Áine Keenan

@ainekeenan

An Irish Woman In India

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Áine Keenan @ainekeenan· Jun 9

And there's more, Christopher ...

Barefooted and bearded Indian man in traditional white clothing with horizontal white vibhuti (ash) on his forehead sitting blissfully on a wicker stool atop a blue plastic sheet next to an illustrated poster sign leaning against a bare concrete block wall, the central message of which reads 'Become One With Non Attachment'.

Áine Keenan @ainekeenan· Apr 26

Swear by what the Sages spoke Round the Mareotic Lake That the Witch of Atlas knew, Spoke and set the cocks a-crow. Cast a cold eye On life, on death. Horseman, pass by! WB Yeats, 20th century #Photography #Poetry #SpéirGhorm #SpeirGorm #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

These are the famous opening and final stanzas of W.B. Yeats' poem, 'Under Ben Bulben' and the latter is the epitaph on his grave at Drumcliff churchyard, County Sligo, Ireland.

A Hindu funeral procession of men pass the gates of Sri Ramana Ashram, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India. The corpse of the deceased is elevated at an angle on the flatbed of a vehicle and decorated with flowers, which end up thrown all over the road by the time the hearse has reached the cremation grounds. Drummers lead the way and loud firecrackers are set off at regular intervals.

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43298/under-ben-bulben

https://youtu.be/EXoM0Ze-9xE

https://youtu.be/7se5upkxLL0

https://youtu.be/4993lcJ5-0c

Áine Keenan @ainekeenan· Apr 25

See you later alligator, after a while crocodile. Can't you see you're in my way now, don't you know you cramp my style? Bill Hailey & The Comets, 20th century #Photography #SpéirGhorm #SpeirGorm #StreetPhotography #Ashram #India #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

A crocodile sculpture is perched on the horizontal beam above the entrance to the Samadhi Hall at Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India, a building constructed with large, precisely carved granite stone blocks.

The crocodile sculpture has both a functional and a decorative purpose, serving as a rain gutter directing rainwater away from the stone walls to prevent water damage.

Devotees of Sri Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950) are seen gathering inside the temple sanctum visible through the doorway.

This will be my penultimate photograph from India for some months as I prepare to visit loved ones in Ireland. Thank you for the journey we have shared. I am reminded of Rabindranath Tagore's lines:

"Now I am at the end of my pilgrimage,
I leave in the evening flowers of worship,
My salutations to you all."

Áine Keenan @ainekeenan· Apr 24

Happiness cannot be found through great effort and willpower but is already present, in open relaxation and letting go. Gendun Rinpoche, 20th century #photography #poetry #buddhism #hindu #spéirghorm #speirgorm #streetphotography #imageandverse #artofbluesky #photographersofbluesky #eastcoastkin

A sadhu (holy man) reclines majestically on his mat by the roadside as a stream of pilgrims flow by walking the 14 km circuit around the holy mountain of Arunachala at Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India.

His orange clothing represents renunciation, while the extensive necklaces (rudraksha beads) are traditionally worn by devotees of Lord Shiva.

Other items for worship or daily sustenance surround him including alms bowls, food, water, a conch shell and small lamps for rituals.

Áine Keenan @ainekeenan· Apr 23

Take off your shoes ... real slow Take off your dress, yes, yes You can leave your hat on You can leave your hat on You can leave your hat on Joe Cocker, 20th century #Photography #India #StreetPhotography #SpéirGhorm #SpeirGorm #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

A young sari-wearing door-to-door Indian saleswoman carries in both her hands and on her head natural, long-lasting dry-grass brooms (phool jhadu) with red and purple plastic cylindrical handles.

They are commonly used for sweeping floors in homes and offices, effectively collecting fine dust and debris. Some modern variations are designed to be "no dust" brooms, shedding minimal material during use.

Randy Newman wrote (and first performed) 'You Can Leave Your Hat On' in 1972. But In 1986, it was Joe Cocker's version which was used for Kim Bassinger's striptease scene in the movie '9 & 1/2 Weeks'. Fun fact: Tom Jones also sang it in the 1997 British film, 'The Full Monty'.

