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This photo is a portrait of an Indian man wearing a bloody shirt near Bhuleshwar in Mumbai, India. He is one of the many people who are working with poultry in India, and he was photographed holding a bunch of chickens at his side in this photo taken by the photographer.



In this blog post the photographer Kristian Bertel is visiting Bhuleshwar, a vibrant neighborhood in Mumbai, situated in South Mumbai in the north of the Fort area. The area is also known for the Bhuleshwar Market for fruit and vegetable and is surrounded a number of old markets, like the Crawford Market for fruits and vegetables.

Home to 100 temples
It is also known for being home to over 100 temples including Mumba Devi Temple of Mumbai, the patron goddess of the city of Mumbai and Swaminarayan Mandir. A peaceful votive note in Mumbadevi Temple. At the heart of the lively bazaar, this is one of Mumbai's most famous temples, housing the beautifully decorated statue of the Mumba Devi to whom the large shrine is dedicated.

A market place with narrow lanes
Packed with street markets and narrow alley bazaars, marvelous Mumbai is a wonderland of exciting shopping opportunities. Here you will find everything from vintage Bollywood posters and crystalware to handcrafted jewellery and spare car parts if you know where to look. Home to nearly 100 temples, the Bhuleshwar district also has one of Mumbai's most colorful markets. The place is great for good value shopping, you will find stalls heaped with flashy-but-fake Indian jewellery and shops selling colorful 'Saris', and other traditional clothing. If you are seeking beautiful gold and silver jewelry, head for the Zaveri Bazaar, a labyrinth of narrow lanes within the Bhuleshwar market that is packed with the stores of skilled craftsmen.



Chickens are hanging down from a truck in Bhuleshwar, Mumbai, India. Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Mandai, formerly Crawford Market Marathi is one of South Mumbai's most famous markets. It was earlier named after Arthur Crawford, the first Municipal Commissioner of the city.



Photographing on different locations in India
Kristian was on a journey in the Maharashtra province of India in the late 2014, where he ventured into different neighborhoods in Mumbai. He is a photographer enthusiastically obsessed with devising photographic images to capture his own never-before-seen images from the places that he is visiting in India. Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Mandai, formerly Crawford Market Marathi is one of South Mumbai's most famous markets, that the photographer photographed. It was earlier named after Arthur Crawford, the first Municipal Commissioner of the city. The Market was later named after Mahatma Jotirao Phule after a long struggle by the President of Mahatma Phule Smarak Samiti, Mukundraoji Bhujbal Patil. The market is situated just north of Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station and west of the J.J. flyover at a busy intersection. The market houses a wholesale fruit, vegetable and poultry market



Many travelers limit themselves to the historic neighborhoods of south Mumbai and miss out on Mumbai's markets. Here in this blog posts you can have look at some of the sights and activities that help you to see what happens in Mumbai. This is a portrait of an Indian man near Bhuleshwar in Mumbai, India.



India, people, traditions and cityscapes
India pulsates with a spectacular mix of people, traditions and cityscapes like here in Mumbai. Your journey through this mind-stirring country will blaze in your memory long after you have left its shores. Brace yourself you are about to take one of the wildest culinary trips of your traveling life. Here you will fry, simmer, sizzle, knead, roast and flip across a deliciously diverse repertoire of dishes. The hungry traveler can look forward to a tasty smorgasbord of regionally distinct creations, each with their own traditional preparation techniques and presentation styles, from the competing flavors of masterfully marinated meats and thalis to the simple splendour of vegetarian curries and deep-sea delights.

The moment the photographer begins to think he is right on the precipice of unravelling one of India's deep everyday mysteries, he has an uncanny way of reminding himself that it would take more than just a few lifetimes to do so. Indeed, demystifying India is a perpetual work in progress like photographing its people in a portrait. And that is precisely what makes the country so deeply addictive for the photographer. The constant exploration and the playful unpredictability. And knowing that, just when it is least expected, you can find yourself up close and personal with moments that have the power to alter the way you view the world and your place in it.



