N A M R ATA K H E R A

W O R L D B E Y O N D

I learned about Yamuna ghat when

I first started photography and

came across a beautiful picture of

a sunset captured at Yamuna ghat.

The place was notorious among

photographers owing to the

migratory seagulls that travelled

there each year. Admittedly, I was

drawn to the place for the very

same reason. Only upon reaching

the place did I realise how much

more the place had to offer. It was

filled with countless stories waiting

to be told. Hence apart from the

seagulls at the ghat, I wanted to

document the lives of the people

living there. This image is the

fruition of the very same desire.

Another detail I like about the

picture is how the door serves as a

portal- giving us a glimpse into the

life of the children while also being

a window to the outside world for

the children, the world that awaits

the child.

This moment was captured in the bustling

streets of Jodhpur, though the fact might not be

too evident in the photograph. This is because

amidst all the chaos of a busy Monday morning,

the old man is completely enamoured by the text

he’s reading. He is adrift on a sea of thoughts, far

away from the confinements of his physical

surroundings.

T H E O U T L I E R

Q U E E N O F

T H E H I L L S

The hills that can be seen in

the picture are those of

Landour, a small town

contiguous with Mussoorie,

which was once widely

known as the "Queen of the

Hills". The sun rays seeping

through the hills are

comparable to a bejewelled

crown which are aptly

adorning the Queen of the

Hills. The photograph is also

a reminder to the fact that

dark times are always

succeeded by good times.

No matter how dark the

night, the sun will find a way

to infiltrate, welcoming a

glorious morning of a new

day.

This photograph was

clicked at Jama Masjid on

the occasion of Eid. This

woman was chaperoning

the children outside the

mosque, waiting on her

husband to return. While her

husband was offering

namaz inside the Masjid,

she had to settle with

offering prayers from a

distance.

A D I S TA N T

P R AY E R

A G A M E O F

S H A D O W S

This was photographed

inside the Jaipur City Palace

on a particularly bright

afternoon. The photograph is

titled so because I had to

wait a long time for the

shadow be cast at a

particular angle to capture

this particular image. 'A

Game of Shadows' also

picturizes how we

continually toy around with

the sun, consistently seeking

shade, just like the subject in

the photograph.

Banaras, home of the holy, is one

of the most chaotic yet calm

places I have been to. I always

heard people speak so fondly of

the place, about the people, the

infamous Ganga aarti and the food,

that I wanted to experience all of it

myself. When an opportunity

presented itself, I readily booked

my ticket to Kashi, the city of

lights. As soon as I reached the

ghat, I knew nothing I heard until

now was an exaggeration; Banaras

is surreal. Amidst the chaos and

unrest, you still feel calm. Ever

since I began photography, I've

always wanted to document the

Ganga aarti. Everything was in

sync and so well coordinated.

Witnessing the passion and belief

with which the pandits performed

the aarti was a remarkable

experience that I'll always cherish.

K A S H I

PAAP

It is widely believed that

taking a dip in the holy

Ganges rids one of all sins.

As I peacefully admired the

beauty of the flowing river,

this thought struck me.

Seeing these men dipping

their entire bodies in the holy

water, I pondered over the

kind of lives they live, sins

they might have committed. I

wanted to capture the

moment to encapsulate their

vulnerability in front of god-

equated water, their belief

that it could wash off their

paap.

J U S T

A N O T H E R D AY

This photo encapsulates the

day to day life of a man living

on the banks of Yamuna. The

view, the seagulls, the river,

which are a part of his daily

life are a hotspot for tourists,

for whom this would be a

moment of a lifetime. He sips

chai, preparing for another

day, which brings with it the

onslaught of new people

dropping by to experience

these things that he is

accustomed to.

S W I N G I N G

T H R O U G H A

L I F E T I M E

I like to go for walks in the

evening with my camera in

hand. On one such day, I

came across this group of

children playing around on

these swings they had made

themselves. They were so

full of life that I was

enamoured by the

innocence and carefreeness

of young age. It reminds me

of how when you’re little,

the whole world is your

playground, but as you grow

old you stop playing and life

passes you by. The

photograph also elucidates

a sense of nostalgia and

makes one reminiscent of

the younger days.

The inspiration behind clicking this picture was the

beautiful symmetry that is created by the boatman

and his oars. The symmetry exudes a feeling of

order, a serene force of nature that can be found

even in the most chaotic of places.

E Q U I L I B R I U M