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 EDITORIAL

Once anonymously said, “If you want to know a

place, rely on the words of the local people
Editorial Analysis there.” Characters of a place are structured by
Ravi Dhingra Prateek Kashyap religious beliefs and festive practices, which
Prakhar Garg Dipanwita Nath distinguish inhabitants of a place from others.
Surbhi Sharma In the roots of Indian existence, festivals take a
Chief Visualizer
huge responsibility in framing the culture of the
Sheetal Mann Marketing locality. All in all, it’s the people and their
Neha Dogra festivities that make them distinguish within
Design Anurag Khaneja themselves and India has been a land of such festivities for a
Priyashi Negi
period longer than anyone of us can remember.
Public Relations
Writer
Barkha Chandra In this edition, photographers around round the world poured in
Rahul Batra Noopur Sharma
Shreeja Chaterjee their contributions in order to portray a world full of colours,
Karishma Rana happiness, and sheer vibrancy. A world where all live in together
Staff Photographer and strive to leave a mark of our own characters. It is a major
Ankit Tyagi Susana Gomez
Sana Singh phenomenon that has brought this world a little closer and that
Urshita Saini has happened for the best.
Shimran Epari Tarundeep Singh
Vishakha Jha
Aditi Puranik People have majorly taken part in bringing out the best of every
Finance procession and festival that happens around the world. In this
Dipanwita Nath Neelu Singh
Ghanishtha Arora issue, we have some great photographers with who have blessed
us with their priceless words. Mr. Umesh Gogna has shared his
Consultant works to enlighten us on better frames and help us achieve
Technology
Apratim Saha sharper vision every time the shutters fall.
Sachin Arora Mansa Inc.
Rishabh Jain
Bharat Bhushan Apart from that, Lopamudra Talukdar and Anoop Negi has given
CEO us insights to work with, while covering the festivals around the
Aditya Baghel Mukesh Kumar world especially rural India. Mr. Faruk Akbas from Turkey, an ex-
Business Development Photographer for Fujifilm has also accompanied us on our
Cover Photo
Rajesh Basu wonderful journey through colours.
Sasi Ramachandra
Amit Ghosh
Dimas Fajar Zeeshan Ali and Meiji Nguyen brighten us further with their
fashion flavors. Zeeshan, an artist who paints himself with a
Sales passion that surpasses most of the makeup artists and Meiji, a
Insaf Khan master photographer had some very creative ideas.
Krishna Srinivas
Amit Gupta
Graduating down to the end, when we look back, we try to
remember the good moments and that’s why, in the first place we
create them. For the good, for remembering it and to remind us
that sharing a smile will only make it better and brighter. That’s
what make our world colourful and brings us together to cherish
each moment

Regards,
 CONTENTS
The Eccentric Ascetics of India
Yasser Al Zain 16

Festivals of India 24

Old Is Gold
Erwin E. Smith 28

In talks with
Faruk Akbas 54

Movie Review
Harrison’s Flowers 58

Pushkar
Photographers’ Battle Field 64

Tips and Tricks

A perfect guide to cover festivals 72
Leading by Examples
Lopamudra Talukdar 82

Makeup Artist of the Month

Zeeshan Ali 86

Model of the Month

Akshara Gowda 92

Fashion Photographer
Meiji Nguyen 95
Jon Langeland
In 2007, at an age of 56, he started to
travel more actively and started to
capture the world. His first safari was in
Masai Mara in Kenya 2008, which helped
him to gain some popularity on the
Instagram and other social platforms.
He still works as a dermatologist,
Scaly Friends
NIKON D4 420mm F/10 1/250s ISO640
running his own practice. But in the last
few years, he has spent 50-70 days of
a year on traveling and capturing wild
animals of their surroundings in Africa,
Spitsbergen, South Georgia, India,
Galapagos, British Columbia, Patagonia,
Borneo, Alaska, Russia, Brazil, and the
latest trip was to Antarctica, which was
last month only.
Cycle of Life
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Salmon Hunt
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 Penguin Drama
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Foot in Mouth Feeding the little one

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Sleeping with Death

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 Cub-bing Around
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Arctic Kill
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 Andean Cock-of-the-rock Puffin Pair
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Southern Ground Hornbill

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 Antonis Tsaknakis
Co-founder of Birding in Greece, the most famous
company for birdwatching and bird photography in the
country, and awarded wildlife photographer in various
competitions, Antonis Tsaknakis shares a true passion
about his favorite subject, the Birds! He has traveled
many countries such as Costa Rica, Peru, Iceland,
Norway, Netherlands, and Cyprus, photographing birds
and discovering ideal spots to shoot, and in a constant
search for the perfect “click.”

Inca Tern
Canon EOS 60D 320mm F/5.6 1/500s ISO250

Cyprus Warbler Black Crested Coquette

Canon EOS 7D Mark II 700mm F/6.3 1/1250s ISO320 Canon EOS 7D Mark II 400mm F/5.6 1/640s ISO3200

Rüppell Warbler Barred warbler

Canon EOS 7D Mark II 700mm F/7.1 1/1250s ISO400 Canon EOS 7D Mark II 700mm F/5.6 1/800s ISO500
 Puffin With Lunch
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 Bee-eater
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Dalmatian Pelican
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 The
Eccentric
Ascetics
of India
Yasser Al-Zain

Sadhu man in oldest Hindu temple.

Pashupatinath, Nepal
Canon EOS 5DS R 30mm F/5 1/250s ISO100
 Sadhu in oldest Hindu temple. Pashupatinath, Nepal Sadhu in oldest Hindu temple. Pashupatinath, Nepal
Canon EOS 5DS R 31mm F/5 1/160s ISO100 Canon EOS 5DS R 70mm F/4 1/200s ISO50

Yasser Al-Zain is a Lebanese, born and raised in Kuwait, completed his studies
with a degree from MSCE (Networking), presently working as a General Manager in
Al-Rai Media Group Co. He started photography as a hobby, with the primary motive
of capturing images which appear interesting regardless of the subject, the focus
being on lines, forms and patterns. Today, Photography, in particular, has become a
major passion in his life. His love for photography inspires him to find rhythm and
colors in landscapes, people and their cultures. He has since then developed this
passion to a business owning Photography Production Co., displaying his works in
Exhibitions and publishing books. With every picture, he tries to show the people
how he views the beautiful world around.

T
hose ancient eyes, watching the world
from behind their ‘jatas’ (dreadlocks)
seem to be silent but they aren’t,
instead they are praying for you. This is the
power of the spiritual world which can turn
a worldly soul into one that eschews all.
They turn their world upside down and vow
to devote their lives to ward off theirs as
well as the community’s karma. Most have
given up affiliation with their caste and kin
and have undergone a funeral ceremony for
themselves, followed by a ritual rebirth into
their new ascetic life.
Travelling to distant places, homeless, they
visit different pilgrimages or stay at a place
suitable to pray all day. Most of the Sadhus
don’t like getting disturbed and hence to
strictly avoid any sort of distractions, they
practice celibacy, become recluse and keep
moving in life’s long journey. The colors that
they clad themselves in, be it saffron, white or
black, represent different saint communities.
The different designs of vermillion or “tilak”
are also an indicator of their sect. The holy
beads (rosary), ‘kamandal’ (waterpot), the
trishul (tridents), kapal (human skull), and
human ashes smeared across their bodies are
other clues differentiating the sects of a saint
or sadhu.
Some sages vows to remain bald while
there the others do not have their hair cut
throughout their lives and take great care of
their ‘jatas’. Incidentally, there is a science
behind keeping their hair long. Hair is a
natural conductor of body’s electromagnetic
energy and coiling hairs causes induction. In
fact, the science of coiling wires in electronics
came from ancient Hindu science of coiling
hair to induce energy in body. Two major
divisions of Indian saints are Shaivas (Shiva
devotes) and Vaishnavas (Vishnu devotees).
Within these general divisions are numerous
sects and subsects and these follow their
own set of rituals and traditions. The rituals
performed by the ‘Aghories’, for instance,
might frighten a common person and yet they
have been revered for their spiritual practices.
Religion and spirituality is the almost
synonymous to India. It doesn’t matter what
caste and creed one belongs to, spirituality
acts on each person equally. Sometimes,
the bizarre acts of the ‘sadhus’ in a show
of faith defy science and leave the men of
science befuddled. They live simply with the
philosophy of unflustered and uncluttered
life.
If you ask them about stories of the God,
they narrate it so evocatively that one might
feel that they themselves have witnessed
those stories. In them, you will mostly find
peace, a pleasant smile and a brilliant sense
of satisfaction. Relinquishing their worldly
pleasures, they free themselves of their
societal shackles to fly in the open sky of faith
in hopes of reaching to the ultimate source of
all. They meditate and continuously chant the
Holy Scriptures, to balance the negativity of
the world. Although they devote themselves
completely in sacred practices, but treat them
with caution for you never know what’s going
on in that eccentric mind.
Aditi Puranik
aditi@chiiz.com
A budding journalist, Aditi watches the
world with wonder in her eyes. Talented
but lazy, introvert but sarcastic, she is a
nature lover, continuously trying to work on
her photography and writing skills. She is a
wanderer at heart and dreams of travelling
the world.

Vol 9 17
 Indian devotee celebrating the Holi festival of color.
Vrindavan, India
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 53mm F/3.2 1/200s ISO200

Sadhu in Hanuman Temple Rajasthan, India Sadhu in oldest Hindu temple. Pashupatinath, Nepal
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 Dyed in Faith
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Dinesh Maneer is a photographer from Bengaluru ,India who seeks
to capture the glory of the great culture of the State of Karnataka.
That explains why his clicks are mainly focused on landscapes,
portraits and culture of the land to which he belongs.
Dinesh is widely traveling all over the state exploring unique, unknown
and fading traditions and customs. He not only shows the beauty
and richness of these cultures through his works, but also strives
to create awareness of the importance and need of preserving such
cultures . He also enjoys meeting eminent, young personalities in
the field of art, music, folk, theatre , literature and make portraits of
them. His “Chat with Artist” series on his website is an ongoing and
interesting collection of the conversations he engages with them.
Bandi Festival
Mostly celebrated in coastal Karnataka , this festival
brings the traditional firewalking event pushing the
limits of human strength .
Canon EOS 60D 17mm F/6.3 1s ISO1250
Energetic dancing devotees duringAnnammadevi
festival in a slum in Bangalore . Annamma Devi is
very popular goddess in the region of Bangalore.
Canon EOS 60D 28mm F/4.5 1/1000s ISO1600
Mylara fair is one of the craziest fairs of Karnataka due to very large number
of visiting people and unique way of celebrations. A lead gentleman from
Gorava community who fasted for 12 days , climbs a 12 feet high bow and
screams a prophecy about agriculture and politics to the people gathered on
the Karnikotsava day which is the last day of fair . It was estimated that nearly
15 lakh people visit the last day of the fair from various parts of the state .
Canon 6D 24mm F/4 1/640s ISO100
 Symbolically Ganiga community force feed Dasappa community during their
annual village festival. This villageis called Ramohalli and is very close to
Bangalore city.
Canon 6D 40mm F/4 1/250s ISO100

Woman’s day in Bangalore Karaga is celebrated as AartiUtsav where colourfully

dressed ladies make varieties of Aartis in different ways to offer to the god.
Canon 6D 50mm F/2.8 1/100s ISO100

