Like a Tentacle into the Blue City, a photo from Rajasthan, West

Photographer's Note

Mehrangarh Fort , located in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, is one of the largest forts in India. The fort is situated on a lofty height, 400 feet above the city, and is enclosed by imposing thick walls.

Built by the fifteenth Rathore ruler, Rao Jodha in mid fifteenth century, the name Mehrangarh is said to have originated from the Sun-deity has been the chief deity of the Rathores.

Standing at the top of the fort, it’s an amazing sight with the battlements set four hundred feet above the hill. The hill on which the fort is built forks into an arm or a tentacle, which extends into the mesmerizing maze of blue below, merging fluidly with the horizon & disappearing into a haze. All of the houses of the city are painted indigo, once only allowed for the people of Brahmin caste but non-Brahmins soon joined in, as the indigo colour is said to deflect the heat and keep mosquitoes away. The 'rebel' house painted in bold red can be seen in the bottom left, near the fort wall, amidst the sea of blue :-)

pastadog, feather, sandpiper, goodwill, isabela_sor, Bluejeans, PaulVDV, papagolf21, Dyerco, pierrefonds, MarcT, plimrn, adores, edytungkal, zeca, jafadabret, AlexandraR, bakes888, Dpbours, josepmarin, Atousa, Felip, MeAT heeft deze opmerking als nuttig gemarkeerd

Critiques | Translate

brandstaetter (15915) 2008-08-05 3:09

Hi Angshuman,
what a spectacular perspective on a spectacular architecture, seems you leaned out the wall with ropes :)
super! well done!
Cheers Chris

pastadog (13111) 2008-08-05 3:19

Once again you get an amazing view of the Blue City, Angshu, and I believe this is even nicer than your "Guarding the Blue City". The brown tones of the hill and fort look pretty in this light you captured. Congratulations, Daniel

npecanhuk (79329) 2008-08-05 3:27

Hello Angshuman!
Excellent pov to register such an interesting place!
Great sharpness and colors as well!
TFS - Congratulations!
Best regards,
Neyvan Peçanhuk

feather (51130) 2008-08-05 3:31

I think I remember a similar shot from Ricardo, and just as then I am amazed by this stunning sight. You're not even at the very top yet you seem to be flying high. Very well composed with the fortress wall on the right and the diagonal of the "tongue" reaching into the mass of blue. I like the idea of a rebel house. ;D
Kath

baba_flies (8829) 2008-08-05 3:32

Fantastic, Angshuman, and I must adimit that I cannot remember that I came over this blue town before (I now can see that I actually have but in some photos you do not show the blue) but it is amazingly beautiful and I really like your photo with part of the wall included and how the wall leads out to protect the town. Great, it really is! Regards ... Barbara.

Morac (27725) 2008-08-05 4:37

Hello Angshuman!
Excellent pov to register such an interesting place!
Super! well done!
Regards
Marc

sandpiper (6788) 2008-08-05 4:54

Hi Ingshuman

Its like a scene from Indiana Jones; I never heard of this place before. Great capture and amazing contrast between the indigo houses and the reds of the cliff and fort. Great shot.

Chris

Barkan (187) 2008-08-05 5:15

Hello Angshuman,
What a wonderful capture of the fort and the city. The contrast between the blue houses and the brownish fort is great. Tfs.
Regards,
Barkan

sevy (58) 2008-08-05 6:11

Hi,

very original point of view to present the blue town. The colors are strong and there is a nice contrast between them.

Yves.

wolf38 (30) 2008-08-05 8:05

Hello Angshuman. The photo is fantastically beautiful. It is excellent in all photographic disciplines. Best regards, Wolfgang.

isabela_sor (47748) 2008-08-05 8:13 [Comment]

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avene (12675) 2008-08-05 9:41

hello Angshuman,
once I read the title, I cannot see anything else in this photo - brown tentacle reaching into the city to find the rebel houses :) great shot, I like a lot how the densly built city gradually disappears in the mist, it creates a feeling it goes on forever. that tentacle actually is a great lead-in line too, while wall on the right works well as a natural frame, and also gives a good depth to the scene. excellent work, my compliments.

with best regards,
Kristine

Bluejeans (64251) 2008-08-05 10:31

Ola Angshuman ,
Muito interessante esta cidade com as casas pintadas de azul a contornar a rocha , ficou bonito o horizonte com neblina , boa profundidade de foto , parabéns!!
Um abraço Gonçalo

carper (96) 2008-08-05 10:44

wauw marvelous one Angshuman
what a view, great details fantastic light and what a shot I like it a lot, have a good day.
gr.Jaap

PaulVDV (63024) 2008-08-05 12:30

Hello Angshuman,
Very good POV to show the contrast between the indigo of the houses and the redbrown rock and wall.
Excellent architecture picture and thanks for the interesting note.
Best regards, Paul

CatherineD (4864) 2008-08-05 12:56

Hello Angshuman,
Impressive shot with very nice colours and excellent POV. Unusual view. Well done!
Best regards,
Catherine

Graal (103040) 2008-08-06 0:20

Hi Angshuman,
great landscape, fine presentation and composition. Amazing blue houses in down. I like it a lot. Unusual place and good POV.
Gr., Aleksander

TopGeo (38220) 2008-08-06 0:28

Hi Angshu! a spectacular architecture view point Very good subject and instructive the presentation in the note. The indigo am used for the painting with white for her sun and small absorption of heat, Impressive place and splendid scene I would like also other choices of closely houses and view of region are interesting this blue city!
Thanks
Geo

papagolf21 (152607) 2008-08-06 0:43

Cher ami Angshu,
Je persiste à écrire que vous avez un talent extraordinaire pour trouver des sites merveilleux. Cette prise de vue est excellente et vous méritez un prix pour cette composition.
Grand coup de coeur pour cette très belle réalisation.
Bravo !
Amitiés.
Philippe

Dyerco (10185) 2008-08-06 0:46

Hello Angshuman
What an incredible place. The image is well exposed and nicely composed. TFS.
Phil

Budapestman (82620) 2008-08-06 2:34

Dear Angshu,
What a panorama. It's an amazing view with impressive and exciting POV. I like the misty background and the spectacular architecture. Great atmosphere, Very well done! Have a nice day
George

aadilj (18102) 2008-08-06 3:07

That sure is like a huge tentacle. I like the way you have seen and compsoed this view. its gerat and well done indeed.

pierrefonds (114608) 2008-08-06 4:53

Hi Angshuman,

The line made by the fortification of the Mehrangarh Fort is an asset to the composition. There is a good contrast between the colors of the fort and the blue colors of the houses. The point of view leads oure eyes toward the horizon which is giving depth to the picture. The subject is well frame. Have a nice day.

Pierre

goodwill (4274) 2008-08-06 6:27 [Comment]

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MarcT (20964) 2008-08-06 6:55

Hi Angshuman,
Interesting picture with an excellent POV. Nice and unexpected colours.
Cheers
Marc

plimrn (21344) 2008-08-06 8:47

Hi Angshu,
You have framed a very striking compo with the tentacle creeping into the hapless blue houses. It is also very effective to include a bit of the sheer drop that you mention. That is also somestairway climbing the tentacle and one imagines the difficult climb to top first with with materials to build the fort and then with supplies. Yikes!!
Once again you give me a lesson about the earth, with your note describing brahmin colors, and their virtues. Smart to point out the 'rebel' house as well.
HLJ, Pat

crckt (7222) 2008-08-06 9:56

Hi Angshumanda,
This POV is really wonderful. Great visual effect you have created here, wonderful composition. Rajasthan has so much to offer, it is really amazing!
Regards,
Shaeri

adores (46979) 2008-08-06 17:17

Hi Angshuman!
Amazing pov! The view is amazing from this place, especially with all those houses. This must have been a really powerful fort.Very good shot. You know, the reason why we use the yellow and mainly the blue colour here in the south, is probably the same, to keep the mosquitos and the flies away.

dvlazar (6662) 2008-08-06 20:24

Hey,
a nice view of the amazing blue city. I like the way youve shot this from the fort - an angle which seems to be quite original. The blues stand out well.
Namaste,
Dave

edytungkal (4551) 2008-08-06 20:59

Wow....what a fantastic view and you have the best pov here Angshu to capture the interesting blue city below. Well done friend, thanks for showing this...

cheers
daniel

zeca (19762) 2008-08-06 21:34

Hi Angshuman!
Very nice post! Its a very interesting city! Good to know about it. The POV is excellent!
Regards,
Zeca

testmaniac (13508) 2008-08-06 23:21

Hello Angshuman, great view! Only the DSLR is missing in this photo. Excellent POV and colors. This place is amazing!