Áine Keenan @ainekeenan· Apr 22

The day of my awakening was the day I saw - and knew I saw - all things in God and God in all things. Mechtild of Magdeburg, 13th century #Photography #Poetry #Dogs #Mystic #God #SpéirGhorm #SpeirGorm #India #StreetPhotography #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

A tattooed Western man wearing black trousers and a graphic design grey t-shirt with an outline of Gandhi on the front sits on a red plastic stool drinking masala chai (spiced tea).

Resting peacefully on the pavement beside him are two Indian pariah (street) dogs known for being resilient and adapting well to town and city environments.

In the background, an elderly beggar woman is sitting on steps nearby, her chappals (sandals) and a long bamboo stick by her side.

🐕

“... I look up and I see God. I look down and see my dog ...”

Wendy Francisco

https://youtu.be/H17edn_RZoY

Áine Keenan @ainekeenan· Apr 21

They reckon ill who leave me out; When me they fly, I am the wings; I am the doubter and the doubt; And I the hymn the Brahmin sings. Ralph Waldo Emerson, 19th century #Photography #India #SpeirGorm #SpéirGhorm #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #HumansOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

An Indian woman dressed in an orange-print silk sari performs pradakshina (circumambulation) along the walkway around the samadhi shrine where the mortal remains of Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950) are entombed.

The shrine features polished black stone pillars and a prominent gold-leaf plated statue of Sri Ramana in a seated meditative posture. In front of this statue, the sanctified body is enshrined in a sitting position facing Arunachala, with a sacred Shiva lingam positioned directly over his head.

Before being discontinued recently by new management, this meditative practice could be done morning and evening by devotees during the chanting of the Vedas by trainee Brahmin priests at Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India.

Áine Keenan @ainekeenan· Apr 20

For a fee, I'm happy to be your back-door man Dirty deeds, do anythin' you want me to Dirty deeds, dirty deeds done dirt cheap Dirty deeds done dirt cheap AC/DC, 20th century #Photography #SpéirGhorm #SpeirGorm #StreetPhotography #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

A man in a red half-sleeve shirt and orange dhoti washes clothes at a ghat, a series of stone steps leading down to Pali Tirtham, the sacred tank next to Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India.

Sri Annamalai Swami, under the direct guidance of Ramana Maharshi, constructed these next to the shrine where Bhagavan's mother, Alagammal, has her samadhi (tomb).

Pali Tirtham collected run-off from Mount Arunachala and Sri Ramana insisted that Sri Annamalai Swami work through the night to finish the task.

When a torrential downpour filled it within hours of completion, the tank was completely empty. Otherwise work could not have resumed for another several months.

Áine Keenan @ainekeenan· Apr 19

I wanna know did you get the feelin' Did you get it down in your soul I wanna know did you get the feelin' Oh, did you get healed? Van Morrison, 20th century #Photography #Poetry #Stunday #StreetPhotography #SpeirGorm #SpéirGhorm #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

An immensely blissful young man wearing a white dhoti (a breechcloth wrapped around the waist and legs) and an angavastram (a cloth draped over the shoulder), sits on a woven stool at a blue gateway.

One sign attached to the back carrier of his bicycle has The Matrix's red pill/blue pill metaphor offering a choice between continuing life as usual (blue pill) or taking 2 minutes to sit silently in meditation (red pill). There is an emphasis on direct experience over blind faith.

Another sign in red at the end of a pole reads, 'Know The Self, Love All, See Oneness, Awaken All'.

Áine Keenan @ainekeenan· Apr 18

There's one lesson you oughta know I've learned - when you order what you want in other restaurants, you're sure to get your fingers burned. Dana, 20th century #Photography #StreetPhotography #SpeirGorm #SpéirGhorm #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #HumansOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

An elderly woman in a red, black and white print sari with green blouse tends to a fire outside the Auro Usha Restaurant in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India whilst a similar-aged man in a white shirt and a red cloth (dhoti) stands watching nearby.

Having won the 1970 Eurovision song contest for Ireland with 'All Kinds Of Everything', Dana Rosemary Scallon later released 'Something's Cooking In The Kitchen' which one critic reviewed as "this truly awful culinary misadventure of half-baked puns, in which her lip-synching is so bad she makes Britney Spears look good."

She later served one term as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Connacht–Ulster from 1999 to 2004. Her platform centred on pro-life views, family values and opposition to the European Constitution. Her parliamentary work often focused on opposing liberal changes to Irish law, such as the 2001 proposals to amend the constitution regarding the morning-after pill.