Suggi festival is the biggest festival of Halakki tribes from Kumta

Suggi festival is the biggest festival of Halakki tribes from Kumta in Karnataka in Karnataka state . This agriculture community celebrates this
state . This agriculture community celebrates this during Holi festival. Different during Holi festival. Different villages of these tribes form a team
villages of these tribes form a team to perform their traditional dance. to perform their traditional dance.
Canon 1000D 70mm F/8 1/100s ISO125 Canon 1000D 70mm F/2.8 1/100s ISO125

Chickens and bananas being thrown at the goddess cart during BikkiMaradi annual festival.
Canon 6D 40mm F/4 1/500s ISO400
 00
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K
ullu Dusshera is a blend of culture,
history, and traditional rituals. Unlike
Dusshera celebration in other parts
of the country, Kullu Dusshera is different.
It begins on Vijay Dashmi and continues for
a week. The festival starts with a traditional
Rath Yatra of Lord Raghunath and it does not
have the tradition of “Ravan dahan”.
The first day of celebration begins with the
arrival of Deities from surrounding villages
to pay tribute to Lord Rama at the Raghunath
temple.
Priests cook bhog (food) as offering to
Lord Raghunath in the temple. After all
the rituals being performed by priests and
the royal family of Kullu, the colourful
procession of devotees starts from the temple
to Dhalpur Maidan for Rath Yatra, where
the idol is placed in a decorated chariot and
pulled by followers. All Deities then stay at
Dhalpur Maidan, in temporary decorative
arrangements, till the end of the festival.
This festival is seven day long, filled with
cultural events, dance, and music. The events
portray the vibrant culture
of Kullu which is also known
as the name “Dev Bhoomi” (the
valley of Gods).
According to mythology, Raja Jagat Singh was
the King of the Kullu valley in 17th century.
During his supremacy, he got to know that
a Brahmin named Durgadutt, had unique
pearls with him. Then, Rajasent his troop to
get those pearls. Durgadutt made it clear that
the information is not correct and he does not
possess any pearls. But he was tortured by the
King. As an effect Durgadutt set himself and
his family on fire and cursed Raja Jagat Singh
for his cruelty.
After this incident the King used to hallucinate
blood in place of water and worms in place of
rice. He tried every possible remedy but all
in vain. At last a Saint directed the King to
worship Lord Rama and to bring the idol of
lord Rama from Ayodhya to Kullu. Then, the
idol was brought to Kullu and after that King
started to recover. Soon the region accepted
Lord Rama as Lord Raghunath as their prime
deity.
Raja Jagat Singh invited Devi and Devtas
from hundreds of villages across Kullu be
part of the Dusshera celebration, and since
then, the annual congregation has become a
tradition.
On the concluding day (i.e. 7th day), few
ceremonies are performed on the bank of
river Beas and Deities then bid farewell to
Lord Rama and return to their respective
villages. The Rath is brought back to its
original place and Raghunathji is taken back
to the temple in Raghunathpur.
This is the legendary association of Kullu
Dusshera.
Shikha Sood
Born and brought up in Kullu
(Himanchal Pradesh), Shikha
Sood is a Mumbai-based
self-taught photographer.
Her stint with photography
started almost 4 years back.
With a great inclination
towards art and creativity, she
believes that pictures are photographers’ way of
expression. It allows her to think differently and
create a unique piece of art. She loves street and
travel photography and takes inspiration from
daily life situations and its decisive moments.

24 Vol 9
 Sound of Worship
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Resting God’s
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Food for the God’s

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Incense High Priest

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 The Burden of Faith
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Throng of Devotees
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 Giving Hands
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Annakut
Abhishek Basak

Abhishek Basak is a Kolkata based

photographer who started photography right
after his graduation and now it has become a
part of his life. He mostly shoots human interest
stories, street, festivals, landscape and fashion.
He has won many photography competitions
whose credit he gives to his mentor, his mother
and his colleagues.

The silver throne of Madan Mohan at Calcutta. This temple

was the latest to be built for him in the early 19th century
and shows prominent Christian architectural influence. The
stained glass window which has been a characteristical feature
of a Christian church since middle ages.

At Madan Mohan Temple of north Kolkata, thousands of

pilgrims comes from different sides of state to celebrate the
festival. Govardhan Puja or Annakut Puja(meaning a heap of
grain) is held a day after the Diwali in the month of Kartik.
This day is celebrated by the Hindus as Lord Krishna had
defeated the God Indra. People celebrate Govardhan Puja
by making food of cereals such as wheat, rice, curry of gram,
flour and leafy vegetables in order to offer to the Hindu Lord
Krishna. The holy rice is distributed among the devoteeson
this special day. Realm of Receiving
NIKON D5300 18-140mm F/11 1/160s ISO200

28 Vol 9
 A Glimpse into the Relics Offering Canon
NIKON D3300 30mm F/4.2 1/80s ISO400 EOS 7D 18mm F/8 1/500s ISO3200

Buddha Jayanti
Protim Banerjee

The Maha Bodhi Society is a South Asian

Buddhist society, founded by the Sri Lankan
Buddhist leader Anagarika Dharmapala and the
British journalist and poet Sir Edwin Arnold.
The organization’s self-stated initial efforts were
for the resuscitation of Buddhism in India, and
restoring the ancient Buddhist shrines at Bodh
Gaya, Sarnath and Kushinara.
Maha Bodhi Society of Kolkata, India displays Benediction
the “Buddha’s Relic Casket” at buddha jayanti NIKON D3300 18mm F/3.5 1/60s ISO400

every year, Disciples come here to witness the last

remains of Buddha and celebrate the auspicious
event of Buddha purnima.

Protim Banerjee is a self

taught photo enthusiast, who
makes an effort to capture the
different essences of life. He
thinks highly of Shri Aniruddha
Pal, who encouraged his
efforts and motivated him to
have a thirst for more along
with sharing his experience
in the field of photography and he would like to
thank his master for that. He says, “I am a simple
person trying to learn the art of photography”.

Initiation Light of the Divine

NIKON D3300 22mm F/3.8 1/60s ISO400 Canon EOS 7D 33mm F/8 1/125s ISO3200
 Many-faced God’s
Canon EOS 70D 10mm F/5 1/10s ISO2000

Gavri – the musical drama festival of the Bhil tribe

Ankur Hazarika is a freelance photographer specializing
in travel and product photography. He loves to cook
whenever he can make time out from his finance job and
photography. His main areas of interests include minimalist
and conceptual photography.

G
avri is a musical drama performed as a religious ritual by the
Bhil tribe of Mewar region of Rajasthan. The word ‘Gavri’ refers
to Goddess “Gauri”, wife of Lord Shiva and centers on Shiva and
Parvati. Women do not take part in Gavri but male performers enact all
roles, including that of goddess Parvati. The plays tell stories of divine
intervention in mythological events and their daily community lives. It is
said that the Bhil tribes have been performing Gavri since the 3rd or 4th
century.

Every year the Bhopa (village priest) seeks permission from the goddess
for holding the festival. Generally a village gets permission once in two
three years, which is indicated by the Bhopa going into a trance. The festival
begins on the day following Raksha Bandhan and lasts for forty days. This
period also suits the villagers as the crops are harvested and there is no
work in the fields. During the forty day period the performers abstain from
alcohol, sex, non-vegetarian food, wearing shoes and having dinner.
Each village has a team of amateur dancers and actors who act out the
various roles which include Manav (humans), Danav (demons), Pashu
(animals) and Dev (deity). The music is based on traditional instruments
like Dhol, Mandal, Thali and Manjire. The Gavri troupe, consisting of 40-100
performers, goes around performing from village to village, mainly in the
areas around Udaipur. The food and other expenses of the Gavris are borne
by the residents of the hosting village. All performances are done in open
air without a stage. The dance drama is performed in a circle in the centre of
which a trishul (trident) is planted. In the present times, the themes of Gavri
drama include mythology and social episodes like environment protection,
The Supreme Goddess
human values and respect for women. Canon EOS 70D 55mm F/4 1/80s ISO500

30 Vol 9
 Keepers of the law
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Divine Vengeance
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 Together we Stand
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Shackles
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Ritual Demon in Black

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 The Holy Dip
NIKON D5300 35mm F/4.5 1/60s ISO160

ChHath Puja: Revering the Sun God Vishal Bhutani

India, like any other ancient civilizations,
shares a unique bond with its rivers.
Chhath the only vedic festival that has
survived through the centuries and can
be seen celebrated across the globe and
predominantly in the Northern belt of
India, essentially known as ‘Purvanchal’. As
someone alien to this tradition, I witnessed it
for the first time this year. The sight of people
walking barefoot carrying the huge basket
on their head before the break of the dawn
instantly connects you with their devotion,
their efforts to keep the tradition alive as a
migrant. The ‘ghat’ gains the identity and the
‘dying’ river ‘Yamuna’ becomes significant.
There’s celebration and yet a sense of
devotion amidst the ‘chaos’. The sight of the
rising sun, devotees standing in Yamuna
worshipping ‘Chhath Maiya’ evokes a sense
of ‘belonging’ even to an ‘observer’. Everyone
is elated to include you in their celebration,
no one is an ‘outsider’ here. The whole ritual
of ‘Arghya’ at the dawn progresses smoothly
while you’re engrossed in it. While you
want this memorable scene to continue as
you become one with the surrounding, the
devotees calmly embark on their journey
back home, a sense of forlorn overtakes the
entire venue as people conclude the rituals.
As I left the bank of Yamuna, I was sure that
these pictures and the rituals are going to
stay with me for a long time. ‘Chhath’ also
underscores continuation of a ‘civilization’
and how our greed and disregard for rivers
has marginalized their very existence.

Bliss Light of the Lord

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Ghats Helping Hands

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 Kalash Yatra
NIKON COOLPIX P900 107mm F/5 1/20s ISO100
 Dive into the Holy Waters Har-ki-Pauri
Nikon D700 50mm F/9 1/320s ISO140 Nikon D700 50mm F/9 1/320s ISO140

Kanwar Mela
Navin Kumar

Inspired by the works of Art Wolfe & Joel Sartore, Navin
Kumar is a freelance professional photographer and
a photo educator. He has worked as a Photography
Instructor at Raghu Rai Center For Photography and
is currently putting Humanitarian efforts around
the Indian subcontinent. He specializes in travel,
landscape, humanitarian and also does fashion and
commercial works. He is also working on long-term
projects, “ON EARTH” and “THE SACRED PLANET” in
Southern Asia and has been photographing the beauty
of the region.

