Ever since I was a child, I’ve been fascinated with rainbows. Hence, it was this obsession and love that drove me towards the goal of capturing the rainbows that hide in plain sight around us. These photographs span 3 years and 14 countries – each having a distinctive story to it.
“Somewhere over the rainbow, the skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.” – Lyman Frank Bauman
“I found I could say things with colours and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had no words for.” – Georgia O’Keeffe
On a rainy day such as this, will be filled with numerous colourful umbrellas – sold by the merchants on the street.
Whoever has been to Kolkata knows the worth of a cup of ‘chai’. These aluminium kettles have been used for years to serve delicious tea, across stalls and cafes alike.
Seeing this rainbow while cruising over the Malacca Sea, was probably one of the most beautiful sights I’ve seen.
The outcome of an initiative called “Grakniti” that aimed towards making the urban landscape cosier and more intimate using ‘knitted signs’.
“I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice-cream.”
As a kid I used to spend hours and hours colouring checked-boxes to create colourful patterns. As an adult I continue to do the same – with the only exception of a changed canvas.
“Colours are the smiles of nature.” – Leigh Hunt
I was awestruck when I coincidentally stumbled upon this beautiful thread-installation in a clothing shop!
Well as they say – “If you want a rainbow, you have to put up with the rain.”
While out on a walk to catch the sun casting its golden spell on the sky, I chanced upon this beautifully painted wall alongside a bike rental.
Imagine how great it would be if we could see colour in rain as we do in everything else.
“It’s the little things that matter.”
From being Singapore’s first jail to the Japanese’s holding area for prisoners of war to a Government building now, this building with 927 windows has had as colourful a history/past as its facade.
Q. What’s better than seeing a rainbow in the sky?
A. Seeing one on the ground ofcourse!
“There was something very comfortable in having plenty of stationery.” – Charles Dickens
Came across this eye-catching decorative piece while talking a walk in the serene lanes of old-town Stockholm.
“Don’t wait for someone to bring you flowers. Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul.” – Anonymous
Possibly the favourite candy for any Indian kid!
Considered to be “the world’s longest art gallery”, Stockholm’s underground subway stations have been decorated with paintings, installations, mosaics and sculptures by 150 artists since the 1950s. I was at a loss of words after visiting some of them!
“Life is like candy – sometimes its sweet, sometimes its sour.”
“The world is a looking glass. It gives back to every man a true reflection of his own thoughts.” – Thackery
“If we are what we eat…
Well, I am awfully sweet!”
In Greek mythology, it was believed that the rainbow was a ‘bridge’ created by the goddess of the rainbow, Iris, linking heavens and the earth.
“People are like Oreos. The good stuff is inside.”
Took a shot of these beautiful feather-ink pens at the private residence of the Swedish Royal Family, located on the island of Lovön!
Pantone colour guides have been used for years to standardise colour matching system, utilising its numbering system for identifying colours across the globe.
Inspired by the city of Amsterdam, “I Am…” is a cafe that is famous for its rainbow desserts : the huge stack of Rainbow Cake is quite a sight to behold and they indeed live up to the hype.
“Life is like a collage. Its individual pieces are arranged to create harmony. Appreciate the artwork of your life.” – Amy Leigh Mercree
Sometimes life’s upside down, sometimes it’s not…
“The journey of a lifetime starts with the turning of a page.” -Rachel Anders
Happiness can be summed up in a couple of words: chai, mountains and a pair of colourful socks!
“Count your rainbows. Not your thunderstorms.” – Anonymous
“All the best things in life are free: love, smiles, sunsets & sunrises and especially rainbows.”
― Anthony T. Hincks
“Be a fruit loop in a world full of cheerios.”
The first semblance to an installation put up by me and my team at a cultural fest!
Did you know? – When light passes through a raindrop, it creates its individual rainbow but it is so small that we can’t see it. So, when the light passes through millions of raindrops, collectively it makes a visible rainbow which we can watch with our naked eye.
