Chandigarh Chaat: If there is a load you have to bear, that you can't carry......

don't call me as the song says. Call someone in India. They are the masters at carrying loads! I have been fascinated by this.

Some carry heavy loads on their backs as this man in Shimla--and he had hills to climb.

Or on their heads as this man walking in the traffic in Delhi.

An excavation has been going on across the street from us. All the material removed was loaded on workers' heads and hauled to the truck.

Of course women, too, carry loads.

Loads can be carried on two-wheeled, man-powered bikes. This is a salesman who rides around our neighbourhood selling brooms and dusters.

This bicycle is loaded with bamboo from the cleaning in the park.

Some loads are families going to work and school.

A relatively small load but still difficult to balance on a bike.

Going to work loaded with scaffolding for the job.

Motor powered two wheelers also carry loads--like Mom and Baby.

And lots of other things.

We see that the load is bedding, but what is the mode of transportation!

Three-wheelers are the real work horses when it comes to carrying loads. The local carpet salesman left his merchandise to check out the movie shoot the other day.

The many festivals require tents and tent poles, and these can be loaded on a three-wheeler for transport.

Sector 34 furniture manufacturers require someone to deliver their loads.

This load begs the question, "Which is the most dependable mode of transport?"

The drivers who move loads like this have no need for a fitness program!

Our garbage man transports his loads with a three-wheeler.

This doesn't look very stable but we have never seen a load topple over.

Sometimes pedal-power is just not enough to move the load.

A very long load--on a newly paved street in Chandigarh.

Loads and families can be transported with animal power, even in the City Beautiful.

This water buffalo near Agra just plods along in the traffic with his load.

And a load of fresh bananas is being pulled by a horse in Amritsar.

Late one evening, this horse drawn carriage went by our house loaded with a bridegroom on his way to his wedding.

These donkeys were delivering loads of bricks in Agra.

And, of course there are trucks carrying loads, often with human toppings.

On our way to Ludhiana, Harbans spotted this truck that was so overloaded it got stuck on the crosspiece at the railroad crossing. The one advantage of the high loads is that the vehicles seldom roll over in an accident. They just lie down on their side.