M
y eardrums trembled with the
sounds of BUM BUM BHOLE at
10PM in an Uttarakhand State
Transport bus and my journey started as the
bus headed towards the Ghats of Haridwar.
In the bus, except me, the driver and the
conductor the whole mammalian flock were
robed in the variable shades of orange and
yellow. After grappling up with the bitter
smoke of cigarettes and chillum for around
7 Hours, I finally dropped off from the
bus at 4:30am at Haridwar’s bus depot and
reached my pre-booked room by 5:00am.
I immediately unloaded myself and went
out to the Har-Ki-Pauri Ghat for shooting
the Kanwariyas and Kanwar rituals in the
Kanwad Mela, which they perform before
heading back to their homelands.
After around 3 hours of shooting and many
interactions with the Kanwariyas, it was now
the time for some rest (as I hadn’t taken a
single nap, the last night) thus after a heavy
breakfast I ended up on the bed and woke up
in the evening and again went to the Har-Ki-
Pauri Ghat to attend the evening Aarti of the
holy river, “Ganga”. After the Aarti, I ended
my day with the dinner at my hotel’s room and
slept early to witness another day’s sunrise.
The 2nd day was somehow very same as that
of the previous one, but at that day I focused
Kanwaria
Nikon D700 50mm F/2.8 1/3200s ISO100
more upon the portraits of the Kanwariyas
and ended the day with other wanderings in
and around the city.
Finally it was the 3rd and the last day of my
trip to Haridwar and the day started on a
monotonous node because it seemed same
as that of my previous days but I decided to
kick start it by planning a visit to Rishikesh
after shooting the much admired wide angle
photographs of the Kanvad Mela early in the
morning. But, it was just 10 in the morning
and I was reviewing my photographs and
wasn’t at all satisfied with the results, because
they were missing something which Kanvad
Mela represents from its soul, i.e Motions,
Commotions, Colors, Vividness, Details,
Expressions, and everything which one can
think of.
So, I finally got an idea to shoot the Kanwadiyas
late in the evening but, I had to visit Rishikesh
as well, With a dwindling mind I decided to
stay in the Haridwar for some long exposure
photographs of the Kanwadiyas which I was
going to shoot with the backdrop of the most
celebrated sacred structures of the Har-Ki-
Pauri Ghat, so with this thought in the mind
I spent and passed my whole day, wandering
in the Bazaars of Haridwar and reached at
Ghat at 6PM for the shoot and after 2 hours of
shooting I was totally numb with the results
because they were up to my expectations,
that 3rd day ended on a string of happiness
on which I balanced myself for the whole
night and headed back to New Delhi on an

36 Vol 9
early morning train and came back home
with increased energy levels and sense of
happiness.
Kanwar Mela is an affair of ecstasy and
the vividness of the life and is highly
recommended for everyone to attend at least
once in a life time on the Ghats of the Ganges
River to feel the energy levels around you and
the level of devotion people do posses. Kānvar
Yatrā takes place during the sacred month of
Shravan (July -August) and is named after
the word kānvar, a single bamboo pole with
two roughly equal loads fastened or dangling
from opposite ends. The kānvar is carried
by balancing the middle of the pole on one
or both shoulders. Devotees carry covered
water-pots in kānvars slung across their
shoulders and this practice is widely followed
throughout India by over 10 million devotees
annually.
It is an annual pilgrimage of devotees of Shiva,
known as Kānvarias, to Hindu pilgrimage
places of Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri
in Uttarakhand to fetch holy waters of Ganga
River, which is later offered at their local
Shiva temples. While most pilgrims are men,
a few women also participate in Yatra. Most
travel the distance by foot, a few also travel
on bicycles, motor cycles and other vehicles.
Numerous Hindu organizations and other
voluntary organizations sets up camps along
the National Highways during the Yatra,
where food, shelter, medical-aid and stand to
hang the Kanvads, holding the Ganges water
is provided for free. Once the pilgrims reach
their hometown, the Ganges water is used to
bathe the Shivalingam on the New Moon day
in Shravan month or on the Maha Shivratri
day.
There are several types of Kānvarias,
depending upon the way they cover their
journey back to their homelands. The most
common of them are known as Kānvarias,
who travel barefoot back to their home.
Others are -
I. Dak Kānvarias - These are those devotees
who cover the whole pilgrimage on a vehicle
within a certain period of time, depending
upon the distance they cover. Usually it is 24
Hours.
II. Khada Bam Kānvarias – These are those
devotees who cover the whole pilgrimage
by foot and during the whole course of
pilgrimage they never sit.
III. Mauni Bam Kānvarias - These are those
devotees who cover the whole pilgrimage
by foot and during the whole course of
pilgrimage they don’t speak even a single
word.
IV. Mahavari Kānvarias – These are those
devotees who not just carry the Kanwars in
the month of Shravan, but they carry it every
month on a particular date and cover the
whole pilgrimage by foot.
V. Shayan Kānvarias - These are those
devotees who cover the whole pilgrimage
with their eyes closed, they usually travel with
a friend or a family member who guides him/
her on the whole way back to their home.
VI. Dandvat Kānvarias - These are those
devotees who cover the whole pilgrimage
distance by their body length by lying down
on the ground and marking it with a stick.
Kanwar Yatra is not just an annual pilgrimage
but it is directly related to the people and
civilizations in many ways and has supported
its growth, since the ancient times Kanwar
Mela brought the people from different parts of
the country in contact with each other, which
significantly supported the growth of the
diversity in the country and hence supported
the meshing up of various civilizations. Even
today, it is playing a significant role at a
psychological level of Kanwariyas by making
them realize their efficiency and their eternal
power of decision making and hence works
as an overall personality development course
which makes the Kanwariya realise his limits.
Peace in Commotion
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Old is Gold
One of the last cowboys of the dying Old
West chilling in Texas, 1910
ERWIN E. SMITH
Photo of a cowboy seated next to his horse on a hill, looking down at
other horses in Old West Bonham, Texas. June, 1910.
There was a time when a small group of cattle
grazers emerged as distinguished people,
the cowboys of the west. This happened way
before the First World War, around 1860’s-
the starting of a new era. People today are still
inspired by the dresses these people wore and
the way they lived life.
Miles and miles of barren and deserted land,
cattle grazing, men on horseback keeping an
eye on the cattle. Such beautiful moments
are only seen in movies or paintings these
days, but the lives of the cowboys were not as
easy as it looked. Driving thousands of cattle
hundreds of miles facing drought, stampede,
lightning, snakes and scorpions, sleeping
under the stars and the sun over their heads
most of the time.
Texas was the place where it all started, the
cowboy outfit with a cowboy hat, boots two
inches high, designed saddles and bandana
handkerchief tied around the neck which
also saved from the dust. Collarless shirts and
trousers made of wool which helped them
during the chilling nights. The trousers had a
lot of useful pockets to keep stuff like cigarette
paper and tobacco.
There have been a lot of paintings and
photographs which depicts the life of the
cowboys. One such American photographer
who captured them a lot was Erwin Evans
Smith. Born on August 22, 1886 in Texas, this
man always had a wish to become a cowboy
and used photography to document the life of
cowboys.
The American West, the cowboy life didn’t
live that long but inspires men and women
even today. Smith grew up in Bonham, a
town in North Texas where he saw the life
of cowboys. He was so influenced by them
that he had a dream of becoming one. In
his early days, Smith grew an interest in
painting, sculpting and photography. He had
developed a strong desire to sketch at an early
age and that is how he became passionate
about creating a masterpiece.
By the early 20th century, the era of cowboys
were slowly coming to an end and this gave
Erwin a thought to create his masterpieces.
He wanted to honor the cowboys and preserve
their legacy and he chose photography as his
medium to do so. He started to photograph
the wild cowboys and their lifestyle, the harsh
life they lived and the love and care they gave
to their family. The cowboys are the folk
heroes of the Wild West and they had to be
preserved. If we know who the cowboys were
and how they lived their life, it is because of
people like Erwin E. Smith who decided to
capture beautiful moments of the Wild West.
Smith acquired his first camera when he was
twelve in 1898 and as he grew old he was
capturing the Texas ranches. He decided to
turn his full attention towards photography by
the 1911 and Texas was the place he practiced
his art. He wanted to document each moment
of the cowboy era and he successfully did so.
The things he looked more closely were the
techniques of managing cattle, the unique
talents of the horseback men, working
women and the ranches. Smith had attended
two of the best art schools of the America
and that is how he had gained knowledge and
techniques of photography. In the early 20th
century, he was photographing places like
Texas, New Mexicoand Arizona.
Today, his legacy can be seen in the Library of
Congress with more than 700 vintage prints
and almost 2,000 negatives. Smith is counted
among the most important photographers of
the cowboy life in America. Mostly he worked
in Texas, where he was born and where he got
inspired by the cowboys and the Wild West.
The growth of technology is the reason that
the cowboys are to be seen nowhere today, but
Smith used the same technology to preserve
beautiful moments of the open ranches and
the cowboy lifestyle. If today, we see movies
which features cowboy and the Wild West
is the reason that artists like Erwin E. Smith
made a decision to capture and preserve their
legacy.
Ankit Tyagi
ankit@chiiz.com
Ankit has intense love towards
photography. He writes for a digital
marketing company and believes in
the power of words. The dream is to
explore and find different perceptions
in life. He likes watching classic movies
and follows Alfred Hitchcock.
 Showers of Blessings Govinda-Gopala
Canon EOS 550D 131mm F/5.6 1/320s ISO400 Canon EOS 550D 131mm F/5.6 1/320s ISO400

Dahi Handi Abhishek Nandkishor Satam is

currently working in Zoological Survey of
India Govt. Research institute as Junior
Research Fellow (JRF). While working in
natural ecosystem, he tries to capture it
in his camera. He is intensely passionate
about photography and has received
many international and national awards
for the same.

India is the land of festivals. Janmashtmi,
the festival that celebrates the birth of Lord
Krishna, is one of them. Lord Krishna was
born at midnight on the ‘eighth day’ or
the ‘Ashtami’ of the holy month, Shravana,
according to the Hindu Lunar calendar.
In childhood, Lord Krishna was quite
mischievous and would take curd from
people’s houses, so the housewives hung it
up high out of his way. Not to be deterred, he
gathered his friends together and climbed
up to reach it.
Throughout India, the mysterious act is
celebrated as “Dahi Handi”. One of the best
places to experience the festival is in the city
of Mumbai where celebrations take place at
hundreds of locations across the city. The
highlight of the festival, which takes place
on the second day especially in Mumbai, is
the Dahi Handi.
This is where clay pots containing butter,
curd, and money are strung up high from
buildings and young Govindas form a
human pyramid and compete with each
other to reach the pots and break them. This
celebration represents Lord Krishna’s love
for butter and curd, these were the foods,
that he most often enjoyed.
The terms govinda (also another name of
Krishna) or govinda pathak are used to refer
to the people who participate in forming this
human pyramid. They practise in groups,
weeks before the actual event. Pyramid
formation needs coordination and focus. The
Govinda Pathaks form a tower, the person at
the top of the tower must try to break the
jar of butter milk, which is positioned at the
top. Once spilt, the buttermilk from the pot
falls on all the participants as a blessing, that
symbolize success through the unity.

40 Vol 9
Saurabh Gangil
Agra, India Canon EOS 700D 90mm F/7.1 1/160s ISO200
Eid at the Taj Mahal
Saurabh Gangil hails from Shamsabad
Town, which is the near the City of the Taj,
Agra. With the adventure bug inside him, he
loves to explore new places in search of new
experiences and adventures. He has been
pursuing photography for just one year now
and it has already become an inseparable
part of his life.
Naman Srivastava
Lucknow, India
Saurabh Gangil
Happy Faces Gateway to the God’s
Agra, India Canon EOS 700D 55mm F/10 1/25s ISO100
Saurabh Gangil
Eid at the Taj Mahal is a grand religious affair as thousands of people come
here to offer their prayers on this holy occasion. People can be seen in their
best outfits exchanging greetings and gifts with their friends and relatives.
The festive vibe reaches its crescendo as people hug each other with “Eid
Mubarak” wishes.As this event happens only twice a year, the entry to Taj
Mahal is also free. The time of the namaz is approximately 8:00am to 9:00am
and it is advisable to come early in the morning to avoid large crowds and to
also witness the white wonder of the world in all its early morning glory.
Prayer at a Mausoleum
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 Ujjain’s Kumbh Abhishek Shivhare

Abhishek Shivhare is a Mobile Photographer. He

has started photography since he was in 11th
standard. He has won many competition in travel
and street photography. Whereas Brand like Oneplus
Follows him on social media. Many of professionals
Appreciate His Work. He Says Perception Of a
Photographer Is more Important Rather Than the
Device.

