City Photo Walk- Phadke Haud Chowk

A map of the general area around which these photos were taken

Munsibhai Bidi Works, Pune

Bidi is the local version of a cigarette. It was interesting to see an establishment like this have such a cool traditional facade. The blues really made it stand out from the surroundings. And from the looks of it, it seemed to have been repainted not too long. It could also mean it is a still-thriving institution.


Sign for a PCO booth of yesteryear

I am not sure when mobiles proliferated our lives to an extent that local phone booths became obsolete. I sure feel nostalgic about them though. At the time if we ever went out and needed to let our folks back home know about a delay, we had to seek out one of these quaint places. The phone booth vendor would usually exchange your money for the right kind of coins. Economy of words was of utmost importance. You couldn't really sit around for hours occupying the phone. Though I am sure young lovers of the generation may have done this with a sack of coins in tow.


Under Construction

In a land where most new constructions are freeform with no heed paid to the surrounding architecture every under construction place is a painful reminder of the chaos and defacing of the cityscape.


An old multi-office complex

Mother's Recipe is an old established brand that sells pickles, spices and other assorted masalas used by many. I never expected to see an office in this dilapidated office complex. Notice the old woman walking barefoot, another one of our traditions.

Cow on the footpath-

Cattle on the footpath shouldn't come to anyone as a surprise to anyone in this country but it still managed to stand out in this case. I preferred to skip the footpath in this case.


A tiny corner temple
A rickshaw stand, sponsored by a political party and a mosque in the backdrop
A large Ganesh idol integrated into the existing structure
Another larger corner temple
A mosque well shaded by the trees

Being a highly diverse country it is not uncommon to see multiple structures of different religions and political affiliations both temporary and permanent sometimes coexisting in the vicinity of each other. And they don't shy away from bright colours.


Another old-style office of a notary with a brilliant splash of blue
The structure to the left is actually the office of a printing establishment
Loved the exposed brickwork standing out against the dreariness around it