| | For the last few years I had been mentoring a young Indian college student by the name of Madhu Jamallamudi who was working on his masters in Agricultural Economics in the United States. We became very close and fast friends during these three years. As our friendship grew he recounted tales about life in India, and told me about the people he grew up with and knew there. I started reading books about the country, and began developing Email correspondence with some of his friends. All of this compounded my wanderlust to visit India.
Madhu indicated that if I was serious about going to his country, he would help me arrange my trip. He suggested that while I was there I should also visit his family in his home town of Gopalapuram. He told me that he had a childhood friend, Chandu Kiran, who worked in the Indian movie-making system and he assured me would have the time and be happy to take care of me during my stay in India. So, along with Madhu’s help and some correspondence with some of his friends back home, I began planning in March for a November trip to India.
In Hyderabad’s Begumpet airport, I collected my suitcases, came through the custom area and at the visitor’s meeting point saw Madhu’s friend, Chandu, waiting with a group of friends that until now had only heard about. Each one extended their own very loving and warm welcome. Besides Chandu there was Teja, Kiran, Rammohan, a 13 year old girl - Sravany and her 16 year old brother, Shushant. Sravany, held a huge bouquet of yellow white and red flowers covered over with clear cellophane to offer me her welcome to the country.
This was my first impression of India and through the following 40 photographs I have tried to show all aspects of life in a vivid and wonderfully friendly country.
| | |