Kumbh Mela is a mass Hindu pilgrimage of faith in which Hindus

gather to bathe in the holy water. Kumbh Mahaparv is held at
four places in India – Haridwar, Prayag (Allahabad), Ujjain and
Nasik. At Ujjain, Kumbh Mahaparv is specifically called “Simhasth
Kumbh Mahaparv” because the Sun (in Sanskrit “Surya”) is in the Nandi-The Bull
zodiac Aries (“Mesh” in Sanskrit) and the Jupiter (“Brahaspati” in ASUS_Z00LD 4mm F/2 1/2066s ISO50

Sanskrit) is in the zodiac Leo (in Sanskrit “Simha”) when it takes

place.

The sight of devotees taking holy dips on the ghats of Kshipra

river, sadhus meditating and holding various spiritual camps for
the devotees and the Naga Sadhus walking around the ghats or
resting in their akhadas is a sight to behold. The walls of the city
are painted with themes that symbolize the relevance of Kumbh.

After taking a dip in the river, people proceed towards the

Mahakaleshwar Temple to pay their respects to Shiva, the
presiding deity of the temple. At the Mahakaleshwar Temple, one
can witness the Bhasma Aarti which is one of a kind. The speciality
of the Mahakaleshwar Temple is the Shiva Jyotirlinga which is the
only known idol that faces south.

The Company of Saints

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The Joy of Giving Washing Away the Sins

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 Nanda-Sunanda Devi
NIKON D5000 35mm F/5.6 1/50s ISO200

Nanda Devi Fair

People in the state of Uttarakhand celebrate the Nanda Devi Fair as a tribute to the Vineeta Yashswi is a travel enthusiast
goddesses Nanda and Sunanda. The term Nanda means prosperity and well being. Nanda and loves to travel with the aim of
reaching new places, people, and
Devi Fair is held with a great deal of pageantry and magnificence and it signifies the
cultures. Her love for trekking has
economic and cultural affluence of the region. taken her to Milam Glacier (3500 mt.)
The Nanda Devi Fair is usually held in late August or early September depending upon the and Nanda Devi East Base Camp
date of the lunar calendar. It is held in many places in Uttarakhand like Almora, Nainital, (4200 mt.), Roopkund Trek (4800
Nauti, Dandidhara, Munsiyari, Ranikhet, Bhowali and Kichha. mt.), Kuari Pass Trek (3,500mt.),
Chader Trek in Leh on Frozen Zanskar River, and
The fair was initiated by King Kalyan Chand of Chand Dynasty of Garhwal in the 16th
Kedartaal Trek (4056mt.). With a penchant for
century to showcase the economic and cultural prosperity of different regions. It also reading and writing travel write-ups, she also has
served as a competition to better each other every year. People take part in the procession a flair for photography and is of the opinion that
which carries the dola (litter) of Goddess Nanda Devi. it is a pure medium of expression.

Goddess’ Regalia The procession of faith

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 Mud Binding the Faith
NIKON D7000 35mm F/5.6 1/30s ISO100

Bless My Universe
NIKON D7000 18mm F/3.6 1/60s ISO500
Sanjhi Mukesh Kumar Gautam

Sanjhi is a festival for unmarried female in rural part of northern

Indian states especially Haryana, Rajasthan and MP. On the first
day of Ashwin (September – October) Shukla Pratipada, village
maidens adorn walls with clay moulded star, moon, and sun
studded images of Goddess Sanjhi (representing Uma, Katayani or
Parvati).

The collage is put on the mud wall by using cow dung. For next
nine evenings (Navratra’s), the girls get together near the image
with lighted earthen lamps and sing songs to please asking and
promising her – what she would like to eat or wear.

It is usually an all females event. On Vijayadashmi, the image except

face is removed and discarded. The face is put on in a perforated
earthen pot along with earthen lamp and floated in the village pond.
Throngs of girls bid good bye to Mother Goddess in the mystical
light of the moon.

Mukesh Kumar Gautam Aka MKG is a

Enlightening the Dark
NIKON D7000 22mm F/10 1/60s ISO100
traveller, photographer and writer. MKG
under his banner “MKGpictures” is on a
mission to bring the world closer to you
through his photos and travel stories.
MKG has travelled extensively in India and
abroad. His unique frames has featured
in various photography exhibitions held
in different parts of the world and won 47 awards and
recognitions so far. Being a deep thinker of the life, his spell
bound travel stories and speaking frames has been published
by various prestigious newspapers and magazines.
MKG can be reached at mkgpictures@gmail.com
 Faith and the Future The Devoted Rhapsody
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The Untold Story

Canon EOS 70D 18mm F/3.5 1/40s ISO400

UTSAV
Pinak Pani Dutta

This is an annual festival, popularly known as Utsav, celebrated during the month of Pinak Pani Datta, 21, is an Agriculture student
January/February on the birthday (Janam Tithi) of Sri Ram Thakur. The Utsav is a three day from Agartala. In the process of following his
long festival in which different groups of Vaishnavas mainly from Tripura and West Bengal passion, he discovered his true interest in exploring
different aspects of human lifestyle, their culture,
perform Kirtan in form of singing and dancing. A small fair is also organised here based traditions and he felt in love with documentary
on this festival which attracts a huge gathering from adjoining villages. It is held in a village photography. He says, ‘To me photography is like
named Maheshkhala, 20 min from Agartala. This festival depicts cultural, traditional, and meditation, there I find peace and can cherish my
religious aspects of rural people living there. being lost in various environments.’

Vol 9 45
 Emblem of Joy
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W
angala (also known as Hundred Drums, Wanna, Wanna Rongchuwa) is a harvest festival celebrated by the Garo tribe, who live in
Meghalaya and Assam in India and Greater Mymenshing in Bangladesh. They thank the God and Goddess, called Misi Saljong, also
known as Pattigipa Ra’rongipa (Sun-God), for blessing the people with a rich harvest. Wangala is celebrated in the months from
September to December. This year, it was celebrated from 8th -11th November. Cultural troupe from Kabri Along District of neighboring Assam
state participated in this year’s celebration.

John Thounaojam is a national level

shooter and a freelance photographer
who found his love in landscape and travel
photography. Knowing that not everyone is
blessed to witness the scenic sights that
he does, he likes to share his work with the
world. John is a man of scientific temper as
he likes to apply the principles of Physics in
capturing his beautiful shots. He travels as
often as possible, making visual memories of
moments in time.

Cheerful Concatenation
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Tribal Tune
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 Dev Dipawali
E
very year on the night of Kartik Purnima( the 15th Ganga along with its presiding goddess. On the final
lunar day of the month of Kartik, ie, November- day of the festival, i.e, on dev Dipawali, thousands of
December), the gods are believed to descend from devotees come to take a dip in the holy Ganga and when
the Heavens to the city of Kashi (present-day Varanasi) the dusk sets in, all of the 87 ghats spread across a 7km
to take a dip in the holy river of Ganga and celebrate the radius are festooned with flowers and thousands of
festival of lights. This festival is celebrated to mark the diyas to pay tribute to their ‘Maa Ganga’.
victory of Lord Shiva over the demon Tripurasur. The
city celebrates this festival fifteen days after the festival
The ghats of Varanasi adorned with countless diyas
of Diwali in the form of Ganga Mahotsav. whose light is reflected by the river is a sight to behold.
With the many musical programmes, the ganga
This five-day Ganga Mahotsav starts on Prabodhini aarti, the boat rides and picture perfect views, it is no
Ekadashi (11th lunar day of Kartik) and ends on the wonder that Dev Dipawali attracts as many tourists and
Kartik Purnima. This festival also celebrates the river photographers as it does the devotees and pilgrims.

Shreenivas Yenni
Lighting Lamps for the God
Gangavathi, India NIKON D750 30mm F/2.8 1/50s ISO800

Shreenivas Yenni Sacred Fire

Shreenivas Yenni Fusion of Colors and Lights
Gangavathi, India NIKON D7200 35mm F/1.4 1/320s ISO800 Gangavathi, India NIKON D750 15mm F/2.8 1/30s ISO800
Shreenivas Yenni
Big Picture
Gangavathi, India NIKON D750 15mm F/2.8 1/40s ISO360

Keyasen Gupta
Delighted Smile
Kolkata, India Canon EOS 6D 44mm F/2.8 1/60s ISO800
Mithu Chakraborty Credential Flame
Singapore FUJIFILM X-T2 18mm F/3.2 1/160s ISO10000

Kuntal Paul
Celebrating Nature
Bhubaneswar, India Canon EOS 5D Mark II 34mm F/2.8 1/40s ISO1250
 Enthralling Dash
Nikon D5200 300mm F/10 1/200s ISO100

Hiyang Tannaba
Irengbam Momocha

Irengbam Momocha is a freelance photographer from Manipur who, since

his childhood, has a deep enthusiasm and passion for photography. His main
objective is to discover the hidden beauty of life and what nature has to offer
us and unveil the genuine fascination that most people fail to notice.

H
iyang Tannaba is a traditional boat
race of Manipur dating back to
few centuries and was originally
celebrated during the Manipuri lunar month
of Hiyanggei Tha or October-November. The
race begins with a ritualistic ceremony to
Lord Sanamahi or the ruling deity of every
Manipuri household, praying for safety and
protection .
Manipuri ancient folklore dates back the
beginning of this race to Manipuri King
Luwang Ningthou Punshiba who is said to
have crafted the first boat in this ancient land.
He had two craftsmen namely Wangmanao
Sinmeiba and Nungban Wangmitkhu
Khuteiba. Over the time the “hi” or the canoe
slowly developed into that of the “hiyang”
or the long boat sometimes almost 70 feet
in length. It was believed that in the later
period during the reign of King Hiyangloi
Ningthou, it became a sport and a source of
entertainment when after a successful hunt
he called for a boat race to celebrate his
hunting expedition.This was the beginning
of a tradition that began hundreds of years
ago and is still being practiced in Manipur till
today.
The “hiyang” consists of two portions, the
“hiru” which is the bow and “hinao” the stern.
In the original hiyangs the antlers of the Sangai
deer “cervis eldi eldi” was affixed on the bow.
Legend has it that the elder brother of King
Punshiba namely Pudangkoi Khutkoiba met
a tragic end, and was believed to have been
re-incarnated as a Sangai and it was in a bid to
honour him that the king ordered to affix the
deer`s antlers thus symbolizing his deceased
brother. And on the hinao or the stern was
attached a human head depicting a Khuman
warrior known as Kwakpa Leitongba or
Khuman Kwakpa who was earlier slain in
battle by a Meitei Warrior.
With the coming in of Hinduism to Manipur
in the 18th century, the Hiyang Tannaba or
the traditional boat race fell into oblivion and
for over a century from 1709 till 1825 the race
was discontinued. The game finally resumed
in 1850 during the reign of Maharajah
Chandrakriti wherein the Hindu influence
was brought forth and fused in the sport.The
Sangai antlers got to be replaced with the
form of Lord Vishnu ascending the boat thus
marking a major cultural shift. Over time the
sport also saw a marked shift in its acceptance
by the public for whiter to only scions of
the royal families rode on the bow and now
we have film stars doing the same and also
while earlier it was a sport confined only to
the Manipuri Meities, majority of whom are
Hindus, now we have spectators witnessing
across the cultural, racial and religious divide.

