The multiple faces of work - pictures from Kerala

 The basket seller is delved in deep thoughts. How not to be thoughtful, when life throws so much at us?

 What keeps us going, is the silver lining. isn't it? Pictures from Malappuram, North Kerala.

 There are some people who can't smile back at us. Nor do we want them to take their attention off.

 Not a risky profession, still needs a lot of attention. The artist at Fort Kochi -

Washing elephants is not everyone's cup of tea.  Tamed, however, there are some 'protocols' in the relationship between man and beast I suppose.  Hence the hint of suspicion in the corner of mind is an everlasting presence. May be a survival instinct:)

Elephant washing is at Guruvayoor Anakotta, one of the largest elephant parks in the world. The park belongs to Guruvayoor temple, and has about 60 - 80 elephants at any time.

Now to something lighter.  Flowers are integral to weddings and worship. Women love to wear Jasmine garlands on hair. The florist at Kollam -

World's apart is this wood workshop where timber is cut into pieces of desired dimensions. A scene from Kallai, the wood processing centre near Calicut.

Again wood. This time it is about repairing, which is a different breed of cat. A snap from Vallikkavu in South Kerala. You got it right, it is a sea side village. Nowadays this leafy hamlet in the forefront of news, being the village of Mata Amritanandamayi.

It is team work, hence the second picture-

Colours mirror demeanor or is it the other way around? A snap from the backwater village of Elathur, near Kozhikode.

A smile that goes miles. A picture from Ponnani.

 Another great smile. The location is Beypore harbour.

 People handling ice at Chaliyam harbour, on the other side of Beypore river.

Time to move to the hills, where plantations galore. Rubber plantations employ many, since tapping has to be done regularly. Kottayam is the place of rubber estates, this picture though is from Pathanamthitta.

Marayoor in Idukki has several small scale jaggery production units. Jaggery is a better type of sugar created out of cane sugar. Boiling the molasses is in full swing.

The small jaggery unit down the hills at Marayoor-

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