A Taste of Everywhere

Photography
Tharan Sathyadas

Chaats of Chandni Chowk, Delhi

Shot in April ‘24. Chandni Chowk is cramped and chaotic. The lanes are narrow and constantly moving, people squeezing through, rickshaws. brushing past, and even when you stand still, you still feel like you’re being carried with the crowd.

What I loved most was how every stall makes the most of whatever space it has. They build upward stacking trays, shelves, and ingredients wherever they can.

I feel this frame captures the heat, colour, spice, and clever use of it’s vertical space.

Delhi in its purest form: loud, crowded, and full of character.

The Wedding Kitchen, Karnataka

September ‘24
This was taken at a small, traditional wedding in Bangalore. I’ve always been intrigued by the preparation required for these big Indian meals. With my broken Kannada, I was lucky enough to be allowed inside the kitchen for a few minutes.

I ended up watching the whole process. You could feel the heat surrounding the room...kebabs being fried, spices being mixed, and ingredients being rolled, all happening at the same time. It was a small team of only four or five strong, with hard-working women running the show.

These images capture the honest, powerful work behind a traditional feast, serving as the beautiful backdrop where communities bond.

Vendors on Bandstand, Bombay

March ‘24.

Shot outside Shah Rukh Khan’s house , at least that’s how I’ll always remember this spot. It was evening, the sun sinking into the sea, and the light wrapping every vendor in this soft, golden outline.

Peanut sellers, fruit carts, and the ICONIC vada pav stall... all waiting for the tired, hungry crowd that always shows up around sunset. There’s something about the way the light bounces off the sea and onto these small food carts that makes this moment cinematic ...almost like you’re in a Bollywood film

Mohammed Ali Road, Mumbai

Photographed during Ramzan, this street is a complete sensory experience. While known for the smoke and the grills, I was drawn to the contrast of these fresh vegetable stalls. The warm, yellow lights shine off the mounds of the tomatoes and cucumbers, making the produce glow.

I captured this moment because it shows how much life is clustered into one small space. Dogs resting on the floor, people selling, people bargaining. And all the vivid colours and human stories captured in a single, busy frame.

Concept Note

The reason I love travelling is to experience the various cultures that unfold around me. And over time, I’ve come to believe that the quickest way to understand any place....its roots, people and its heritage, is through its food.

Whenever I travel, I keep a few goals: I have to try the local food ,wander through the local markets, and, if I’m lucky, step into the kitchens. Food feels like the doorway into a communities history, how people live, celebrate, and belong. It’s where the real stories of a place are kept.

What I love most about India is that every hundred kilometres, something changes - the spices, the recipes , the names and the ingredients. Each meal becomes a small lesson, a kind of “food for thought,” that stays with you long after the journey ends.

This photojournal is a collection over the last couple of years , mostly on my little red Nikon Coolpix, and sometimes just my phone. A taste of everywhere I’ve been, and all the flavours and experiences that came with it.

Artist Bio

Tharan Sathyadass is a 21-year-old who loves exploring -places, food, activities, and ideas. His creative work revolves around photography and art, often capturing everyday moments from his travels and turning them into postcards and visual stories. He’s currently a business student at St. Joseph’s College of Commerce (SJCC) and spends much of his time building communities around the things he loves. Tharan is the founder of the Kothanur Run Club and the curator of the ArtWave, a space he created for local, small-time artists to display their work, connect, and grow together. His work is simple, observational, and driven mostly by curiosity.