50 Vol 9
Rural Olympics - Kila Raipur
The Kila Raipur Sports Festival, also known as India’s Rural Olympics. It is a rural Indian version of the ancient Olympics where the farming
chores take a backseat and thousands of sportsmen gather at the Kila Raipur Village near Ludhiana (Punjab), to showcase their strength, valor,
endurance and will to engage in some of the quirkiest yet fascinating sports activities.

This eight-decade-old rural sports extravaganza is usually

held in the month of February and is a three-day event which
consists of traditional games and contests including bullock
cart races (now replaces with horse-races), kabaddi, high jump,
long jump, shot put, mule-cart race, tug-of-war, camel race,
horse dancing, tractor race, dog races, etc. It is also ground for
some wacky activities like lifting bricks and bicycles with teeth,
dragging cars or tractors using teeth, ears or moustaches, riding
a bicycle with burning wheels and other bizarre stunts.

This crazy and quirky festival doesn’t end at captivating sports

activities. Various cultural programmes also held that are
replete with exotic and folk dances. The ‘Nihangs’ practice and
perform indigenous martial art stunts that are taught to them in
Akharas. At every corner, one can witness someone or the other
playing with fire or performing stunts on moving vehicles. All
in all, the Kila Raipur Sports Festival is a must-visit festival for
all those who want to witness the essence of rural Punjab with Mukesh Kumar
all its quirks. New Delhi, India
Skyscraping Valor
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Mukesh Kumar Pace and Precision

New Delhi, India NIKON D800 24mm F/2.8 1/2000s ISO100

In Talks with
F
aruk Akbaş is a well known
photographer in Turkey. He is famous
for taking amazing photographs &
filming great documentary programmes. His
photographs and written observations feature
in many of the most prominent magazines,
Kamil Koç touring magazine, National
Geographic, Skylife, Anadolu jet and Gazella
tourism which provides great photographic
records of trips to other countries, like a
visual tour guide to name a few.
Faruk Akbaş was chosen and sponsored by
FujiFilm’s and ISUZU Turkish division to
take photographs in Asia and Africa. During
these tours, Akbaş also filmed documentaries
outlining his travels, which were broadcasted
on prominent television channels, TRT &
İz T.V. The nature photographs, cultural
lifestyles and the importance of the antique
heritage sites have been captured wonderfully
by Akbaş. He photographed and filmed for
Nokia cell phones in Turkey and in Nepal.
The Turkish cultural minister, tourism
54 Vol 9
Faruk Akbas
minister and various other societies have
used these photographs in many prestigious
books. Akbaş has been selected as a judge
for numerous photography & documentary
competitions, both national and international,
has shot publicity films and taken photographs
for tourism companies and international
industries. He established The Fotograph
House (Fotoğrafevi) in İstanbul and Art
Camp (Sanat Kampı) in Fethiye. Vishakha Jha
from CHIIZ gets in conversation with Faruk
Akbas, Here is an excerpt.
Your work depicts your Versatility from
nature to culture and human life; you have
covered everything in the most innovative
and amazing way possible. But what is your
favourite genre and what attracts you the
most?
What I yearn for is enjoying every single piece
of land in the world, with a pursuit of lights
and colors, by dwelling on the spontaneity
of the moment itself with curiosity. Esthetics
Unaccounted Wealth
combined with hard work. The best part
of photography for me is being both both
entertaining and didactic either while
shooting or while observing.
According to you what are the most
important quality of a Photographer which
turns him into a storyteller?
Composition means creating a plain
expression in its essence. If you want to
shoot an impressive photo, first you need to
eliminate the unnecessary items which are
not supporting your main subject, theme
or image. On the other hand, some of the
components in the back scene of your theme
can support your image but still it can distract
the interest in your main image. So the best
way is to concentrate on your main image and
try to simplify the composition. This way a
photographer turns into a nice storyteller, he
is already writing the story by shooting frames
and working on each frame by eliminating
unnecessary items.
 Transcendent
FUJIFILM X-T2 12mm F/5.6 1/4s ISO1600

The Charisma of your work has led you to a great deal of success
and regarded you with a lot of appreciation. Which has been
your favourite Project?
My favourite project was to travel from west to east all Asia. It was
a journey to history, culture, nature and people in Asia. Wherever
you go, you experience great scenes that the nature spreads in front
of you. I loved risking the safety zones in my life and simply setting
off the road for pursuing the colors in Asia.

What does your latest work deal with?

My last work is testing the new camera which Fuji film will launch
soon. For the time being, actually right at this moment I am
travelling in Turkey, Karapinar close to Konya – Mevlana’s city –
across Hasan Mountain. Karapinar is also famous wrestling sport
centre which is a favorite ancestor’s sport in Turkey.

Enormous hard work over the years must be the reason behind
your accomplishment of each milestone of success. What advice
would you like to share with the aspiring Photographers?
Doing the search, practice, being prepared, photographing the
people, using the weather conditions and light, watching for details,
concentration, keeping the range wide, diversity, placing the image
at the golden ratio, right composition. In short being cool and just
focusing on the real business which is light and composition.

Vishakha Jha
vishakha@chiiz.com

Vishakha, 3/4 engineer, a dedicated learner and believer in magic

of words and power of pronoia. She is bibliophilic and an explorer
to a new Utopian world. Her main indulgence includes reading and
travelling. She is zealous and believes in being her own version. Refined Tapestry
FUJIFILM FinePix S5Pro 90mm F/4.5 1/70s ISO100
 Creating Future
FUJIFILM X-T2 47mm F/5.6 1/600s ISO200

Concentric Efforts
FUJIFILM X-T2 18mm F/4.5 1/30s ISO400
Movie Review
Harrisons’s Flowers (2000)
Duration: 2hr 1min
IMDB Rating: 7.2/10
Released: 2000
Directed by: Elie Chouraqui
Written by: Elie Chouraqui and Didier Le Pecheur (screenplay)
Adaptation : Les Fleurs d’Harrison by Isabel Ellsen
Cast: Andie MacDowell (Sarah), David Straitheim (Harrison Lloyd),
Elias Koteas (Yeager), Adrian Brody (Kylie Morris), Brendan Gleeson
( Stevenson) & Alun Armstrong (Samuel Brubeck)

Harrison’s Flowers, first released theatrically by Universal

Pictures and then released as a film by Lionsgate, showcases how
a photojournalist goes beyond comfort to intervene in all the
happenings in Yugoslavia in 1991.The movie being an adaptation
of the book Les Fleurs d’Harrison by a war photographer Isabel
Ellsen portrays the strife behind each and every photograph we see
today. The movie revolves around a journalist going missing and
his wife keeping the hope alive when everybody else have given up.
Harrison Lloyd is a very busy photographer as shown in the beginning
where his wife, Sarah is happy having him by her side. He has two
little kids and a little awkward relation with his elder son. Sarah is a
journalist in the same company that Harrison works, Newsweek.
Harrison starts this venture as his retirement expedition and
assuring the same with his boss. While on a daily schedule, Sarah
finds an awkward silence in her office where she gets to know that
Harrison is dead in a collapse. She stumbles and refuses to believe it
as a reaction to the shock. She doesn’t listen to anyone as her heart
isn’t at the stage to face the so-called truth. Her passion towards her
spouse makeks her strive through that phase but she never loses hope.
Her dedication grabbed her guts high and she travells to Vancouver.
driven throughout the movie gave an increment to movie. As the movie
moved on, the development of Sarah’s character also got an increment.
Bosnian conflict as a history was an armed conflict. As shown in the
movie, it was a ruthless move by the opposing combatants regardless
of what kind of torture they try to choose. There are scenes where
this statement gets satisfied that when some foreign war occurs
they don’t care for what they are firing on, may it be humanism or
country. Photographers go through all this in the movie where they
come across so many massacres and merciless attacks. Though it was a
clash between religions, cultures and countries, all those who suffered
were petty citizens. There are so many real life photographers like Ron
Haviv and his collection Blood and Honey which portrays the same
depiction.

Talking about war scenes, those are, frankly speaking, dreadful.
The whole movie plays a great role in proving that a life of a
photographer is really hard. They seriously don’t know what kind
of scenario they are going to face and what the time will make
them go through. Risking their lives and bringing us those clicks is
really hard. Sara, on her way to finding her husband jumps into a
group of Harrison’s photographer friends, Morris, Stevenson and
Yeager. Sarah on her quest realises what life has brought to the city.
White flags and large letters claiming “TV” protects
them allegedly. Does the symbols make the reporters and
photographers invisible ? Once, when sarah wore fatigues she was
considered as a civilian and now camouflage made her a target.
As a fictional movie, it does a little justice to the very accessibility of
civilians . During wars in certain regions, all the ways to reach the region
to reach to the war place is mostly blocked and only rehabilitation
mobility is open. Another unrealistic aspect of the movie is that the
civilians were allowed to move freely even after getting discovered by
the combatants. But the hardship that every war photographer goes
through physically and mentally is altogether well portrayed and also
this part of going beyond comfort zone of family life is appreciable. All
the actors in their role put a lot of effort and potential to put up such
an accountable aspect of photographers and war. Audiences who enjoy
genres like documentary and war will like this movie to a part.

Throughout the movie, while Sarah is on her quest there are so many
scenes where the audience feels that this will the moment when she finds
Harrison, but I leave that to you to find out by yourself. She remembers
Shimran Epari
that her son is looking after his father’s flowers. All this while this one shimran@chiiz.com

thought of holding on to those flowers means that there is a light of Shimran is a exceptional thinker and a extremely expressive person. She is a
passionate towards literature and enjoys writing as a medium of expressing
hope which is a very beautiful metaphor. Sarah’s character which is thoughts. Shimran is also a great orator with excellent grip over language
and is skillful while handling an audience.

58 Vol 9

Remembering the Fallen: The Bosnian
Conflict.
A tribute to the, on record, 48 photographers
who died during the Bosnian Conflict in 1990’s
By Ziyah Gafic
I grew up under siege. I was raised by war. Sniper fire, relentless
shelling, a scarce supply of water and electricity, and occasionally
hunger marked my teenage years. That was life in Sarajevo during the
longest siege in modern warfare.

