Rerun at Chhutmalpur - Making Jaggery and More out of Sugarcane

As you come out of the Shivalik ranges that form the southern bastion of Dehradun and head for the dust fields of Delhi, you pass through quaint rugged settlements populated by a rustic breed of farmers, tillers, cattle keepers, cut throats and other remanants of the Huns that invaded the country many centuries ago.

Chhutmalpur is one such sleepy place where in the season they crush sugarcane and make "gur". From my early childhood days I remember seeing open fire pits blazing away in the night and workers silhouetted in the flames. The sweet heady aroma of raw sugar cane juice being boiled in large cast iron pans and the leftover acrid tingle of molasses was a smell that one grew up with, in the valley of Dehradun. It still has the same overpowering presence that it had back then.

I was passing Chhutmalpur enroute to Dehradun after photographing the Pushkar Cattle Fair. It was a good time to stop. There were no other passengers with me and this was like Childhood Revisited.

I am reminded of a book " Rerun at Rialto " written with great finesse by Tom Alter where he writes of this very place in one of his stories. A book worth reading for its simple easy narrative and some unexpected twists that make the stories so much more endearing. That was ages ago. I once read voraciously but rarely read fiction now. This book is a treat and along with books of Ruskin Bond, a beautiful easy read.

Notes on Photography

This photograph was in the interior of a large thatched hut with its side open. The light not so great for a stock camera lens. So this was shot on as is metering to take in the balance of the harsh outside light and the dark smoke swirling interior. One thing was clear that the photograph would need to be upped in exposure to get any details of the worker. Two options - whether to overexpose in camera or do so in processing. Chose the latter option and this is almost 2 stops up to show the details with a little bit of recovery of the exterior background without burning it out totally.

Dates
Taken on November 23, 2007 at 1.22pm IST (edit)
Posted to Flickr June 22, 2012 at 5.27PM IST (edit)
Exif data
Camera Nikon D70
Exposure 0.008 sec (1/125)
Aperture f/6.7
Focal Length 18 mm
ISO Speed 200
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash No Flash
DSC_0768 nef over cu gr nd fill sh nik

Taken in: India / Uttar Pradesh / Chhutmalpur (show map)

Taken on: November 23, 2007

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Sets appears in: • Gur Making at Chhutmalpur in India

Groups appears in: • Global Photojournalism; Protest, Culture, and News

Camera: Nikon D70, f/6.7, 1/125 sec, 18mm (=27mm), ISO 200 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon D70
Lens:	18.0-70.0 mm f/3.5-4.5
Aperture:	f/6.7
Exposure Time:	0.008 sec (1/125)
Focal Length:	18mm (35mm equivalent: 27mm)
ISO:	200
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	No Flash
Exposure Program:	Not Defined
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Contrast:	High
Sharpness:	Hard
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Adobe Photoshop CS5 Windows
Show full info

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