On the road. After I left Agra, the road opened up
The first stage - the more accessible one - was Jhansi, Orchha and Khajuraho
Jhansi. This is the town that was made famous by their queen, Rani Lakshmi Bai during the Indian Mutiny of 1857-58. The town, as seen from the fort
Between Jhansi & Orccha. The lady was probably more secure than I was. She was probably going home. I was looking for my way.
Two men sit by the banks of the Betwa River in Orccha, watching the clouds sweep in.
The temples in the shadows of the monsoon clouds. The River Betwa. Orccha
A fallen statue of Nandi, and the Shiv Lingam under a tree. Orccha
The courtyard of the main palace in Orccha. The kings seem to have had it good
En route to Khajuraho
En route to Khajuraho
A man at a construction site on the highway
The monsoon clouds gather over the trees en route to Khajuraho
One of the temple carvings in Khajuraho. The Indians of yore had a more relaxed approach to sex than we do
The Raneh Falls near Khajuraho
A small river stream on the highway
Just a small glen
The Pandu Falls near Khajuraho
At the top of the Pandu Falls
At the Old Panna Falls. This is where I met a retired diamond smuggler who told me of the people he had murdered.
To Kalinjar & Chitrakoot. It gets wilder
Kalinjar Fort. Wild. It was the hiding place of dacoits. Sher Shah Suri, one of India's greatest kings, lost his life in the siege of this fort
Chitrakoot. One of the holy towns of India. Religion is the last solace for the poor and the damned.
A temple dedicated to Hanuman. It is said he cooled his tail in the waters of this place after burning Lanka
A small temple under the clouds. Chitrakoot to Panna
Mother India chews the cud placidly
The open jail for dacoits in Lalitpur. Probably, their ghosts haunt the place now.
Time stands still. Chai flows. So does idle chatter.
Cleaning his clothes.
The highway. On the way home.
That's me in this selfie.
Rajiv Chopra. www.rajivchopra.black
The images in this project were taken when I went on a solo road trip to Bundelkhand, in the central heartland of India. The images represent a return to my roots in black & white photography. This is where I started. This is my first love.