Dana stood in Ireland's 2002 general election seeking a Dáil seat for Galway West as an Independent but failed to be elected. She also twice stood unsuccessfully as a candidate in Irish presidential elections, in 2004 and 2011.

Áine Keenan @ainekeenan· Apr 16

And when you talk to God Count up all your blessings And thank the Good Lord back You don't know Jack No you don't know Jack Luke Bryan, 21st century #Photography #India #Fruit #SpéirGhorm #SpeirGorm #StreetPhotography #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

A farmer sells fresh jackfruit, both whole and cut into segments, out of the back of a truck, using a digital weighing scale to measure the weight. The largest tree-borne fruit - it can weigh up to 40 lbs (18 kg) or more - jackfruit is a tropical fruit known for its large size and sweet, fibrous yellow flesh, with a taste often compared to a mix of mango, banana and pineapple. Highly versatile, it is used in both savory dishes when raw and as a sweet fruit when ripe.

Luke Bryan is an American country music singer, songwriter and television personality, one of the world's best-selling music artists, with over 75 million records sold. He has expressed support for the LGBTQ+ community, specifically through his 2017 hit 'Most People Are Good', which features the inclusive lyric, "I believe you love who you love / Ain't nothing you should ever be ashamed of".

Áine Keenan @ainekeenan· Apr 15

It's the eye of the tiger it's the thrill of the fight And the last known survivor stalks His prey in the night And He's watching us all with the eye of the tiger Survivor, 20th century #Photography #India #SpéirGhorm #SpeirGorm #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

A devotee with a shaved head, blue shirt and black trousers meditates in the New Hall at Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India before a large image of Sri Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950) wearing only a kaupinam (loincloth), with a body that appeared "luminous like burnished gold", and seated on a tiger skin.

Today is the 76th Aradhana - death anniversary - of Sri Ramana, the renowned 20th-century Indian sage advocated atma-vichara (self-enquiry) as the primary method to remove ignorance and abide in self-awareness.

Henri Cartier-Bresson, the famous French photographer, described seeing at the exact moment of the sage’s passing a "vividly-luminous shooting star with a luminous tail ... moving slowly across the sky and, reaching the top of Arunachala, disappeared behind it."

Áine Keenan @ainekeenan· Apr 14

You are here and so am I Maybe millions of people go by But they all disappear from view And I only have eyes for You The Flamingos, 20th century #Photography #Poetry #India #SpéirGhorm #SpeirGorm #StreetPhotography #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

Today, this Tamil New Year Day, two older men share a moment drinking tea as they sit closely together on plastic stools at a small roadside stall in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India.

The man on the right is dressed in traditional attire, including a dhoti (blue lower garment) and a rudraksha mala (prayer beads) around his neck, whilst the man on the left wears a light-coloured shirt and a similar blue dhoti.

A sign in the background reads 'ROOMS RENT'.

Áine Keenan @ainekeenan· Apr 14

If you see this, post or quote repost a #Bridge any bridge.. big or small.. new or old, structurally sound or a bit rickety, you know the type.. you take chances crossing them. Bridge over the River Kwai, Kanchanaburi, Thailand, part of the "Death Railway" built by WW II prisoners of war.

Photo of the bridge over the River Kwai, Kanchanaburi, Thailand built by the Japanese in 1942–43 using POW labour to connect Thailand to Burma; damaged in 1945 and repaired afterward.

Áine Keenan @ainekeenan· Apr 13

The body is a bodhi tree, the mind a bright mirror stand. Always diligently clean it, and let no dust alight. Shen Hsiu, 7th century #Photography #India #Buddhism #Chan #Enlightenment #SpéirGhorm #SpeirGorm #StreetPhotography #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

Next to a notice promoting a Sri Ramanasramam Commemorative Centenary Coin, minted in 99.9% pure silver, weighing 40 grams and having a diameter of 44 mm, a woman wearing a traditional Indian printed sari featuring animal motifs wipes down a black board with a green cloth dampened from the white plastic bucket at her feet.

The Fifth Patriarch of Chan Buddhism, Hongren, wishing to pass on his robe and bowl to a successor, asked his disciples to write a poem to show their understanding,

Shen Hsiu, a learned senior monk experienced in meditation, wrote the above verse advocating a gradual process of achieving and maintaining the purity and clarity of the mirror-like mind. The emphasis was on a form of practice which involved cleaning the mind (mirror) from ignorance (dust) to attain purity.

