Flickr is a wonderful resource to take armchair trips to places one that hasn't been to, as well to revisit places that one had already been to before, and thus shares a degree of intimacy with. Oochappan's Flickr stream is one such hatch to open, to fall into the world that has always been, and perhaps will always be; the world of sun and brilliant colors, weather beaten men and women, children with large lambent eyes, various kisoks for gods (not only of Hinduism), old temples filled with incense, flowers, people at prayer, lumbering Apus etc.

No wonder, Mr. Oochappan, who is Belgian, feels compelled to revisit Tamil Nadu for the first three months of every year, and this since 1987. It appears that he has found his Shangri-La, and now takes beautiful photographs over there to remind viewers like me of all that was visible but remained unfelt and unseen then.