As summer comes, comes the demand for delicious ‘ice gola’ (or ice candy) prepared from crushed ice, flavoured with edible colours!
We were spellbound as we came across this splendid rainbow while riding through the gorgeous landscape of the Canadian Rockies.
“Life is a combination of magic and pasta.” – Federico Fellini
Located at the heart of the city, New Market with over 2000 stalls under its roof, is one of the busiest markets in Kolkata.
“Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way.” – Edward de Bono
This photograph captures a journey I’ll never forget in my life – sailing amidst the fjords of Norway, surrounded by its astounding beauty; one can’t help but marvel at the immensity of nature.
An installation displayed at the Delhi airport as a celebration of the many colours of the festival of ‘Holi’!
Shopping gives the heart as much joy, as rain and sun give to the rainbow!
We discovered this cute little xylophone at a cultural art fair in Delhi – the colours here accurately reflect the ambience of the place!
Life is about using the whole box of crayons.
- Alipore Park Place, Kolkata, West Bengal.
Colours speak to us in all languages – we just need to know how to communicate.
“The greater your storm, the brighter your rainbow.”
Colours never fail to ‘charge’ me up!
Sometimes you have to create your own rainbows.
“Boldly be a pop of colour in a black and white world.”
There is nothing that a piece of cake can’t fix!
Getting back to my roots, this colourful thread installation was put up by me and a group of young school girls during my school’s annual ‘art mela’. We used over 1000 strings of wool and stretched them across an expanse of 12 feet!
“We live in a rainbow of chaos.” – Paul Cezanne
Fresh produce + Cold winter morning in the lap of Himalayas + colourful handicrafts + delicious tea = Perfect Sunday morning at the weekly Farmer’s market.
“Whatever will bee, will bee.”
The coffee I’m holding is probably from one of the most innovative cafes I’ve come across! The Selfie Coffee Café, with its bizarre concept, jungle theme and doodle tables lets you pick a pic and prints it on top of your latte!
In the land where life comes wrapped in multitude of hues and vibrant colours, Alsisar Mahal takes you through the enchanting world of Rajasthan’s regalia – making you feel nothing less than royalty itself!
Looking at the world through a rainbow coloured lens!
27 umbrellas – 8 colours each – 216 colours in total
An array of colours. An ensemble of umbrellas. An installation put up by me and my team at Art Rickshaw to showcase the many colours of monsoon!
As aptly put by Vir Sanghvi –
“You want your cities clean and green; stick to Delhi. You want your cities, rich and impersonal; go to Bombay. You want them high-tech and full of draught beer; Bangalore’s your place. But if you want a city with a soul: come to Calcutta.”
“The world isn’t perfect but that’s why its colourful.”
A haven for tourists visiting the city – Thamel contains numerous cafes, street shops, graffitis in knocks and corners. I was delighted to find a whole lot of rainbow-coloured items here – from bags to gloves to socks to jackets to scarves and what not!
Idli, a savoury cake, is a traditional and popular South Indian breakfast item made using fermented black lentils and rice.
This one looks so much better than it tasted trust me!
One can never guess what this building actually is – well but a Management School ofcourse! Developed and designed by Abin Design Studio – IMI Kolkata boasts of its state-of-the-art infrastructure.
“Dream in colours never seen before.”
“Try to be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud.” – Maya Angelou
Be bright, glittery and bubbly – just like champagne!
“And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow. Be thou the rainbow in the storms of life. The evening beam that smiles the clouds away, and tints tomorrow with prophetic ray.”
This cutesy shop would be anyone’s stationery paradise – right from threads to buttons – it was as if the place had been drenched in colour!
Built over 8 decades ago, Amer Fort has gracefully stood the test of time and is still a hot-spot for locals and tourists alike! On a bright sunny day such as this, one would find several vendors selling authentic colourful Rajasthani handicrafts outside the Fort.
Beauty is in colour!
The city of Nice is as colourful and vibrant as this fan I managed to capture while roaming around in one of its scenic lanes!