Hui Neng, an illiterate woodcutter, challenged this by arguing that in ultimate reality the mind was already pure and enlightened. The mirror was not a physical item to be polished, but inherently empty. He advocated the sudden awakening to emptiness beyond form all-at-once, instantaneously, in the here-and-now:

Originally Bodhi has no tree,
The mirror has no stand.
Fundamentally, nothing exists,
so where can dust alight?

Hui Neng's poem demonstrated a direct, intuitive grasp of non-duality and secured his position as the Sixth Patriarch of Chan Buddhism.

Áine Keenan @ainekeenan· Apr 12

if you see this post an image you saved because it made you laugh.

'Mother Mourning the Death of her Child' (Italian: La derelitta la morte del bimbo), painted by Giuseppe Molteni in 1845. The painting depicts a deeply sorrowful woman holding a floral wreath, set against a stone wall.

The accompanying text overlay reads: "This too shall pass, but holy fuck."

Áine Keenan @ainekeenan· Apr 12

Everybody wants me to be What they want me to be That's why I'm easy I'm easy like Sunday morning That's why I'm easy I'm easy like Sunday morning Commodores, 20th century #Photography #Stunday #India #SpéirGhorm #SpeirGorm #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

A man sleeps in an unconventional position at V.I.P. Gardens, Ramana Nagar, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India, using a blue TVS Jupiter with a grab rail and underseat storage parked against a weathered wall as a makeshift bed.

Despite its relaxing tone, Easy (Like Sunday Morning) is actually about a breakup, with lyrics reflecting a man’s relief at the joy and ease of leaving a stagnant relationship and finding freedom.

Áine Keenan @ainekeenan· Apr 11

His brow is deeply lined with thought, his head is highly domed; His coat is dust from neglect, his whiskers are uncombed. T.S. Eliot, 20th century #Photography #Poetry #Caturday #India #SpéirGhorm #SpeirGorm #StreetPhotography #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

Perhaps anticipating the rigours of a successful modelling career, Pushkin, the domestic shorthair Ashram cat with a distinctive black and white (tuxedo) coat pattern and piercing green eyes, rests on top of a metal box labelled 'MODEL:1465'. This is the secured back-up electricity generator facility for Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India.

'Macavity', from T.S. Eliot's 'Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats' (1939), by contrast, describes a cat who is a master criminal that vanishes from every crime scene, defies laws of nature and masterminds other criminal cats!!!

Áine Keenan @ainekeenan· Apr 10

I got brass in a pocket I got bottle, I'm gonna use it. Gonna use my arms, gonna use my legs, gonna use my fingers, gonna use my, my imagination The Pretenders, 20th century #Photography #Poetry #SpéirGhorm #SpeirGorm #India #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

Two women are bending over to clean those brass, copper and clay pots and pans on the ground used for the daily temple rituals at Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India.

The woman on the right wears a red and white sari with a distinct green apple motif pattern, whilst the other with her back completely to the camera is wearing an orange patterned sari.

The window features traditional green-painted wooden shutters and white security bars. Various colorful cloths and towels are draped over the window frame and railing to dry.

Áine Keenan @ainekeenan· Apr 9

There ain’t no flies on us There ain’t no flies on us There might be flies on some of you guys But there ain’t no flies on us Traditional, 20th century #Photography #Poetry #India #SpéirGhorm #SpeirGorm #StreetPhotography #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

Three flies rest without threat on the traditional cotton-blend white dhoti with coloured border of a man sitting outdoors on a red plastic chair. He is holding 'Dinamalar' (தின மலர்), a Tamil daily newspaper, in his hands.

On 6 April 2026, India’s most advanced nuclear reactor reached a self-sustaining stage that marks a major leap for the country’s atomic energy programme, and takes it a step closer to cutting dependence on uranium.

The prototype fast breeder reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu reached criticality – the stage at which a nuclear chain reaction can continue on its own.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/7/indias-nuclear-leap-why-its-fast-breeder-reactor-success-matters

Áine Keenan @ainekeenan· Apr 8

I keep a close watch on this Heart of mine I keep my eyes wide open all the time I keep the ends out for the tie that binds Because You're mine, I walk the line. Johnny Cash, 20th century #Photography #Poetry #SpéirGhorm #SpeirGorm #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBluesky #EastCoastKin

Pradakshina (circumambulation) along the walkway around the samadhi shrine where the mortal remains of Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950) are entombed at Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India is a highly revered spiritual practice.

