#Chengam
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ainekeenan.bsky.social
Comment je suis arrivée sur Bluesky :
Transporting metal bed frames on adapted motorcycle, Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India.
March 5, 2026 at 11:36 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
Post a pic you took, no context, to bring some Zen to the feed.
Dusk at Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India
February 28, 2026 at 2:14 PM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
When you go will you send
back a letter from America?
Take a look up the rail track
from Miami to Canada ...

The Proclaimers, 20th century

#Photography #Wisdom #Poetry #SpeirGorm #StreetPhotography #RamanaMaharshi #Ashram #India #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
Red old-fashioned letterbox at the steps leading up to the closed doors of Sri Ramana Ashram Book Depot, Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India.
November 27, 2025 at 1:32 PM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
"With each milestone, India moves closer to a future where autonomous vehicles, AI and sustainable mobility work hand-in-hand to redefine how the nation moves."

WIRIN, 21st century

#Photography #SpéirGhorm #SpeirGorm #India #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
A driverless bullock cart transports three large blue barrels along Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India, navigating through traffic and stopping at designated locations without human guidance. India’s first indigenous driverless car was unveiled in 2025, specially designed to navigate unpredictable traffic, uneven surfaces, potholes and stray animals using 5G, AI and sensors for autonomous driving. https://youtube.com/shorts/lAXEAOv3DFY Sri Satyatmatheertha Swamiji of the Uttaradi Matha took a ride in the driverless vehicle ... https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/video-of-driverless-car-goes-viral-in-bengaluru-as-seer-takes-joyride-9532704/ However, Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has consistently affirmed, "I will never allow driverless cars to come into India because it will take away the jobs of several drivers and I will not let that happen.”
March 4, 2026 at 5:04 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
True love has vanished
from every heart;
What has befallen
all lovers fair?
When did the bonds
of friendship part?
What has befallen
friends that were?

Hafiz, 14th century

#Photography #Poetry #SpeirGorm #StreetPhotography #India #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
MAKE MONEY, NOT FRIENDS A pink custom-painted Mahindra Tourister maxi-cab with orange, yellow and white markings, as well as a lower windshield sun visor reading 'MAKE MONEY, NOT FRIENDS'. The Tamil text at the top reads 'Monica Sri'. Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India.
December 30, 2025 at 2:48 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
Take me to the river,
drop me in the water
Dip me in the river,
drop me in the water
Washing me down,
washing me down.

Talking Heads, 20th century

#Photography #Wisdom #Poetry #SpeirGorm #StreetPhotography #India #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin #Scape #WaterScape
Pali Tirtham (water tank), next to Sri Ramanasramam is used for sacred rites and functions. Also called ‘Manakkula’ (‘marriage’), it attracts newly married couples for blessings. Nearby, a majestic peepul tree (ficus religiosa) with statues of Ganesha and other deities carved in stone underneath it is to be found on the roadside bank with a raised platform around it. Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India.
November 21, 2025 at 5:28 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
O God, you know my mind,
you know my actions.
If, in spite of this,
you chase me away from you,
I shall have many troubles.

Tayumanuvar, 18th century

#Photography #Poetry #SpéirGhorm #India #LandscapePhotography #PhotographersOfBlueSky #ArtOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
A wheelchair user sits alone in the courtyard outside the shrines and meditation room at Sri Ramana Ashram, Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India. The adjacent signs list multiple rules and restrictions including no mobile phone use, no photos or videos, no alcohol or drugs, no littering, no smoking, no alcohol, no footwear ...
February 10, 2026 at 5:34 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
RIP Rob Hirst (1955-2026) 🪔

"How can we dance
When our earth is turning?
How do we sleep
While our beds are burning?"

Midnight Oil, 20th century

#Photography #Poetry #SpeirGorm #StreetPhotography #India #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
Devotees light lamps made from lemons on a metal stand at Yama Lingam temple, Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India. They hollow out a lemon half, fill it with oil or ghee, insert a wick and light it as an offering to Yama, the God of Death. The sign in the background warns: Do Not Burning Plastic Covers. Burning Plastic Leads To Cancer'.
January 21, 2026 at 6:19 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
I read the news today oh boy
About a lucky man who
made the grade
And though the news
was rather sad
Well I just had to laugh
I'd love to turn you on

The Beatles, 20th century

#Photography #Poetry #SpéirGhorm #SpeirGorm #India #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
Two Hindu holy men, known as sadhus, sit reading newspapers on the steps of Lassi House, next to Sheshadri Ashram, Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India. Sadhus are religious ascetics in Hinduism and Jainism who have renounced worldly life to pursue spiritual liberation. They are recognisable by their saffron-coloured robes and forehead markings, known as tilak, which indicate their Hindu sect.
January 28, 2026 at 5:27 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
Lay down, Sally, and
rest here in my arms
Don't you think you want
someone to talk to?
Lay down, Sally,
there's no need
to leave so soon
I've been trying
all night long
just to talk to you.

