#HousesOfIndia Story 44 - Susegad

Nirmala Sequiera, 64 years old, lives in this beautiful Indo-Portuguese house in Campal, Goa. She used to be a teacher, but is now retired. The Campal region in Goa falls under a 'Heritage Conservation Zone'. The area has twenty houses - eight owned by the Sequeiras.

Nirmala is a retired teacher, and now makes the most of the solitude that surrounds her in her quaint Goan home. Her husband Ricardo passed away two years ago. Now Nirmala spends her time reading, gardening and spending time with her grandchildren. She is also trying get back to her passion of painting.

The Sequieras moved into this house in 1974. The architecture is the typical Indo-Portuguese style you will see in this part of the country, and the house has 11 rooms and 2 bathrooms. Complete with wooden rafters and the original wooden ceiling, the unique feature of the house is that it has no windows! Every room has large doors, which when kept open make for a beautiful lit and airy home. 

This Photo Essay was made exclusively for Housing.com for their campaign 'Houses of India'.

Military Fashion in Chakrata

The year is 2015 and I find myself in the district of Chakrata in Uttarakhand. I have been hired as an on-set photographer for a feature film called 'Pinti Ka Sabun', commissioned by The Children's Film Society of India. 

The film crew members find themselves ill-prepared for the weather, and in the evening, we all head to the local market. While we weren't expecting Louis Vitton, what takes us by surprise is the number of shops that sell Military wear - caps, boots, bags, jackets - everything is Military. 

We are informed that Chakrata, being a military cantonment area, the locals are influenced by and also have easier access to this option. These products are cheap, durable and reflect the 'harsh' lives the residents of this district have.

A sheep herder in Mungaad Village.

Lady working in the jungle in Koruwa.

Peanut Seller in Naagh Thaat.

The elders of Mungaad Village, bask in the sun.

One of the more decorative Military Gear Store I found in Chakrata Market.

My Commando Cap!

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Mitali Weds Mrugank: Haldi

 

#HousesOfIndia Story 43 - Valley

Bhojum Yorney, his wife Yaken, and their four young children live in this pretty home in the small town of Menchukha in Arunachal Pradesh. Nestled in the Mechuka Valley, at an elevation of 6,000 feet above sea level, the town is only 29 kilometres away from the Indo-China border and is thus occupied mostly by an air base of the Indian army. 
While life moves slowly in this small town where most of its local residents work as labourers, they all have a singular aim - to work hard to provide a better future for their children, so they can get out of the valley, and into a big city. 

Bhojum and his wife Yaken built this house in 2012. It has 5 bedrooms, a beautiful kitchen with a firewood stove and a nice big compound and backyard where their children run around and play with their pet chickens. 
Before moving into this home, the family used to stay in a shack. In a place like Menchukha, having a concrete home is a sign of wealth and prosperity, and something that Bhojum aspires to as well. When asked about the materials he used to build the house he quietly says, almost embarrassed, that it is mainly pinewood. Those of us who in live in concrete jungles understand the beauty of this modest yet beautiful handmade home. 

Bhojum and Yaken's 9 year old son Sunny has his own bedroom, and its walls are adorned with sketches of his favourite cartoon characters. His talent, far beyond his age. 
The family used to live in a small shack before they built this house. Here, the kids have room to play, grow and let their imaginations run wild. 

The Yorney family is a good example of how the local residents of this small town are always looking to move forward, keeping pace with the advancements in the rest of the world; while always having one foot firmly placed in the past, hanging on to traditions and customs. While they wear modern clothes, almost every house here has a loom to make their traditional attire, called the Galey. Mini, the Yorneys' 14-year old daughter is skilled at using the loom.

Bhojum's dream for his family is to be able to make a concrete house for them a few years down the line, a sign of prosperity in these parts of the country. 


This Photo Essay was made exclusively for Housing.com for their campaign 'Houses of India'.

iSoch Campaign Video for Tathapi Trust Pune

This is what we shot that day in Pune.