In the rare moments when we had
electricity, I watched media reports which tell the story of my city, I
knew so little of man and women who decided to cover war in Bosnia.
Their names meant little to me, their imagery meant we weren’t
forgotten even though international community did too little too
late to stop the bloodshed. Bosnian war was one of the deadliest wars
when it comes to killed journalists. Officially 48 journalists have been
killed by snipers, mortars and in close combat. Years later I became a
photojournalist and I became friends with many of those who covered
war in Bosnia. Many of them are seasoned journalists who covered
dozens of conflict across the globe but somehow it seems Bosnia
captured their hearts. Perhaps the proximity of war in Bosnia played
the part. Not necessarily the physical vicinity of this small patch of
land in South - Eastern Europe, but probably the similarities Bosnia
shares with their own homelands. It must have been easy to identify
with Bosnians during those years, people wearing similar clothes and
listening the same music as any average Frenchman or Englishman.
It must have been easy for them to imagine streets of Vienna, Paris
or London caught in devastating urban warfare when they strolled
the Sniper Alley in downtown Sarajevo or Bulevar in Mostar. I never
believed sacrificing your life should be part of the job, we sacrifice
enough sanity when covering conflicts, sacrificing life was never really
an option but often it is reality of conflict reporting.
About Ziyah Gafic
Ziyah Gafic was born in 1980 in Sarajevo, Bosnia, where he began
his professional photography career in 2001 after gaining a degree
in world literature from Sarajevo University. He focuses on society’s
conflict and transition, and the aftermath of war. Since 1999, he has
completed projects in his native Bosnia as well as Palestine, Israel,
Kurdistan, Iraq, Ossetia, Rwanda, Chechnya and Afghanistan. Gafic
won the Ian Parry Scholarship in 2001 and attended World Press
Photo’s Joop Swart Masterclass. In 2002, he won Kodak’s Award for
Young Reporters and several World Press Photo honors. Photo District
News named Gafic an Emerging Artist in 2003. That same year he won
Grand Prix Discovery of the Year at Rencontres du Photographie Arles.
In 2005, Gafic’s work in Chechnya received the Giacomelli Memorial
Fund award and, the following year, he was nominated for UNICEF’s
Photographer of the Year.
 My Turn
Canon EOS 600D 24mm F/7.1 1/60s ISO400
Shiva Gajan
Arpan Basu Chowdhury
‘Shiva Gajan’ is a unique Hindu folk festival mainly observed in
different parts of West Bengal, India. It is believed that on this day
Lord Shiva tied the knot with Goddess Harakali. Hindus celebrate
this festival on the last week of the Bengali month ‘Chaitra’
(tentatively 2nd week of April), just before the Bengali New Year
(usually falls on 15th April). The root of this festival is tied with
the agricultural community who pray for rain and quality crops.
Dancing with human skulls, body paintings, fire plays are some
Arpan Basu Chowdhury
With a flair for photography, Arpan Basu Chowdhury is an
Economics graduate from Calcutta University. He got his first
camera from a friend who saw his talent and also taught him
how beautiful a companion a camera can be. Although he has
not received a formal degree in photography but he believes
Switching the Subject
Canon EOS 600D 24mm F/2.8 1/640s ISO200
Spectra of Expressions
Canon EOS 600D 24mm F/5 1/160s ISO200
rituals observed at this time.
I had heard about a remote village named ‘Sonapalashi’ in Burdwan
District of West Bengal where all these rituals can be experienced. I
travelled there with 2 of my friends on 11th April, 2017. The village
was ready for the final show. Colours were being applied to the
hermits’ bodies. It was the same scene in every village houses. The
people were so friendly and they helped me a lot to complete my
photo story.
that if you have a love for photography, nothing can stop you.
He dreams of becoming one of the best photojournalists in
the world. He wants to explore the different cultures, witness
the struggles of the people to have ends meet and also wants
to support them. He wants to tell untold stories, to fight for a
better world with his camera being his one and only arsenal.
Antecedents of Art
Canon EOS 600D 24mm F/7.1 1/125s ISO200
 The Chandrahas Art Attack
Canon EOS 600D 55mm F/9 1/320s ISO400 Canon EOS 600D 24mm F/7.1 1/60s ISO400

Colourful Smile
Canon EOS 600D 24mm F/2.8 1/4000s ISO400

Paint me like Canvas Stag Crafting

Canon EOS 600D 24mm F/2.8 1/1250s ISO200 Canon EOS 600D 24mm F/2.8 1/1250s ISO400
 Forgetting the Self
Canon EOS 600D 24mm F/7.1 1/40s ISO400

Action Parade
Canon EOS 600D 24mm F/4.5 1/50s ISO800
Umesh Gogna
Jaipur, India
 Pushkar
Photographers’ Battle Field
Caravan
SONY ILCE-7RM2 400mm F/8 1/500s ISO100
 Umesh Gogna chanced
upon photography while working
on his PhD thesis on ancient
jewellery. He hasn’t stopped ever
since and is now a professional
photographer who educates
amateurs and has conducted
more than 150 workshops on
portraiture, jewellery, fashion
and digital photography. He has also spent a lot of
time documenting the cultural architecture and natural
heritage of Rajasthan and the Himalayas and his work
has been published in several books on these subjects.
P
hotography has transcended mere
clicking of pictures or making
memories. For some people it’s a calling
while for others it’s a passion. We talk to
Umesh Gogna, the brand ambassador of Sony
Alpha, who while working on the pictures for
his Ph.D. thesis on ancient Indian jewellery,
in 1994 found his true calling in Photography.
Gogna is a hardcore traveler and a nature lover.
He conducts on-location advanced digital
post-processing and workflow workshops
for enthusiastic young photographers.
In this interview, Gogna, who specializes
in landscape and travel photography,
shares his 2-decade long photography
experience, the major challenges that every
photographer faces. He tells about a unique
place where a photographer can implement
all the knowledge they have and talks
about the future of photography. Excerpts:
On the major challenges that
you faced during the late 90s.
When I started photography, one of the major
challenges was the lack of quality training
available. As there was hardly any professional
training provided anywhere in India and
nobody was there to guide us. Thus, we had to
struggle a lot and learn everything on our own.
Another major problem was that we had to do
an experiment several times as that wasn’t a
digital era. We had to wait for the lab results for
our experiments. Until we found the perfect
photograph, we had to repeat our experiments.
Umesh Gogna Veils in Fest
Jaipur, India SONY ILCE-9 159mm F/6.3 1/160s ISO400
That phase helped me clear the basics of
photography and put me on the path of
learning from scratch. Because of that
struggle, I am now able to give proper training
to the amateur photographers.
On the how the current training
scenario has made photography
easy to learn yet difficult to sustain.
Although today the training is readily available
for the younger generation through social
media tutorials and through professional
training centers, the struggle, however, is
not. Because of which the youngsters get
bored and change their professional field very
quickly.
On what the youngsters need to keep in mind
to make it big in the field of photography?
I always advise the enthusiastic
youngsters to always stay hungry for
learning and implement whatever they
are learning as quickly as possible.
I tell my students to keep changing the objects
so that they don’t get bored with the same
kind of photographs. Also, to experiment
as much as they can with different lights,
flashes, etc. to become a better photographer.
On why technology won’t let anybody settle?
I believe technology has a very short life. It’s
changing every day and that’s why one has to
always be on their toes to change accordingly.
One has to keep adapting to the new
technology as quickly as possible and if you
can’t upgrade, one can’t make it big in this
field.
For the future of photography what are
the major challenges for photographers?
Mobile and mirrorless photography will be
the undoubtedly the future of photography.
Mobile photography is the biggest challenge
for the professional photographers as today’s
mobile cameras have become so smart that
Umesh Gogna
Jaipur, India
without even putting in a lot effort, one can
click stunning pictures from their mobiles.
On the ‘best picture’ that you have clicked.
I am never ever satisfied with pictures that
I take so, I am still searching for my best
photograph. I always want to push for more
and do better. Hence, the search is still on.
On the photographers that
inspire you to do better.
Every photographer is an inspiration for
me. I follow every kind of photographer
from across the globe and learn from their
pictures and their art. I want to be a versatile
photographer who is always ready to learn.
On why Pushkar is beyond camels.
I call Pushkar ‘a battlefield for photographers’.
It’s such a unique place in the entire India
where every photographer, be it professional
or amateur can implement almost all of their
knowledge to capture the scenic beauty that
the place has on the offer. The morning and
the evening shots are entirely different. One
can experiment with any kind of photography
and learn about the low light photography,
extreme low light photography, wide-angle
photography, telephoto lens photography, etc.
Most of the photographers go there for
camels, however, the Pushkar is a lot more
than just camels. During the month of Kartik
Mela, thousands of people can be seen,
coming from all around the country and
in their traditional attire for the holy bath.
Pushkar also has a religious connection to the
land and one can experience the village life
like never before
Rahul Batra RB
rahul@chiiz.com
Rahul is a culture based writer who left
his engineering job to pursue a career in
writing. He wishes to write a psychological
bestseller one day.
In my Master’s Hand
SONY ILCE-7RM2 76mm F/8 1/80s ISO320
Mukesh Kumar The Third Eye
Nikon D800 29mm F/2.8 1/500s ISO100
New Delhi, India
Emrah Uygun Horse Beard
NIKON D810 50mm F/1.8 1/80s ISO80
Istanbul, Turkey
Shweta Agarwal
Dance of a Mother
Mumbai, India Canon EOS 6D 191mm F/2.8 1/1000s ISO100

Emrah Uygun Ultimate Supper

Istanbul, Turkey NIKON D810 50mm F/1.6 1/20s ISO1250
Susana Gómez
Flowing with the Wind
Barcelona, Spain NIKON D750 42mm F/3.3 1/2500s ISO100

Susana Gómez One Centrifuging Turn

Barcelona, Spain NIKON D750 24mm F/4 1/1000s ISO1250
 7Edition-Mumbai
th

15 - 18 Feb, 2018
Nehru Centre
Dr A B Road, Worli
Mumbai, India

Art Gallery 10 | Mumbai Hunar Showcasing Art | New Delhi ArtDesh Gallery | Mumbai
Art India International | Mumbai I Quest Gallery | Mumbai Artequest Art Gallery (AAG) | Mumbai
Artezvous | Mumbai The Lexicon Art Gallery | New Delhi Canarys Fine Art Gallery | Indore
Arts Breeze Art Gallery (AAG5) | Hyderabad Mriya Arts | Mumbai eArt Gallery | Mumbai
Artzolo.com | Mumbai Painted Rhythm Art Gallery | Mumbai Eminent Art Gallery |New Delhi
Gallerie Ruki | New Delhi
Baroda Heritage Art Gallery | Baroda Peaks Art | Singapore
Gallery Sara Arakkal | Bengaluru
Charvi Art Gallery | Bangaluru Rhythm Art | Mumbai
Indian Art Place | Delhi
Dolna the Movement | Mumbai Studio3 Art Gallery | Mumbai
Innovative Spaces | Mumbai
Gallerie Splash | Gurgaon Studio Anita Dinesh | Noida
Myanmar Ink Art | Dubai
Gallerie Art Eterne | New Delhi Uchaan | Gurgaon Sheruta | Indore
Gallery Endless Thoughts | Delhi-NCR West 10 Art Gallery | Mumbai Studio7Seven | New Delhi
Gnani Arts | Singapore Emami Art | Kolkata Tao Art Gallery | Mumbai
Gallery Pioneer | New Delhi Agantuk Art Tune | Kolkata WBC Gallery | Mumbai

Visit: www.eindiaartfestival.com

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Art Publication Partners

India Art Festival 14, Ruby House, 3rd Floor, L. J. Road, Opp. Shitaladevi Temple, Mahim, Mumbai 400 016, India
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TIPS AND TRICKS
A Perfect Guide to
Cover Festivals
By Anoop Negi

Anoop Negi has worked in the photography and

design arena for many years. He regularly shoots
for travel and food publications of repute and
specializes in event and fashion photography. In the
incubus of photography he has some world class
images synonymous with colorful India. His work
also adorns various corporate board rooms and
personal collections. He has been shortlisted for the
Photographer of the Year and the Best Photographer
in the Sports category for his iconic Kerala Bull Race
at the Sony World Photography Awards.