One end of the market is a pet store. Different varieties of dogs, cats, and birds can be found in this area. Also, endangered species are sold there. Most of the sellers inside the market sell imported items such as foods, cosmetics, household and gift items. It was the main wholesale market for fruits in Mumbai until March 1996, when the wholesale traders were relocated to Navi Mumbai, New Bombay.



Market place in central Mumbai, India
One can buy a variety of things in and around Crawford market. Some of them are: Ready-to-stitch clothes, dress material, Chinese toys, party products, artificial jewellery, travel bags, fruits and vegetables, shoes, belts and cake making and decorating equipment and toiletries. Bhuleshwar is a neighborhood in Mumbai. Old spelling Bholeśvar situated in South Mumbai north of the Fort area. It is known for being home to over 100 temples including Mumba Devi Temple of Mumbai, the patron goddess of the city of Mumbai, and Swaminarayan Mandir. The area is also known for the Bhuleshwar Market for fruit and vegetable and is surrounded a number of old markets, like the Crawford Market for fruits and vegetables, Mangaldas Market for silk and cloth, Zaveri Bazaar, the famous jewellery an diamond market, and Chor Bazaar, a noted market for antiques and furniture. Its near by areas are Kalbadevi, Girgaon, Princess Street and Mandvi. The former residence of Dhirubhai Ambani and family is also in Bhuleshwar, where they lived till the 1960s.



In this Bhuleshwar photo a young man is carrying chickens in the Bhuleshwar area of Mumbai, India. Photos of people and India's inhabitants are the most interesting photographic subjects of the photographer.



Poultry is fast growing in India
Poultry is one of the fastest growing segments of the agricultural sector in India today. While the production of agricultural crops has been rising at a rate of 1.5 to 2 percent per year, that of eggs and broilers has been rising at a rate of 8 to 10 percent per year. As a result, India is now the world's 5th largest egg producer and the 18th largest producer of broilers. The potential in the sector is due to a combination of factors, growth in per capita income, a growing urban population and falling real poultry prices. Poultry meat is the fastest growing component of global meat demand and India, the world's second largest developing country, is experiencing rapid growth in its poultry sector. In India, poultry sector growth is being driven by rising incomes and a rapidly expanding middle class, together with the emergence of vertically integrated poultry producers that have reduced consumer prices by lowering production and marketing costs. Integrated production, market transition from live birds to chilled and frozen products and policies that ensure supplies of competitively priced corn and soybeans are keys to future poultry industry growth in India. There are number of small poultry dressing plants in the country. These plants are producing dressed chickens. In addition to these plants, there are five modern integrated poultry processing plants producing dressed chicken, chicken cut parts and other chicken products. These plants will manufacture egg powder and frozen egg-yolk for export.



In India you really have to expect the unexpected. India tosses up the unexpected. This can be challenging, particularly for the first-time visitor, where the poverty is confronting. With an ability to inspire, frustrate, thrill and confound all at once, adopting a 'go with the flow' attitude is wise if you wish to retain your sanity in India.



Humanitarian photos when traveling
When the photographer ventured through the many streets in India it was hard not to ignore the poverty, which can be seen in its people. Poverty is general scarcity or dearth or the state of one who lacks a certain amount of material possessions or money. "- It was harrowing to also to see how chickens were dumbed and thrown in tiny small caves on a truck, like they were not living creatures", the photographer says. He is documenting the many apects of how people live in their cities and the human connection, like in this blog post from the Bhuleshwar area of Mumbai. Kristian's photos from India have been shown online as photo essays, documenting many aspects of the daily life particularly in India. He works as a travel photographer and he is available for editorial and travel assignments all over Europe, Asia, Africa and in the Middle East. For further information and inquiries please:
Contact the photographer

More photographs from India
If you are interested to see more photos and imagery from India, you can see one of the slideshows, which also appears on the photographer's website.
See the slideshow | press here