I travelled. For over a decade. Met people. Strangers. Each different. And yet not so much so. They all share an identity. They are Indians.
This book is a portrait. And a reflection.
MORE ABOUT THE BOOK
INDIANS is a collection of portraits – all in black and white. Set as a coffee table book, it is printed at one of the finest presses using high quality paper and printing processes. The size is a very handy 8”x10” with a hard cover and lay flat binding for easy browsing.
A NOTE ON WHAT WENT INTO THE CREATION OF THE BOOK
Ajay Jain has been road tripping across India since 2007. He has learnt that the best way to know the country is by road – because much of what India is has not been documented in any guides. There is a surprise and a delight waiting at every milestone.
The book is a compilation of just some of the portraits he shot over 10 years, driving 100,000+ kms in the process. He takes his car from Delhi and goes as far as the road allows. His biggest journey was the Great Himalayan Drive – he covered the entire span of the mountains by road including Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Nepal, West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. He had to take a U-turn at Kibithu, the easternmost motorable point in India on the Chinese border.
Other big journeys included the one from North to South covering Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala.
The collection of these portraits would not have been possible had he not explored the way he did – and there could not have been a faster way to achieve this goal.