The sanctified body is enshrined here in a sitting position facing Arunachala, with a sacred Shiva lingam positioned directly over his head. Devotees often walk around the shrine in a clockwise direction—commonly 3, 5, or more times—usually in silence, meditation or chanting to experience peace, reflection and connection with the sage.

Before being discontinued recently by the new management, it was particularly popular during the daily chanting of the Vedas and Tamil Parayana, during which many devotees walked continuously around Sri Ramana's samadhi shrine.

The lyrics come from Johnny Cash's first number-one hit which remained on the American charts for over 43 weeks. Bob Dylan described it as "... a song I'd always considered to be up there at the top, one of the most mysterious and revolutionary of all time, a song that makes an attack on your most vulnerable spots, sharp words from a Master."

Áine Keenan @ainekeenan· Apr 7

Drop some SIGNS 🚸🖤⚠️

A sign promoting 'Become One With Non Attachment' is positioned beneath another asserting 'Do Not Use Sound Horn'.

Áine Keenan @ainekeenan· Apr 7

You must remain your own witness, marking well everything that happens, never shutting your eyes to reality. You must come to grips with these terrible times. Etty Hillesum, 20th century #Photography #SpéirGhorm #SpéirGorm #India #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

Áine Keenan @ainekeenan· Apr 6

Working at it!!! 🥻

Exercising at an outdoor gym along the seafront at Pondicherry, India.

Áine Keenan @ainekeenan· Apr 6

I'm too sexy for my shirt too sexy for my shirt so sexy it hurts I'm a model you know what I mean and I do my turn on the catwalk yeah on the catwalk Right Said Fred, 20th century #Photography #SpéirGhorm #SpeirGorm #SpéirGorm #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

A man wearing a saffron dhoti (unstitched loincloth) and angavastram (shoulder cloth) sashays past a large busstop billboard advertising 'Saravana Stores Super Jewellery' and featuring four women displaying the retail outlet's gold and diamond selections.

The juxtaposition between these ostentatious displays of wealth and the large pile of tender coconuts in the background is jarring.

These humble fruits are consumed by pilgrims for their nutrient-rich natural water and delicious soft pulp as they walk barefoot the 14 km girivalam around Mount Arunachala, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India.

Áine Keenan @ainekeenan· Apr 5

In fairness, the absolute best homemade tarts in the West come from Benny's, the (b)eating heart of Castlerea 😇

The entrance to Benny's Deli, a family run bakery, restaurant and delicatessen situated in the west of Ireland market town of Castlerea, Co. Roscommon

Áine Keenan @ainekeenan· Apr 5

Also Kilronan, Bernard, in honour of your sister ...

Two cocks perched on a yellow wall outside the Lucky Star Bar, Kilronan, Inis Mór, Aran Islands, Galway, Ireland.

Áine Keenan @ainekeenan· Apr 5

Die while you’re alive and be absolutely dead. Then do whatever you want: it’s all good. Zen Master Bunan, 17th century #Photography #India #Stunday #StreetPhotography #SpeirGorm #SpéirGhorm #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #HumansOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

Two vibrant Bougainvillea trees grow together at Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India, featuring both brilliant pink and warm orange bracts and producing thorns which help them climb and cling to a beige wall.

Trees growing together over a grave is a natural phenomenon known as inosculation. The trunks, branches, or roots of two or more trees touch, graze and eventually graft or merge to form a single intertwined structure. They often represent a living memorial, symbolising the continuation of life and the bonding of the departed.

The Celts believed trees held souls and planted them on graves so the tree could protect the deceased and provide a new vessel for their spirit.

Áine Keenan @ainekeenan· Apr 4

Tell me about it, Declan!!! 🥵

Severe weather alert
Excessive heat
Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu
Severe heat throughout the week
From Google Weather
High today 38C
Will feel like 45C

Áine Keenan @ainekeenan· Apr 4

I have lived on the lip of insanity, wanting to know reasons, knocking on a door. It opens. I've been knocking from the inside. Rumi, 13th century #Photography #Poetry #India #SpéirGhorm #SpeirGorm #India #StreetPhotography #ImageAndVerse #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin