In August 2017 I received a brochure from Santa Fe Photographic Workshops announcing a photographic excursion to India:  "River of Color: Rajasthan and the Holi Festival," to be led by accomplished photographer David Samuel Robbins, an individual with considerable experience in India, Nepal and Bhutan, and whose work has appeared in National Geographic.  Eleven years previously a trip to India under auspices of The University of Chicago had been one of my richest photographic experiences ever.  This seemed to be a perfect opportunity to return.

I departed the U.S. February 15 and traveled half-way around the world, via a brief layover at Schilpol Airport in Amsterdam.  Arriving in Delhi about 1:00 a.m. on February 17, after a good night's sleep I met our group that evening.  The next morning we flew to Jodhpur in the Indian State of Rajasthan to begin our visit to five cities:  Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Bundi and Jaipur.  After Jaipur we left Rajasthan for Mathura to experience (and photograph) the first day of the Holi Festival -- you'll have known of Holi as the time when Indians douse each other with richly hued powders.  For us it was an extraordinary experience photographically, personally and even spiritually.

After the excursion I traveled to Varanasi on an extension to the trip (with eight other excursion members).  I'd said for eleven years that I'd return to Varanasi at the drop of a hat, and now I had my chance.  One of our days at Varanasi we visited the nearby town of Sarnath, site of The Buddha's first sermon delivered following his enlightenment.

I flew back to the U.S. March 6.

Instead of a chronological record of places visited, I've divided my photographs thematically (with the exception of Varanasi and Sarnath, which have separate galleries).