F
estivals in India are alive and teeming.
Every corner of the sub-continent has
something going on with very active
participation of the people. Most festivals
have long histories and are linked to the
change of season or plain celebrations of life
and religious or epic fables. India is changing
very rapidly and some of these exotic and
wonderful festivals are slowly withering away.
Time to capture these before it is too late or
they get too commercialized.
Which festivals to cover?
You can have a pick of what kind of festivals
and where you should be headed. Most well-
known festivals like Kumbh, Holi, Ganesha
Immersion and Dahi Handi are religious in
their origin and vast crowds gather during
the time to be a part of it. Kumbh with its
strong presence of sadhus has always been a
magnet for photographers worldwide Sadhus,
snake charmers and elephants are the clichéd
subjects forever. Kumbh at Allahabad is not to
be missed and it happens once in 8 years. Holi
with an overdose of colors is again a popular
festival with immense participation especially
in North India. The off beat version called
Lath Mar Holi practiced in Nandgaon and
Barsana near Mathura is becoming a popular
festival to witness. Women beat the men with
long sticks in an enactment from the stories
of Radha and Lord Krishna on the village
streets and houses drenched profusely with
the colors of Holi.
Then there are festivals where physical
prowess is on call. The bull races in Kerala
and Karnataka require supreme athleticism
and raw courage to manage the racing
beasts. Similar is the Jalikattu festival in
Tamil Nadu where ceremonies of coming of
age are ritualized in bringing down the local
bulls. The rural Olympics in Kila Raipur in
Punjab also has a bull racing event but now
it is getting difficult to witness these events as
the matter is caught up in legal disputes about
cruelty to animals etc.
Around Dusshera time Eastern India
witnesses Durga Puja when huge pandals
come up on various engaging themes and the
people celebrate the event with great gusto.
One must keep a track of rather quaint festival
in Tamil Nadu called Kulasai where female
deities are worshipped with many actors
dressed as arcane Goddesses breathing fire
and fury. In Mangalore area around the same
time in Karnataka a dusk to dawn performing
art festival called Yakshaganais practiced with
grand costumes to enact scenes out of Hindu
epics.
Onamin Kerala is the time when festivals like
Pulikali in Thrissur and the Attachamyam in
Cochin and the boat race in Allapuzzah take
place. These are not to be missed. Theyyam
during the winter months is another
community driven festival in Kerala where
villagers gather to watch the transformation
of a dancer into a God. It is one of the most

72 Vol 9

colorful spectacles that a photographer must
see to make their photographic journey
complete. Another great festival is the Pooram
in Thrissur and Bharani in Kodgunallur, near
Cochin from where one of the photos of
women in trance is featured here.
There are other festivals like Pushkar, an
animal fair and the Hornbill Festival in
Nagaland amongst many that are worth
travelling for. The local carnivals in Goa and
Fort Kochi are great events too. The list is
endless.
What gear to use?
Understanding what camera and lens to use
is of paramount importance for obtaining
great images from the festivals. It would be
a big plus to have a set of two cameras with
two different lenses. One wide angle from
10mm to 24mm and another from say 50mm
or 70mm to 300mm. If that is a constraint,
stick to a wide angle lens. Most festivals
are crowded with viewers and participants
milling around. Large lenses can be heavy
and cumbersome also annoying us under
such circumstances. Wideangle lenses work
in tight places but for close range. They are
well suited. While shooting say bull races and
rural games etc. it would be more appropriate
to have a telescopic lens.
How to behave?
Try to make yourself non obtrusive if you
possibly can. Wear clothes appropriate to the
area, customs and beliefs of the people. Avoid
flashy, expensive clothes and jewelry. Wear a
smile or sport a serious demeanor and avoid
strong eye contact which would be trouble
makers who are out there to have some fun
at other’s expense. If shooting in rainor wet
or dust ridden conditions take care of your
equipment with suitable covers and guards.
What to shoot?
Most fairs being agrarian in nature do tend
Bull Racing in Kerala
NIKON D70 190mm F/4.8 1/750s ISO400
to have the participants dressed in traditional
Indian attire and that is what one needs to
focus on as it will soon be a thing of the past.
Colors and crowds are hallmarks of Kumbh,
carnivals, Pushkar, Theyyam, DahiHandi,
Ganesha Immersion so focus on people and
their movements. Portraits would be ideal at
close range.
For dance oriented and sporty festivals a fast
shutter speed is essential to capture the action,
so pump up the ISO to atleast get shots from
1/250 to 1/1000 if you can. Always be on the
lookout for grand flourishes and gestures of
the performers and position yourself to have
a clear line of sight
Other than shooting the festival take time out
to enjoy the local food, drinks and meet the
local people to get an experience of the place
that will last you for a life time.
Vol 9 73
 Theyyam Kerala
NIKON D70 185mm F/5.6 1/350s ISO640
 Attachamayam Kerala
NIKON D70 70mm F/4.5 1/1000s ISO200
 Pulikali Kerala Pulikali Kerala
NIKON D70 70mm F/4.5 1/60s ISO400 NIKON D70 38mm F/4.2 1/1000s ISO200

Yakshagana Karnataka Pushkar Rajasthan

NIKON D300 50mm F/1.8 1/60s ISO360 NIKON D70 185mm F/5.6 1/1000s ISO200

Bharani Kerala
NIKON D70 18mm F/8 1/250s ISO200
 Attachamayam Kerala
NIKON D70 70mm F/4.5 1/500s ISO200

Carnival Goa Carnival Goa

NIKON D300 12mm F/4 1/500s ISO200 NIKON D70 12mm F/6.3 1/250s ISO200
 Bagavathi Theyyam Payyanur kerala Fitting Ornaments to the Theyyam Performer
Canon EOS 50D 17mm F/2.8 1/2500s ISO200 Canon EOS 50D 17mm F/2.8 1/60s ISO1250

Ritual Dance of the Gods - Theyyam

Bhagiraj Sivagnanasundaram (Bhagi Siva) born in Sri Lanka, and currently residing in
Australia as a Medical Doctor by profession. With the first camera in hand around 10 years
back he embarked the photography journey to find new perspectives on the life around us.
His main passions are to explore the Human conditions, vanishing cultures & authenticity
and ever-changing landmarks around the world.

T
heyyam is an ancient spiritual art-form
which is unique in the state of Kerala,
- India. The performances include
performers decorated in various ways, with
Red as the prominent color, the temple
drummers and vast numbers of devotees
from all over Kerala. These performances are
mostly conducted in temples and worship
places in houses and during the acts, the
performers are considered to be gods. People
worship them, make offerings to please them
and eventually receive their blessings and the
performers predict their future for them. It is
estimated that there are around 300 varieties
of Theyyam makeups or performances. The
right to perform as a Theyyam is usually
inherited.
Make-ups with natural colours made up of
leaf extracts and turmeric are very important
part of any Theyyam performances. The
make-up artists, who are mostly Theyyam
performers too, are very skillful in applying
the beautiful designs on the face within a
short span of time.
Make-up sessions are usually fun filled.
Gossips and laughters are abundant and
when the act begins, a completely different
person comes to the surface as the Theyyam.
Theyyam makeup happens inside a tent
specially thatched with dried-up coconut
leafs. The ornaments to be worn are made
from wood and metal. A crew of three to
five men can be seen around the Theyyam
performer fitting all the unique decorations
and ornaments to him.This final phase of
creating a god, is an interesting sight for the
local people.
“The emotions and silence of the devotees
and their anxious faces which was full of
curiosity and suspense. It was like we were
time traveling to another world. Suddenly
the drums starts to beat, the sound which
could be heard over to the next town. From
the small tent, after hours of make-up,
finally the Theyyam enters the arena with so
much of power, acts, facial movements, and
aggressive stances. The fire torches are lit,
painting the whole scene in golden light. It is
another world out there in the small temple in
Payyanur, Kerala.”
Drums play a key role in any Theyyam act.
The drummers will play to the dance of
the Theyyams and the Theyyam will dance
on the beats of the drums. They are so
interconnected, that in certain seasons if
you hear drum sounds in Malabar region of
Kerala then it is certain that a Theyyam play
is going on somewhere.
A Theyyam performance is usually organized
by a particular family in an area, and it
remains their ancestral right. Huge number
of devotees from the nearby places gather for
the festival, and usually they stay throughout
the night to watch various Theyyam
performances.
Various styles of walking patterns are being
followed by the performers, some can be dead
slow and some can be very aggressive. Having
a sharp sword can make the matter even
worse for the devotees. However they all are
a part of the spiritual journey of the Theyyam
festival.
Theyyam performers are worshipped as
gods, entertained with drum music that is
heard even miles away - every Theyyam
night was vibrant with the prominent reds
of the costumes and orange tints of the fire.
During these days, fluorescent lights are used
to light up the area in contrast to natural ways
of brightening up the scene with fire torches
which will greatly enhance the vibrancy and
the spiritual closeness.

78 Vol 9
 A kooththu performer dressed as a king is
showing an aggresive stance
Canon EOS 50D 22mm F/5 1/6s ISO500
‘Kooththu’ is a traditional Tamil cultural art form
that is practiced in Sri Lanka & Southern India. Most
commonly seen as independent acts or as part of
temple festivals. It is a mixture of dances and drama
sequences. Most of the acts are based on epic
narratives like Mahabharata, Ramayanaya etc while
it is not uncommon to see acts on current political,
social affairs of societies. With the emergence of the
modern media ,these centuries old ancient art-forms
are now at the point of extinction.
Pic- Man Dressed as King (green and red)
Pongal in Nagathambiran Temple Kilinochchi
Canon EOS 50D 17mm F/2.8 1/25s ISO1250
Multiple sharp hooks were pierced to the back of
the young boys. Then, the hooks were connected
to nylon ropes and the ends of which were
dragged by a helper from the behind. Then the
boys will dance on the beats of drums around
the temple. This ritual might take few hours but
it will not exhaust involved people, in contrast to
what is expected. The higher level of spirituality
that controls the brain and the mind might be a
possible explanation for this.
Pic- Men hooked and tied with ropes.
Hindu Ritual in Mandoor Temple
Canon EOS 50D 17mm F/5 1/50s ISO500
‘Mandala’, an ancient artform of high precision and dedication, portrays the cosmos we
live in. This is being followed by many religions particularly Buddhism. Here few monks
are busy making a mandala at the Thikshey monastery in Ladakh. They will sit in this place
around the mandala table and create a beautiful art, which will take many hours to finish,
some may take even days. There are usually only very few manadals per year, and how
lucky I witnessed one. These days I see many mandala coloring books in the shelfs of
supermarkets and bookshops in Australia. They were proven to reduce stress and enhance
mindfulness.
Canon EOS 6D 32mm F/5 1/30s ISO2000

