Jakarta on a Sunday

Jakarta on a Sunday

This is Thamrin. They call it Thamrin street or Jalan M H Thamrin (actually it is a 6 lane road through the central Jakarta) named after the freedom fighter and Indonesian hero Mohammad Husni Thamrin. The length of the road is 2.5 Km and it ends at a circle in front of the MONAS (The National Monument of Indonesia). It runs through the busy business district of central Jakarta and some of the posh hotels stand on the sides. Traffic in Jakarta, like any other metropolis around the world, is terribly high resulting in congested roads and long traffic jams.

M H Thamrin

The Charioteer and the warrior

Krishna and Arjuna in Kurukhshetra

However, on Sundays right up to 11 a m, the Thamrin is closed to vehicular traffic and a sea of people starts walking down the jalan. Only two right most lanes are left open to the plying of the Transjakarta bus service (more on this very efficient public transport system some other time) are left open. People walk, children enjoy playing and a carnival atmosphere prevails.

I happened to participate in the Sunday walk along Jalan Thamrin. Enjoyed some candid photography.

Children:

Sports:

Selfie freaks / photographers:

People in general:

Romance:

Good that Indonesia is an open society. These youngsters prove it. They are Indonesian youth, not foreigners holding hands in public. I, however, didn't see any PDA here but I feel that it would be acceptable to the Indonesian society.

Candid photography:

A Jolly good Lady

Candid photography is a challenge particularly when the social environment is too religiously poised. Taking candid photographs in an Islamic society is particularly fraught with dangers to one’s personal safety and that of the equipment. Indonesia is a Muslim majority country but the social atmosphere here appears multicultural and very tolerant.

I saw this woman posing for a shot by one of her group members. They were four. I decided to steal a shot of the posing lady as well as the lady with the camera. As I pointed my zoom towards the group the lady making the pose spotted me and instead of expressing something untoward, happily asked me to take the picture. Then the group also happily posed for another shot. They gave me thumbs up and waved to the ‘bule’ – as the foreigner is termed here in Indonesia.

I kept wondering as to what would have happened had it been our own Kashmir or any other Muslim majority state. Even in the Muslim majority localities of Ahmedabad, India,  street photography is not welcome. They say that fundamentalism has started spreading to Indonesia but yet to take deeper roots. Neighboring Malaysia has almost turned a hardliner Islamist State.

Pram on skates:

This child was pushing a pram with an infant in it and was really moving fast on her skates. I caught the little girl on the camera as she skated past me

The MONAS gilded top emerging from this palm tree.

Well adorned horse carts on Thamrin

A stalker can be stalked too
This candid shot gels well with the theme.

19 Nov 2017

Jakarta