rickshaw wisdom

"Jalo magar diya ki tarah!"

rickshaw interior 1

(For those who can't read hindi, the saffron colored bow-and-arrow sticker on the backrest says "Shiv Sena" - thats the name of the political party in Maharashtra known for its regional chauvanism which has come to extend to an anti-Muslim politics as well)

(For those who don't have the wonderful eyesight to read the light-blue sticker right in front of the driver, it says: "Phool hai gulaab ka, sugandh to liya karo; Maal hai garib ka, paise to diya karo")

(And there was another sticker that lies outside this photo which says: "Amiro ki zindagi biscuit aur cake par; Driver ki zindagi steering aur ek par")

This is the beginning of a series of rickshaw interior photos. I've always found the interior of a rickshaw interesting, particularly the front part where the driver sits, because this is where the rickshaw-wala personalizes his rickshaw in small ways - this could include stickers of gods, small photographs/images of bollywood actors and actresses, the lime+green chilis on a thread (that I believe is meant for good luck, probably financial luck - I have a pretty dull knowledge about such practices), plastic or fresh flowers, etc. These things always spark my curiosity about the rickshaw-wala, although many rickshaw-walas don't own the rickshaws they drive but lease them on a daily basis (maybe even a hourly basis) so they might not always be the ones who decide the decor.