Childhood in India
Sondeep Shankar, Jon E. Rohde
“Sondeep Shankar… makes a remarkable effort to explore this miracle. And in doing so, he goes beyond the scope of the book. Page after page you see children responding to, or coping with, the traumas of everyday life.” — India Today
Delhi, Agra and Jaipur
Devi: Hindu Goddesses
Sondeep Shankar, Archana Shankar
Forts, Palaces And Havelis Of Panjab
Sondeep Shankar (Author), Mohinder Singh
Panjab literally land of five rivers has been the cradle of the world’s oldest civilization dating back to BC 2500. It was on this land that the oldest scripture of the world the Rigveda was written and some of the best centres of learning developed. It was also in Panjab that some of the epic battles including that of Mahabharat were fought. Because of its geographical location Panjab has been the gateway to all invaders entering through the North-West Frontier. It was because of the frequent invasions and conflict over possession of territories that some sort of regular armies came into existence which necessitated building of forts for protection of the kings and their armies in times of crisis. Establishment of rule by different chieftains kings and emperors also resulted in building of places for the royal families and havelis for their chiefs and the ruling elite. While most of the impregnable forts were built on the North-West Frontier in West Punjab which now forms art of Pakistan we find many forts majestic palaces and havelis in Eastern Panjab too including areas which now form part of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. Most of the important forts in Panjab lost their strategic and military importance with the British occupation of Panjab and sea routes replacing the traditional land routes through North-West Frontier. As a result of independence of India and merger of princely stats with the Indian Union these chiefs of princely India suddenly lost their glory and grandeur. While some of the palaces like the Jagatjit Palace Kapurthala and the Motibagh Palace Patiala were converted into Sainik School and National Institute of Sports some others are being used as police training centres and government offices with the result that their maintenance and upkeep has gone to the back seat. Through pictures and narration an attempt has been made to provide a glimpse of the endangered heritage of Panjab and create the needed awareness for conservation.
Ganesha: The Lord of Beginnings
Sondeep Shankar, Archana Shankar
Ganesha, the elephant-headed god is one of the most loved deities and one of the most important gods of the Hindu pantheon. Easily recognizable, the lord of beginnings is not as easily defined; he is an amalgam of often contrasting elements. He is the presiding deity of material goods as also the lord of spirituality, the Lord of Brahmacharis yet grants progeny to the childless.
Ganga : A Journey
Sondeep Shankar
Celebrated in myth and legend, in literature, art and song, the Ganga, in many ways, defines India. Life of the richest diversity flourishes all along its 2500 kilometre course, as it has done for millennia. Sondeep Shankar, one of India's leading photographers, has photographed the Ganga for nearly three decades, from its source in the Himalayas to its confluence with the Bay of Bengal.
Gurdwaras In
India and Pakistan
Sondeep Shankar, Mohinder Singh
Pilgrimage to
Hemkund
Jaswant Singh Neki, Sondeep Shankar
Maharaja Ranjit Singh
Rishi Singh, Sondeep Shankar, Mohinder Singh
This book tires to capture the life and times of Maharaja Ranjit Singh based on some of the hitherto inaccessible and unpublished material collected from various repositories in India, Pakistan and the United Kingdom. The text has been provided by Dr. Mohinder Singh, an eminent Sikh historian and Director of the National Institute of Panjab Studies, and his Research Associate Rishi Singh, while pictures have been taken by Sondeep Shankar, one of India's leading photographers.
Mansions at Dusk: The Havelis of Old Delhi
Pavan K. Varma, Sondeep Shankar
“Of the roughly 120 plates in it, some 85 have been provided by Sondeep Shankar, a gifted photographer and scion of a family that has probably been in Delhi ever since Shahjahanabad was built.” — India Today
Anandpur
The City of Bliss
Mohinder Singh and Sondeep Shankar
Sikh Heritage: A History of Valour and Devotion
Rishi Singh and Sondeep Shankar
Sikh Heritage: A History of Valour and Devotion is a succinct and delightfully photographed glimpse into the community’s religion, its ten gurus, its temples, traditional systems of governance, history, architecture, and the famous Golden Temple. This book traces the history of valour and devotion of the Sikh community, which forms a small percentage of India’s population, yet produces a significant amount of the country’s food reserves. Despite the brutal assaults of history faced by the Sikh community – such as the partition of Punjab – they have still maintained the merit of their heritage.
A photographic documentation of the Sikh historicity through objects both in time and space, such as the beautifully captured images of Harmandir, its toshakhana, and takhats or temporal seats of the Sikhs, portray a unique relationship between the edifice and the Sikhs – thus, each photograph is a story in itself. This new approach aims at the conception of Sikh heritage not only as the sacred masterpieces of the past to be valued and conserved, but also as emblematic and living spaces to be appropriated by the local communities, who are the bearers of a rich and active collective memory.
Sikh Shrines in Delhi
by Amrik Singh (Author), Sondeep Shankar (Photographer)
This book explores the sikh shrines in Delhi with numerous beautiful color photographs.
Sikhs Faith Philosophy and Folk
Gurbachan Singh, Sondeep Shankar
The Golden Temple (Punjab Heritage Series)
by Sondeep Shankar (Author), Mohinder Singh (Author)
Harimandir Sahib, popularly known as the Golden Temple, is the most important Sikh shrine and has emerged as the spiritual capital of the Sikh faith. Because of its unique role in Sikh history and psyche, it has become the symbol of the Sikh community's undying faith and religious fervour. Through pictures and stories the book tries to capture the glory and grandeur of the Golden Temple and the central role that the shrine plays in the life of the Sikhs all over the world. Dr. Mohinder Singh, an eminent historian and Director of the National Institute of Panjab Studies, New Delhi, has provided text for the book, while the many color pictures have been taken by Sondeep Shankar, one of India's leading photographers.