Jonathan in Bali

Banganga Tank, Mumbai, India is one of the oldest parts of the city. It is a large, stepped well or tank surrounded by 30 temples, 2 hermitages and several local gymnasiums. The steps were constructed during the Silhara Dynasty between the 9th and 13th centuries. The water is believed to have been sourced with the help of an arrow shot by Rama. There are many ducks on the water as well as devotees.

Colaba in South Mumbai is full of colonial architecture. There is a busy market. It was originally a sleepy fishing island populated by Koli fishermen, from which it gets its name.

5,000 dabbawallas of Mumbai carry dabbas - tiffin boxes - containing freshly cooked lunches for workers. Husbands leave early for work. The boxes are collected at home, transported, sorted and delivered in a relay system to the husbands. A highly sophisticated centuries-old coding system, using colours, numbers and signs, was devised by the dabbawallas themselves. Most are illiterate. After lunch the boxes are collected and the whole thing is done in reverse.

The David Sasson Library and Reading Room, Mumbai, were built in the Venetian Gothic style in 1870. It's the oldest library in the city and was established by an Iraqi Jewish businessman called David Sassoon. There's a statue of him in the entrance hall. David Sassoon's grandson built the Knesseh Ell Yahoo Syngague in 1884, which is close by across the street.

Dhobi Ghat is where Mumbai's dirty linen is washed by men in long rows of open cubicles. They come mainly from Bihar. It is about 140 years old. There are 1,026 troughs. The clothes with a single colour come from somewhere like a hospital or business. They will arrange to pick up laundry from your home and deliver it back.

The Gateway of India was built on Apollo Bunder to commemorate the landing of King George V and Queen Mary in December 1911, the first English monarch to visit India. It was erected in 1924 and finished in 1927, designed by George Willet in Indo-Saracenic style with influences from Gujarat. Indo-Saracenic is a combination of Neo-Gothic and Mughal. It was built from local sandstone. Opposite it is the Taj Mahal Hotel designed by W. Chambers in Indo-Saracenic style. The promenade is full of tourists, photographers and sellers of postcards and maps. There are also horse and carts called Victorias.

The High Court of Mumbai, India is a towering presence designed in typical English style with a soaring 53 metre tower. It was completed in 1878 and opened in 1879. Unfortunately photographing is not allowed inside, but the security guards were very obliging. It is very busy indeed inside.

Mahalaxmi Temple, Mumbai is perched on a hilltop facing the sea. It is colorful and covered in flowers. Photographs inside are not allowed. It is dedicated to Laxmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and her consort Vishnu.

The Missionaries of Charity was founded on October 7, 1950 by Mother Teresa and her small band of dedicated pupils for the purpose of serving humanity with the vow of “Wholehearted and Free service to the poorest of the poor”. Their mission was to care for “the hungry, the naked, the homeless, the crippled, the blind, the lepers, and all those people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared for throughout society, people that have become a burden to the society and are shunned by everyone.” After receiving permission from the Vatican to establish her own order, Mother Teresa established an institute which was initially called the Diocesan Congregation of the Calcutta Diocese. It began as a small community with 12 members in Calcutta. Gradually, with the passage of time, it came to be known as the Missionaries of Charity. By granting a Decree of Praise, Pope Paul VI granted Mother Teresa’s request to expand her congregation to other countries. The congregation’s first house outside India was in Venezuela, followed by Rome and Tanzania, and eventually across many countries in Asia, Africa, and Europe. By 1996, the Congregation was operating 517 missions in more than 100 countries. Presently, it is assisted by over one million co-workers and many donations from people worldwide. The society has over 4,500 sisters as its member, and has a presence in over 133 countries.

Many Indians are very happy to have their portraits taken and some even ask for it!

The Paraja or Paroja is a small tribe primarily residing in the Koraput and Kalahandi Districts of Orissa (Eastern India). The Paraja appear to be related to the Gond and have many features in common with neighbouring tribes such as the Khond and the Gadaba. This Paraja tribe are hill cultivators found in the district of Koraput, Odisha, India. The Parajas seem to have been inhabiting this country from about the second century of the Christian era.The Paraja speak a Dravidian language called Parji. The Paraja are broadly divided into two sections, the Bada Paraja and the Sana Paraja. The major distinction is that the Bada Paraja follows the Hindu tradition of not eating beef and buffalo meat and observe elaborate purification rituals. The Sana Paraja do not follow this tradition and eat both these animals. The Paraja have exogamous totemic clans. All members of the clans believe in their common mythological origin and therefore marriage between members of the same clans is prohibited. The family is the smallest social unit in Paraja society and is patrilineal and patriarchal. The Paraja village is an organized socio-political system, which functions as an independent autonomous unit. This unit has its own set of functionaries who are in charge of internal and external village affairs. Agriculture is the mainstay of the Paraja's economy. Although traditionally they relied on shift cultivation, today the Parojas depend on wet cultivation. Their economy is also supplemented by forest produce, wage earning, and animal husbandry. The village of Goudaguda produces pottery, which is sold in the nearby market. The Paraja follow a polytheistic religion as well as worship their ancestors.

Street life in Mumbai is crowded, colorful, and full of unexpected moments.

St Thomas Cathedral was Mumbai's first Anglican church built by the East India Company for their own worship. It was opened on Christmas Day 1718 and the successor trustees still manage it. It was built before British dominance was achieved in the Battle of Plessey in 1757. Its roof was cannonball-proof! In 1816 it was consecrated in the name of St Thomas, the Apostle of India. King George V and Queen Mary worshipped here in 1911 on their way to Delhi and Mother Teresa in 1983.

The Afghan Church in Mumbai, India was built to commemorate the maryrs of the First Afghan War (1835-1842). It is in fact a Presbyterian Church with only about 30 members left - mostly soldiers. It's in the Neo-Gothic style and marked by a tall spire that was meant to be spotted from the harbour. It has wonderful stained glass windows and geometric floor tiles that were imported from England..

The blue and white coated Iraqi synagogue down a side street in Kala Ghoda is stunning. It was built in 1884 by Jacob Sassoon, the grandson of David Sassoon. The arches, columns, stained glass windows and high women's gallery are beautifully proportioned.