Eric Clapton, 20th century

#Photography #Poetry #SpeirGorm #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
Two young Indian men pose next to their bicycles heavily laden with stacks of quilts and thin mattresses. These are made of cotton fabric with vibrant, block-printed or screen-printed patterns, and are possibly Kantha quilts or Jaipuri Razai, traditional bedding items. They go from home to home hoping for direct sales. Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India.
January 22, 2026 at 4:12 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
When you really look for me,
you will see me instantly -
you will find me in
the tiniest house of time.
Kabir says: Tell me, what is God?
He is the breath inside the breath.

Kabir Das, 15th century

#Photography #Wisdom #Poetry #SpeirGorm #India #ImageAndVerse #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
Man with a beard and oblivious to everyone else, stands behind a barrier and prays with great intensity before the entrance to Kali. Others move around casually talking between themselves. It felt almost invasive - sacrilegious even - to bear witness to this expression of deep faith before the deity at the Kali Temple on Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India
October 9, 2025 at 12:04 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
I'll never be your
beast of burden
My back is broad,
but it's a-hurting
I'll never be your
beast of burden
I've walked for miles,
my feet are hurting

Rolling Stones, 20th century

#Photography #Stunday #India #SpéirGhorm #SpeirGorm #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
An Indian woman dressed in a traditional blue sari embellished with gold borders and a pink dupatta walks along Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu. She carries a heavy load of waste collection on her head. Another in her hand bears the brand name Coromandel India Cements, a common manufacturer of building materials in the area. In the background is Sri Kaliamman Temple, along with yellow and black auto-rickshaws, vendors, overhead power lines and a high mast lighting system to illuminate the surrounding area.
March 8, 2026 at 4:58 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
And in the middle of it all - you couldn't make this up - a hearse on the way to the cremation grounds ...
A hearse decorated in marigold garlands on the way to the cremation grounds next to Yama Lingam, Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India.
January 2, 2026 at 2:32 PM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
You will not find me in stupas,
nor in Indian shrine rooms,
nor in legs winding
around your own neck,
nor in eating nothing
but vegetables.

Kabir, 15th century

#Photography #Poetry #SpéirGhorm #SpeirGorm #StreetPhotography #India #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
Amma's highly-popular roadside street food stall (thattukada) across from the Dakshinamurti Temple on Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India. From 6 to 10 pm each evening, she sells deep-fried local snacks with a crispy texture and spicy flavour such as mirchi bajji made from fresh green chili peppers, cauliflower fry and other battered items in her shallow iron pan (kadhai) filled with cooking oil. Pakoras are made by coating vegetables such as onions, potatoes and spinach in a seasoned batter made with gram (chickpea) flour. The coated ingredients are then deep-fried until golden brown and crispy. My dirty little secret is the deep-fried potato balls she makes me in a seasoned batter, a cholesterol bomb which would most certainly not impress my doctor. 🤫🤫🤫
March 19, 2026 at 6:20 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
I was passionate,
filled with longing,
I searched
far and wide.
But the day
that the Truthful One
found me,
I was at home.

Lal Ded, 14th century

#Photography #India #Poetry #SpeirGorm #StreetPhotography #WindowsOnWednesday #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
Three Indian women are immediately before the locked entrance of a yellow and orange brightly-painted Sri Manakula Vinayagar Temple, 4th Street, Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu with their backs to the camera. On the left, the eldest, wearing a red and orange sari has a walker support beside her. On the right, another sari-clad woman is bent over at the waist, possibly offering flowers to the deity in front of the shrine to accompany those already positioned. Finally, in the centre, the youngest of the three, her long hair in a single braid and wearing a blue kameez and white dupatta, kneels on the concrete ramp directly beneath the ornate statue of Ganeshan and protector animals above.
December 31, 2025 at 5:29 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
I got no deeds to do
No promises to keep
I’m dappled and drowsy
and ready to sleep
Let the morning time drop
all its petals on me
Life, I love you
All is groovy

Simon & Garfunkel, 20th century

#Photography #Poetry #SpéirGhorm #StreetPhotography #PhotographersOfBlueSky #ArtOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
A sari-clad Indian woman with bangles on both wrists sleeps on the pavement behind the yellow and orange brightly-painted Sri Manakula Vinayagar Temple, 4th Street, Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu. She uses the bag she has been carrying as a pillow. A member of the transgender community, her alternatives are limited and opportunities fewer. While legally recognised in 2014 and deeply rooted in Indian culture, hijras frequently experience intense social exclusion, poverty and violence, often relying on traditional practices of badhai (blessing ceremonies) and, sometimes, sex work.
February 7, 2026 at 4:20 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
One of the main points about
travelling is to develop in us
a feeling of solidarity of that
oneness without which
no better world is possible.

Ella Maillart, 20th century

#photography #spéirghorm #speirgorm #streetphotography #imageandverse #artofbluesky #photographersofbluesky #eastcoastkin
Maariyammal, a heavily-wrinkled elderly woman with matted grey hair and wearing a blue and yellow patterned sari and dark green blouse, joins my South American friend and I to sit on a plastic stool by a roadside chai stall. She wears holy ash (vibhuti) on her forehead and neck, as well as gold bangles on her wrists and a nose-ring. In the background, rickshaws and motorcycles bustle by oblivious to this perfect location across from Agni Tirtham, Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu with a direct view of Mount Arunachala.
March 22, 2026 at 5:17 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
With this and that I tried to
keep the bucket together,
and then the bottom fell out.
Where water does not collect,
the moon does not dwell.

Chiyono, 18th century

#Photography #Poetry #SpeirGorm #India #StreetPhotography #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
An Indian man wearing jeans and a t-shirt, with a cloth tied around his head, carries a basin of silt up steps and through the open gate from Pali Tirtham to Sri Ramanasramam, Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is also called ‘Manakkula’, meaning ‘marriage’, and newly-married couples come to this tank for blessings. There's a sacred Peepul tree on its southern bank with a raised platform around it, as well as statues of Ganesha and other deities carved in stone. https://www.treetopzencenter.org/hidden-lamp-chiyonos-no-water-no-moon/
January 9, 2026 at 5:30 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
And I say hey, hey
I said hey, what's goin' on?
And I pray, oh my God do I pray,
I pray every single day
For a revolution.

4 Non Blondes, 20th century

#Photography #Poetry #SpéirGhorm #SpeirGorm #India #StreetPhotography #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
A yellow and black auto-rickshaw with a driver and passenger is being used to carry a large load of dried hay or straw on the roof, most likely as cattle fodder. These three-wheeled vehicles are a very popular form of public transport, taking people and goods through busy streets at relatively low cost. However, this was the first time I saw one being used for this purpose!!! Agni Tirtham, Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India.
February 2, 2026 at 7:22 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
My awareness is united
and focused in the Real.
Caste, order, and scripture
are gone;
I am the Supreme Brahman
beyond all attributes.

Avudai Akkal, 18th century

#Photography #Poetry #SpeirGorm #RamanaMaharshi #StreetPhotography #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
A garlanded line-drawing mural of Sri Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950) on the rear wall of Sri Ramanasramam, Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India. There is a small platform beneath it on which to light a diya, candle or incense. Carl Jung wrote: “Sri Ramana Maharshi is a true son of the Indian Earth. He is genuine, authentic and, in addition to that, something quite phenomenal. In India, he is the whitest spot in a white space. What we find in the life and teachings of Sri Ramana is the purest of Bharat [India] with its breath liberating humanity. The life and teachings of Sri Ramana are not only important for India, but also for Westerners."
December 7, 2025 at 7:03 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
𝗱𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗴, noun

/𝘥𝘪ːˈ𝘣𝘳𝘪ː𝘧𝘪ŋ/

activity of asking somebody
questions officially, in order to
get information about the task
that they have just completed

Oxford Dictionary, 21st century

#Photography #SpeirGorm #StreetPhotography #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
Two policemen sit on duty outside of the gates of Sri Ramanasramam, Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, one with a moustache staring suspiciously over his shoulder at the camera. The custom-designed yellow metal structure on which they are sitting is one of a hundred or so distributed along the pilgrim route of 14 km around the holy hill of Arunachala. It bears an advertisement for 'Anand Vest And Briefs: Vests. Briefs. Trunks. T-Shirt. Track Pant. Shorts' and an image of a vest-clad, well-toned younger Indian man. In front of where the two policemen are sitting, a yellow rickshaw has just pulled up. An elderly Indian woman in a sari and a white-bearded sadhu wearing an orange turban and scarf, and using a walking stick for support, move towards the gates of Sri Ramanasramam.
November 29, 2025 at 7:36 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
In every life we
have some trouble
But when you worry
you make it double
Don't worry be happy
Ain't got no cash
ain't got no style
ain't got no one
to make you smile
Don't worry be happy

Bobby McFerrin, 20th century

#Photography #Poetry #SpéirGhorm #India #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
Venkatesh, the undisputed 'King Of Chengam Road', smiles equanimously in his modified hand-operated tricycle rickshaw, a mobility aid often used by polio survivors or others with physical disabilities. Wearing a blue shirt and red shorts, he is surrounded by people interacting amongst themselves. A man in a red dhoti stands on the paved street in the foreground with his back to the camera. The word 'rickshaw' comes from the Japanese word jinrikisha, meaning 'man-power carriage', which is especially applicable in this case. Don't Worry, Be Happy", the first a cappella song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100, was inspired by a quote from Indian spiritual master Meher Baba. Its inclusion in the film 'Cocktail' significantly boosted its popularity.
February 13, 2026 at 3:32 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
Every old man I see
Reminds me of my father
When he had fallen
in love with death
One time when
sheaves were gathered ...

Patrick Kavanagh, 20th century

#Photography #Wisdom #Poetry #SpeirGorm #StreetPhotography #Ireland #India #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
An elderly sadhu (Indian holy man) dressed in shades of orange walks along a roadside continuous white line with the aid of a stick, while rickshaws, scooters and a car whizz by. Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India. 👣 Every old man I see Reminds me of my father When he had fallen in love with death One time when sheaves were gathered. That man I saw in Gardner Street Stumbled on the kerb was one, He stared at me half-eyed, I might have been his son. And I remember the musician Faltering over his fiddle In Bayswater, London, He too set me the riddle. Every old man I see In October-coloured weather Seems to say to me: "I was once your father." 🪷 Patrick Kavanagh is considered one of the foremost Irish poets of the 20th century. His work often centered on rural life, particularly in his native County Monaghan, Ireland. His poetry celebrated the ordinary, finding beauty and meaning in the everyday lives of farmers and rural folk. Kavanagh's writing is characterized by its directness, honesty, and unflinching realism. He rejected the romantic idealism of earlier Irish poets, choosing instead to depict the harsh realities of rural life.
November 17, 2025 at 7:32 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
come on come on
let me into your temple
come on come on
I want into your temple
come on come on
let me into the temple
come on come on
I want into the temple

Jane Siberry, 21st century

#Photography #Wisdom #Poetry #SpeirGorm #India #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin
In excess of 30 Indian devotees cluster around the locked gates of Sri Ramanasramam, Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India which closes from 11 am to 2 pm each day. Home to Ramana Maharshi from 1922 until his death in 1950, his samadhi shrine continues to attract devotees from all over the world. The original entrance had the same archway, but no wall. On the advice of a local police inspector, the ashram built a barricade of bamboo and rope on either side of the gate to demarcate the ashram's boundaries. The temporary barricade was not converted into a permanent wall until the late 1940s. https://sri-ramana-maharshi.blogspot.com/2010/11/new-photos-for-living-by-words-of.html
November 26, 2025 at 7:05 AM
ainekeenan.bsky.social
Had my regular morning cup of tea with these good folk ...
Waiting patiently for the ginger tea to brew in the copper urn ... One regular customer wears a bright pink shirt and yellow dhoti, while the other wears a white shirt and blue dhoti. A sadhu in traditional orange robes stands beside the tea stall, and a traditional decorative design (known as a kolam or rangoli) is visible on the pavement and on the large stepping stone in the foreground. Next to Sheshadri Ashram, Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India.
January 14, 2026 at 7:56 AM