India by train: Freelance cinematographer Shanu Babar documents India as seen from a train window on his popular Instagram account @windowseatproject.
Courtesy Shanu Babar
Different perspectives: The project began when Babar went on a journey to the southernmost part of India while working for his college degree. "I wanted to explore the landscape of India, from the perspective of the Window Seat," he says. Pictured here: Kangra Valley.
Courtesy Shanu Babar
People and stories: "Ever since I was kid, I have been fascinated by the window seat. I would gasp when I saw big towns pass me by," says Babar. "From here I could see different people, interesting people, different stories. It was like watching movies." Pictured here: Katra, Jammu and Kashmir
Courtesy Shanu Babar
Story telling: Each photo on Babar's Instagram comes with a story, often several paragraphs long, evoking the feeling and sentiment of the location or the subject: "I was happy that I was witnessing this. And sad that this was the last time I would get to witness this for the first time," writes Babar under this image. Pictured here: Kangra Valley
Courtesy Shanu Babar
Expressing emotions: "All I need is for a picture to tell a story, create a reality in your mind, express a conflict, a dilemma, an emotion, anything that resonates," says Babar. Pictured here: Merrut.
Courtesy Shanu Babar
Across India: "I want to tell stories from all over India," says Babar. This photograph was taken on the Barmer to Munabao, beyond Munabao, lies Pakistan. "There's desert both inside and outside the train. That's the amount of sand that flies in through the windows," writes Babar in the accompanying post. Pictured here: Munabao.
Courtesy Shanu Babar
Cultures and traditions: "The sheer size and diversity of India, make it a perfect subject for the Window Seat Project," says Babar. "Every few hours you will see different cultures, traditions and occupations". Pictured here: View from the 19666 UDZ Kurj Express.
Courtesy Shanu Babar
Exhibition: Babar says watching India from the window seat is "like an exhibition that you are being taken through. A traveling point of view." Pictured here: Luni Junction, Rajasthan, India.
Courtesy Shanu Babar
Railway system: Babar is also fascinated by how the railway system works in India: "The British built the railways here long back, but managing such an ever growing giant network is surely a far more intimidating task, I am sure," he reflects. Pictured here: Kangra Valley.
Courtesy Shanu Babar
Submissions and contributions: Babar continues to photograph India scenes from the railway, but now other people send in their photographs too. "People use the hashtag, '#windowseatproject,' and that's how the pictures come to my notice," he says. "I scan through close to 100 pictures a day, to pick the right ones." Pictured here: Nagpur.
Courtesy Shanu Babar
Choosing the photograph: "The right picture is not the one which is the best looking, but the one that captures the right emotion of train travel," says Babar. "Photography is not the motive, it's merely a tool." Pictured here: Passengers at a train station.
Courtesy Shanu Babar
Accidental double decker: "The Sheopur Kalan Express is like a double-deck train that was never intended to be one. Passengers flock the roof of the already stuffed train, reading newspapers, catching up on sleep, grooving to the music of the rail tracks," writes Babar on the caption of this photograph. Pictured here: Gwalior.
Courtesy Shanu Babar
Historic railways: Babur took this photograph of the Gwalior-Sheopur line -- the world's longest operating section of railway on the two feet narrow gauge. Pictured here: the Gwalior-Sheopur line.
Courtesy Shanu Babar
India icons: Babar has photographed other iconic railways including the Shimla Kalka Express, a narrow-gauge railway that was built in 1898: "Weed and moss cover its wrinkles," writes Babar in his caption. "100 years and still on duty." Pictured here: Shimla Kalka Express.
Courtesy Shanu Babar
Commuter trains: But Sabar doesn't just photograph India's cross-country railways, he also keeps an eye out on commuter railways. Pictured here: the Luggage Room, Mumbai Local, Central Railways.
Courtesy Shanu Babar
Eccentricities and culture: "If the pictures can convey -- through the social media -- the eccentricities, the cultures, the personalities of a variety of people and places, the account has achieved exactly what it intended to," says Babar. Pictured here: People sleeping on trains.
Courtesy Shanu Babar
Economic means of travel: "In India, train is an economic means of travel," writes Babar in this caption. The man in this photograph, Babar noticed, was taking it in turns to shifting his weight between his feet. When the right one hurts, he relieves it for some time, shifting his weight to the left one. Pictured here: Onboard 11008 Deccan Express, Lonavala.
Courtesy Shanu Babar
Train feasts: "This picture is recent," writes Babar. "But it reminds me very much of my childhood, when the whole family would actively hold a feast in the train. Even though we were traveling there would be no compromises in the courses of our meals. There would be multiple curries, multiple kinds of breads, rice and more." Pictured here: Daund.
Courtesy Shanu Babar
Diverse life stories: "I hope the account keeps digging for more, that's what it has always stood for," says Babar. "Capturing the diverse life stories of people, from the window seat." Pictured here: Mountains, Kangra Valley Hill railway.
Courtesy Shanu Babar
Going international: Babar wants to experience train travel in other countries: "In the future, I would surely want to go international and seek to explore more scenes that I have never experienced before," he says. Pictured here: Bandra Station.
Courtesy Shanu Babar
Magical experience: Whatever countries Babar visits, he will continue to photograph from the window seat: "The variety of cultures, cuisines, landscapes and smallest of activities that you get to explore from this single magnificent vantage point, is insightful and almost magical," says Babar. Pictured here: Samachaar.
Courtesy Shanu Babar
Inspiring others: Babar hopes his account will inspire others to take to the railways: "Lastly, if I can inspire people to stop Instagramming and actually travel, that would be real success," he says. "It's a funny paradox." Pictured here: A boy looking out of the window,
