Bell Hop

I Must Have Got My Wires Crossed

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

This shot was taken in Calcutta in mid-October 2006. I was there during the string of Hindu religious festivals known as the Pujas, the time of year when the entire city wears a festive air.

The Puja season in Calcutta, as it is in any Indian city, is a time to look up. There are lights festooned across streets, there are lights draped across buildings, there are lights at every pandal, the Indian word for a temporary structure that is a place of devotion and celebration.

There are sounds, too, that identify the time as being typical of the season. There are the sounds of amplified music on every street corner, there are the sounds of fireworks as well. Calcutta is transformed not just by the spirit of worship, but by the spirit of festive commerce as well.

I shot this frame near a pandal, because of one simple factor. In the years when I was growing up in India, I never saw bells used as a decorative motif. These huge gold-orange bells were made of fabric, embedded with glittering mini-mirrors and fringed with tassles. I enjoyed framing this shot, especially because of the dark wood of the ancient tree, as well as the beautiful green of the leaves.

There was one other factor on my mind. I guess bells are more a Christian symbol, especially with their Christmas connotations. When I shot this, I was aware of the overhead wires, and I worked the frame so that the wires would cross the frame diagonally, in a way that they would not threaten the bells as the central point of focus.

But if you study the frame closely, you have to look really hard to see the wires. The beautiful colour tones of the bells, the tree trunk and the leafy canopy make such an interesting splash that they overshadowed the potential dilution caused by the wires.

(The Odd Shots concept came from Katney. Say "G'day" to her.)

Light Entertainment

Don't Get Your Wires Crossed

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

This photograph was taken in Calcutta, India on a very brief, unplanned trip in October 2006. The Hindu festive season known as the Puja holidays had just come to an end, and all the religious pandals (places of temporary worship, displaying images of Hindu gods and goddesses) were being dismantled. A lot of the apartment buildings in the city are illuminated with light festoons during the holidays, but these are all taken down and packed away after life returns to normal.

I caught sight of these lights at the side of a residential building in Ballygunge, in the southern part of the city. My children were with me at the time and it was (naturally) as if they could read my mind. As I reached for my camera case, they grinned and said in unison: "He's so going to take a shot of those lights.''

Yep, it was irresistible. The scene drew me like a magnet. All that coloured wire. All those light globes. How could I walk past something like that without capturing the scene? My only regret is that I never asked how many light globes it took to illuminate the building. Maybe I just wasn't bright enough.

(The Odd Shots concept came from Katney. Say "G'day" to her.)

Stare Case

A Place Where Creativity Is Worshipped

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

This shot of a striking decoration to mark the Puja season of Hindu festivities was taken exactly a year ago, on a brief visit to India. The gold-fringed ornament was one of many on the staircase leading to the first-floor offices of Kolkata-based Trisys Communications. I framed this meticulously, because I wanted as much of the reflection as I could get in the shot.

Trisys, specialising in annual reports and corporate presentations, was started by a former colleague of mine, Mudar Patherya. The prince of lateral thinkers, he was only a student when he wrote a letter simply addressed to ``Sir Donald Bradman, Australia'' - and received a reply from The Don, along with a signed photograph.

That attitude shines through the company offices. The staircase in this photograph features some rare Kolkata memorabilia and the walls of the work area carry another surprise. They are decorated with huge cartoon murals by Debashish Deb, another former colleague of mine who is an effervescent artist and designer. As a creative corporate environment, I've never seen anything like it.

No Vandals, Just Pandals

Harry Potter Is Hero-Worshipped In Calcutta

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Want to see the greatest tribute to Hogwarts? Go to Calcutta. That's right, Calcutta, India. This is the Hindu festive season in Calcutta, and the season is synonymous with "pandals" or temporary structures encompassing a unique blend of celebration, relegious rites and worship. The pandal-makers of this amazing city can build anything - and this year they have erected their version of the wizard school, at FD Block in Salt Lake.

It's not without controversy, though. A few hours ago, the New Delhi High Court on Friday overturned a legal challenge and compensation claim against the pandal. The photograph I've posted here was taken a year ago, but it gives you an idea of how much work goes into the construction. This structure goes from one side of the street to the other, and I chose to focus on the bamboo cross-poles tied together with jute rope.

To see the Harry Potter pandal, go to The Telegraph.

Palm Reader

Excuse Me, Is This A Blind Date?

Calcutta during the Pujas. Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON