space to showcase this post, which is very close to my heart. I had a great time putting this piece together and was even more excited about it since it was going on your blog!
Thanks once again for all the encouragement and support and suggestions (and nagging)for this post, would not have put in so much effort if it weren’t for you!
And yes, thank you for the lovely intro 😀
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