I’ve been visiting Delhi since I was a child and Lajpat Nagar – a residential and commercial neighbourhood – has always been a must-visit!
Creativity makes the world go round!
From buttery yellow to amber orange and burgundy red, leaves were turning all the colours of the rainbow as autumn chilled the air!
Spanish artist Okuda painted this splendid mural in Khan Market as part of the St+Art Delhi 2015 festival.
“I always carry a knife in my purse, just in case we are having cake!”
“May your day be more beautiful than a unicorn farting rainbows.”
Lights, Camera, Action!
“In art there are no mistakes, only discoveries.”
It’s always a good time for the beach!
This super franchise with its several outlets in India has changed the way we shop for accessories, bags etc – opening up a wide range of colourful and quirky products.
“Even paradise could become a prison if one had enough time to take notice of the walls.” – Morgan Rhodes, Falling Kingdoms
I luckily came across this small lane in Singapore, famous for its colourfully artistic graffitis and small cute stores.
When life gives you lemons, grab some salt and vodka!
Sometimes all you need is a little splash of colour.
“Love is spelt C-O-L-O-R.
And
Color is spelt L-O-V-E.”
― Anthony T.Hincks
“Creativity – The more you use, the more you have.” – Maya Angelou
Always bustling with people, this market will floor you by the sheer variety of goods and commodities available! Walking down this long serpentine road, one cannot help but be intimidated by the shops that flank the area.
I want to paint my nails, but I can’t decide which one of the 200 colours to use..
Tea is always the solution to any problem!
Nyhavn – a harbour front – is a part of Copenhagen’s cultural soul and was originally a busy commercial port where ships from all over the world would dock. Today the beautiful old houses have been renovated and classy restaurants dominate the old port.
I went absolutely crazy in this candy shop, where more than half the things were drenched in rainbow hues.
“The creative adult is the child who has survived.”
A crystal ball, also known as an orbuculum, is a glass ball commonly known to be a fortune telling object.
‘Bo-Kaap’ with its distinctive pastel coloured houses in the foreground and the Table Mountain in the background provides for a stunning view. The slaves living in this area painted their houses in hues of bright colours as an expression of their freedom.
“Life is like a slot machine. Put in some hope to get back more. Walk away happy or keep gambling it away.” – Anonymous
“Let me, O let me bathe my soul in colours; let me swallow the sunset and drink the rainbow.”
― Kahlil Gibran
“To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it.” – Kurt Vonnegut
“There wouldn’t be life without colour.”
― Anthony T. Hincks
“Why do some colours, put one next to the other, sing? Can one really explain this? ” ~Pablo Picasso
Had the pleasure of meeting this charming lady while at an exhibit who let me photograph her beautifully woven hair!
“Sometimes you have to see people as a colour-pencil. They might not be your favourite colour, but you need them to complete the picture.”
“The soul becomes dyed with the colour of its thoughts.” – Marcus Aurelius
“I celebrate life with a different colour each day.
That way, each day is different.”
― Anthony T. Hincks
Give freedom to colours and then you shall meet the rainbow everywhere!
Love has no gender.
According to Native American culture, dream-catchers are traditionally believed to be used as talismans to protect people from nightmares.
Colours and music have a very close resemblance – because without them, the world would mean nothing!
Time for some ‘reflection’?
“Beauty without colour seems somehow to belong to another world.”
– Murasaki Shikibu
The ones who are crazy enough to think that they can colour the world, are the ones who do!
“We colour the world,
Not with the darkness of our pasts,
But with the rainbow of our hope.”
― Jenim Dibie, The Calligraphy of God
“Your life is a reflection of your thoughts. If you change your thinking, you can change your life.”
A stack full of happiness!
Snapped this from a souvenir shop in Lapland, filled with memorable takeaways – right from keychains on Northern Lights to snow globes on Santa’s village!
“Happiness fills colours in our life in abundance.”
― Kishore Bansal
“A well-tied tie is the first serious step in life.” – Oscar Wilde
Note: All pictures in this blog have been photographed by me. None of them have been edited to add artificial colour.