TFS

Phil

somak_g (497) 2008-08-07 21:38

hi angshu,

the next time you go to jodhpur, go down into the city where this spur ends. from there you will get an amazing view of my favourite fort !! as luck would have it, my camera got jammed on that day. to go there you will have to keep on going straight instead of taking the final steep left turn towards the gate of the fort. the blue colour also reduces the glare of the harsh desert sun - while white will actually hurt your eyes.

regards
somak

siolaw (38294) 2008-08-07 23:10

Hi Angshu,
A well found title to describe the scene... Its nickname is legitimate when we see this ocean of blue houses, contrasting well with the reddish tentacle...
Nice view
Laurent

jafadabret (56501) 2008-08-08 1:52

Hello Angshu.

C'est un paysage grandiose avec le rocher et la citadelle. Les maisons bleue donnent une atmosphère très spéciale et presque surnaturelle au cliché.
Jacques

AlexandraR (80) 2008-08-08 3:39

Amazing landscape and great Pov. I love the tones of this photo, I wish I could visit some day.

bakes888 (18499) 2008-08-10 0:24

Hi Angshu. Wonderful view. Nice colour contrast between the blue houses and the ochre tentacle. Strong composition with good lead-in and FG interest. Well captured and thanks for sharing.
Have a good week, Paul.

Dpbours (222) 2008-08-10 13:42

Hello Angshu,

Very nice to see how that rock just goes on in between the houses. In these times, we would have dug away that rock.
I'm now really wondering about the 'rebels' :-). Who was living in the red house?!

Greetings!
Dennis
(later...)

josepmarin (59385) 2008-08-11 9:31

Hi Angshuman,
This POV is magnificent to give the sensation of being flying on this white and blue city, and to see the tentacle of the Fort that penetrates between its houses.
You choose a perfect setting, I like much the depth and the chromatic quality of the photo.
Nice work, my friend.
Best regards,
Josep

cbrman (21685) 2008-08-12 3:52

Hello Angshuman,

Superbe prise de vue ! J'aime beaucoup cette impression de hauteur. La multitude de maisons peintes en bleu est vraiment extraordinaire dans cette image.
J'aime beaucoup la langue de pierre qui s'étend dans l'image !
Bravo !

A+

Dominique

Atousa (7131) 2008-08-13 8:45

Salam Angshu,
Blue city is a suitable name for it ! I like the pov very much..good sense of depth n very interesting place to visit..It s also interesting to know about the usage of indigo colour..thank you.
Best wishes, Atousa

Timmok (802) 2008-08-14 4:49

Hi Angshuman

I failed at getting a proper picture of the blue city when I was at the fort, and I have to say that yours is something I may have wanted to do myself. You captured the blue really well and got a lovely contrast in the colours. Did you do any postprocessing on it? At which time of the day was it? It looks a bit like the afternoon light in Jodhpur...

I don't know if I'll ever make it again to this city, but for sure it's one of the great memories of my trip to India this winter. Thanks for reminding me of this lovely place.

PS: the only picture I posted from Jodhpur that was decent enough for the demanding users of TrekEarth. You can find it here

Felip (3907) 2008-08-14 8:42

Hi Angshu, what can I say? both know that the picture is good, but apart from that obviousthing, your POV makes of it a very spectacular shot...seems like you were in an eagle`s nest to take this pict. I like it!

Best wishes my friend

Felip

Stepan (27210) 2008-08-15 10:29

A pertinent title for that interesting compo, where the depth enhances the tentacle sensation. And the blue roofs are really lovely. Very well done.
Stéphane

pboehringer (770) 2008-08-18 5:33

Angshuman,
I remember an earlier post of the same fort down to the blue city. I was very impressed by that shot and here we have in a new edition something similar. It must be quite an experience to stand up there and have the blue sea of houses on the bottom. The title is a funny and quite adequate one.
Peter

sayat (2949) 2008-09-01 8:57

Fantastic view! Thanks for this amazing shot.

MeAT (1174) 2008-09-03 18:27

Hihihi!

I actually took an almost identical shot a month after you!

My picture from the Jodhpur Fort

I really like your tighter framing that gives a better view of the blue colour in the city.

Good job!

MeAT :)

arkane (97) 2008-09-29 2:36