Leading by Example
Lopamudra Talukdar indulges in the various cultures of India and breaks the
stereotypes that surround the female photographers. Dipanwita Nath from CHIIZ gets
in conversation with her to know the workings of the brain behind the lens.
Tell us something about your childhood,
where you grew up and what had been your
biggest source of inspiration to take up
weaving stories under the cover through the
lens of the society, a camera?
I have grown up, studied, been married and
lived my entire life in Kolkata, a city I am
proud to call my home. I have had no formal
training in photography. As a matter of fact, I
was never interested in it for the first 40 years
of my life. But something I did have was an
exposure to the world of photography, through
books and chatter around me. My father was
a Visual Artist, an avid Photographer with a
collection of the very best of photography and
designing books from those times. I would
often pour through those books more as a
medium to appeal to my artistic senses rather
than view them as photographs. I was more
inclined to become a painter, an artist and as
a child would spend endless hours filling up
my sketchbooks. Pursuing higher studies (I
did my Masters in Zoology) put my dreams
to rest but it was decades later, with a camera
82 Vol 9
in hand, I realised how lucky I was to have
that initiation. Photography and paintings
are strongly correlated especially in terms of
composition, design and aesthetics.
There was no inspiration as such behind
taking up photography. It all started with
something as simple as a gift of a camera back
in 2010. In retrospect, I rue why no one had
gifted me a camera when I was a younger!
As your viewers have lately seen you
portraying endless emotions under colorful
banners through the rural curtains creating
an explicit panorama, what are your
motivations and reasons behind it? Were
you able to successfully achieve it in this
abysmal society?
For the first few years of my photography
journey I shot with abundant freedom, with
no choice of genre or choice of subjects. But
then I slowly developed a sense of priorities,
things which appealed to me and things which
didn’t. Mere eye candy images were never my
priorities. I love people. I love interacting
Art Blended with Colours of Faith
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 105mm F/4 1/80s ISO1250
with them and I love having them in my
pictures. I was also smitten by the culture bug.
While we say ‘Incredible India’ we mostly
refer to the beautiful monuments, the mighty
Himalayas, the backwaters and so on. But for
me the real incredibility of my country lies
in its varied culture and its people, especially
those residing far away from the spotlights
of the urban glare. As I say so proudly on my
Instagram handle, I may have my tentacles
around the globe but I have my roots firmly
in India. I have travelled through the vast
wilderness of India, from the cold desert of
Ladakh to the cultural hotbed of Kerala, from
the wrestling akharas of Maharashtra to the
tribal villages of Nagaland, with an aim to
document their culture, customs, lifestyle,
and even their cuisine. The work I have done
is like a droplet in an ocean but I am sure
there would be others who would be pursuing
the same, documenting our rich culture for
time immemorial.
Largely your works focuses the not-so-lucky
 All About Green Room
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 24mm F/3.5 1/80s ISO2500

Checking me Out All Set

Canon EOS 5D Mark III 24mm F/4 1/160s ISO2500 Canon EOS 5D Mark III 24mm F/3.5 1/80s ISO2500

masses and also the women of the society.
Is there something that you look for among
them or a motivation you draw from their
very unconventional and respectable lives?
As I said, I often work away from the spotlight,
in villages where even electricity and water
is a luxury. But what surprises me is their
zest for life, the unbridled laughter, ready
invitation to their homes, which in fact are
luxuries in our urban lives. From a distance,
rural life may look like an oasis of peace, but
if you scratch the surface, there are lot more
complexities in relations, there are customs
inherited over centuries and shackles yet to
be shaken off. I love to delve deeper into them
without being opinionated as I personally
feel as a documentary photographer, I must
portray what I see not what I feel I should see.
What will be your tips and turns for the
young aspiring artists of the similar genre,
especially our very enthusiastic female
photographers who take you as their idol?
Documentary women photographers were a
rare breed till not so long ago compared to
other genres of photography. A number of
women photographers have sought me out and
seeking advice on how to take career forward.
I feel if you have a dream, lend it the wings
to achieve them. Share the photographs you
take with people whose opinion you respect.
The world wide web has brought the world a
lot closer to us. It is lot easier to interact with
people, seek advice, get assignments and even
undergo internship from a long distance. At
the end of the day, stay true to your heart,
see as many photographs but believe in
originality instead of imitating. If you are a
travel photographer, I would say look beyond
the obvious while touring a place. Do not
dive head long and start clicking as soon as
you arrive. Feel the pulse of the place; mingle
with its people, then only you will get the true
essence of a place.
Dipanwita Nath
dipanwita@chiiz.com
A ray of hope in the darkness, Dipanwita,
is a literary genius. A modest temper that
always opens up her mind while listening
and her heart while speaking. An aspiring
scientist turned a humbled photographer,
Dipanwita is an avid reader and a
dynamic personality who follows her
heart and loves to live life at the edge.

Vol 9 83
 Bagging Fortune
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 16mm F/4 1/60s ISO500
 Hot Fidelity
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 16mm F/5.6 1/200s ISO2500

Flame of Faith Bless Us

Canon EOS 5D Mark III 24mm F/3.2 1/8000s ISO16000 Canon EOS 5D Mark II 16mm F/2.8 1/15s ISO1000

Obeisance
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 24mm F/14 1/80s ISO1250
 Model, Make Up, Costume -Zeeshan Ali
Photography- Manikandan TJ
T J Photography & Design Studio

Model, Make Up, Costume,

Photography -Zeeshan Ali

Make-up Artist of the Month

Zeeshan Ali
Zeeshan Ali is Bengaluru based artist. He is a Fashion designer,
Stylist, Makeup artist and a Model, using all his professional skills
he creates walking Art and preserves them in the form of pictures,
they are just magical. He design characters and breaths life into them
through his craft. He has always been very curious about make up and
styling. The inherent attraction to fashion was always there, however
it only began to bloom a few years ago when he made a drastic switch
from a medical institute to a fashion institute. That’s when he realized
he doesn’t want to put himself into one box, he channeled every ounce
of his creativity and started working on anything he could get hands
on; be it Modeling, Styling and Designing. He is his own canvas which
is how medium of expression. He soon started developing a niche in
creating illustrative make up looks.
Model - Ranjana Ramesh
His work started with Instagram which he used as a platform to Make Up, Costume -Zeeshan Ali
Photography - Photography: Mathan Maddy
showcase his numerous eclectic creations. Soon he only went bigger
as his work attracted many collaborations with photography projects, productions ranging from major shoots with renowned designers and
documentaries, prominent fashion shows in multiple metro cities, brands. He also experienced in black light photography, virtual reality
Face Awards and others. He as an artist and his work has been featured shoots which has been seldom done in the country.
in multiple social media platforms, esteemed magazines from the
fashion industry, major newspapers. To add to his credibility he also Zeeshan believes through his craft he can depict his talent and
has a documentary in his kitty where the story of his life and his work professional abilities. He loves to create and share his imaginations
was beautifully portrayed. with the world. His art thrives to create a vibrant ménage of costume,
styling, make up and photography through characters. He recreates
To give specifics about his work, Zeeshan is a Jack of all trades where he and relives his fantasy to make them reality. It’s like living a fantasy
has tried different forms to express his art. He has worked with varied in reality.

86 Vol 9
 Model, Make Up, Costume - Zeeshan Ali
Photography - Shwet Priya

Model, Make Up, Costume, Model, Make Up, Costume -Zeeshan Ali
Photography -Zeeshan Ali Photography - Sushmitha Tadakamadla
Model, Make Up, Costume,
Photography -Zeeshan Ali
Model, Make Up, Costume, Model, Make Up, Costume,
Photography -Zeeshan Ali Photography -Zeeshan Ali

Model, Make Up, Costume, Model, Make Up, Costume,

Photography -Zeeshan Ali Photography -Zeeshan Ali
Model of the Month

Akshara
Gowda
Akshara Gowda
Born in Bangalore, India, Akshara Gowda is a
model and an actress in the Indian film industry. An
engineer by her education, she has starred in both
Tamil and Hindi movies like Chitkabre- The Shades
of Grey, Arrambam, Thupakki, Irumbu Kuthirai,
Rangrezz, Maayavan, etc, epitomizing the phrase,
beauty with brains. She has been given the title of
‘Stylish Thamizhachi’ by her fans and the media.
She also endorses various leading brands and is
currently filming a Kannada film named Premadalli.

Occupation: Actress, Model

DOB: 24 Dec 1990 (age 26)
Education: Engineering at SKIT College
Height: 5’8’’
Weight: 57 kgs
Bust: 34
Waist: 26
Hips: 36
Complexion: Wheatish

Ethically Elegant
 Sweet Seduction

Suave Contemplative Beauty

Bold and Beautiful Why so Serious?

Flower in a Garden

Tell me about your journey in the fashion
industry, from the first step to being a
renowned fashion photographer.
It started when I travelled to India with
my cousin, She let me use her Canon film
camera to photograph her. I fell in love with
the camera to produce images even though
at that time all I need to do is refocus and
press the shutter button. When we came back
to Vietnam, my cousin was extremely kind
to lend me her camera so I could practice
photography. I loved to capture everything
around me and soon realized this was one
of the expensive hobby. I aimed in the future
to capture people that could afford to fund
my equipments and film process costs. I had
been given the opportunity to photograph
one of my cousin‘s friend who was a freelance
model at the time. She ended up loving the
images and showed the images to the other
models and they all ended up asking me to
photograph them. None of the work I did was
paid until, one fashion designer contacted me
for the opportunity to shoot her portfolio.
“ The side
that you
don't see
with the
naked
eye
Fashion Photographer
Trussed Up
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 155mm F/9 1/125s ISO160 Meiji Nguyen
That was my first experience of paid work in
the fashion industry. Soon after magazines
started contacting me to do fashion editorial
shoots for them. Those were my first steps
into the industry.
How would you describe your work to
someone who has never seen it?
I intend to show the polished side of reality.
The side that you don’t see with the naked eye.
I draw my imagination through fine art and
film and reflect it in each creative vision. My
work is cinematic and storytelling.
Is the fashion industry as glamorous as the
media makes it out to be?
There are many perspectives that the media
portray about the fashion industry. Being
part of it, I can see both positive and negative
sides. It all depends on what material we want
to see and believe, individually.
When someone looks at your photography,
what do you want them to know about you?
“
Photography is my passion and my art work.
I nurtured every piece from start to finish
very carefully with a high level of attention to
detail.
Any final words of wisdom you would like
to share?
Be yourself. Don’t try too hard to be different.
As soon as you attempt to be different you
start to compare your work to others and that
is when you can’t be true to yourself. Walk on
your own journey that you’ve created don’t
let someone else’s journey influence yours.
When you walk on the path where you rely
on other people’s critics. So, you won’t be able
to walk freely on your own creative journey.
Ghanistha Arora
ghanistha@chiiz.com
She discovered words to escape the
gloom, ended up finding a destination. To
her, limits are an illusion, and authenticity
is a doodled art. An organized chaos,
capable of turning paths and changing
lives. Such a candid soul, that even her
dreams chase her.
Vol 9 95
 Hair Choker Buckle my Shoe
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 70mm F/9 1/125s ISO160 Canon EOS 5D Mark III 73mm F/8 1/100s ISO200

Rope Play Neck Coils

Canon EOS 5D Mark III 125mm F/9 1/125s ISO160 Canon EOS 5D Mark III 90mm F/9 1/125s ISO160
 Crouch Take a Toke
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 73mm F/8 1/160s ISO100 Canon EOS 5D Mark III 97mm F/9 1/125s ISO100

Black and White The Wait

Canon EOS 5D Mark III 97mm F/9 1/125s ISO100 Canon EOS 5D Mark II 81mm F/10 1/100s ISO100
 Hold
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 102mm F/8 1/125s ISO160