© 2013 TO 2017 DEVANSHI RUNGTA ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Ticket for a rainbow 
Devanshir,
I just woke up in this morning with an exceptional feelings. I did not go for my morning tea yet as I could not explain my feelings after went through your soul-searching quest for rainbow…whether it’s emerging from memories of my childhood memories in Dawn or plunging in the memories in the dusk. Sometimes our two dimensional reality of life forced out mind to the world of bicolor world but..real world with its aura of rainbow always help our soul to be drifted towards it. It’s wonderful presentation, an earnest effort to be blended in the unique spectrum of VIBGYOR for a period of time .
I just want to mention.one point here…as..I have opportu ity to spent a long period of time..in Toronto…I have opportunity to witness the LGBT community of downtown Toronto to live with their unique identity as well as pride ‘the rainbow flag’ and which has another story of life indeed.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you so much for your kind words Sir! It is my pleasure that you liked it. Words like yours really encourage us.
Yes I am aware of the possible symbolism to the LGBT community here and it is my honour if anyone associates my blog with them!
Thank you once again 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very lovely photographs. They have put a smile on my face which will last forever.
Thank you too, for using my quotes along with so many others.
Have a wonderful day and may life bring you a rainbow on each and every day so that you see how special life and friendships are.
All the best.
Anthony T. Hincks
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you so much for your kind words Sir! This truly means a lot. It is such an honour that you liked my work. Your words bring a smile to my face every time I read them – more so now than ever! They inspire, motivate and encourage me to push harder and express my love for colours to the world. Thank you once again!
Regards,
Devanshi Rungta
LikeLiked by 1 person
Devanshir,
Thank you for your very kind words.
I love to write quotes, and inspiration can come from anything.
I consider it an honour and a privilege to be included here with your lovely photographs and work.
You and your work will inspire me for a long, long time to come.
So, take care and may a rainbow shine on you and your family every day forever more.
Anthony T. Hincks
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is absolutely amazing!!!!I have never seen anything like this ever.You have made the works so much more colourful by your candid shots and thought evoking phrases!Keep up the stupendous work Devanshi!God bless!
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is absolutely amazing!!!!I have never seen anything like this ever.You have made the workd so much more colourful by your candid shots and thought evoking phrases!Keep up the stupendous work Devanshi!God bless!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you so much Chachi! It’s only all of yours encouragement that keeps me going 🙂
LikeLike
Devangshi…my hidden jewel !!!
with the colours resonating like sparkles of freshness… engulfed in your passion..you have ignited….. keep the colours Alive…so that the Greys can be outnumbered…..!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Amazing work Devangi,
It took me 15 minutes just to glance your work and admire the beauty of colours and the quotes, it must have taken weeks and months to take the photos and collect the appropriate quotes and put everything together. Glad to know our family has great talent.
Mahesh
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very interesting work. It comes across as a body of carefully observed images created and found. The central idea of colours (vibgyor) is so present in nature and inspires us to recreate more often. Keep it going. cheers
LikeLike
Dear Devanshi !! The word Rainbow 🌈 by itself sounds so colourful, joyful…..it conjures images of divine gaiety..makes one wonder maybe the gateway to heaven would be thus decorated !!
So profound & magnanimous is the grandeur of sighting a rare phenomenon of “ satrangi “ 🌈…. even the thought of sighting one exhilarates the senses !!! Devanshi by making 🌈 rainbows 🌈 noticeable in the daily mundane things of life has made living a celebration…. joyous every moment !!!!
You have well enhanced the usability of rainbows 🌈….one need not wait to see it in the skies …it can be seen all around us … one just needs the prowess to patiently observe & analyse the beautiful amalgamation of colours for 🌈RAINBOWS 🌈 to come alive !!!!
No one can do a more wondrous job to 🌈RAINBOWS 🌈 than U DEVANSHI !!!! 🌈👌🌈👏👏
LikeLike