Chiiz Volume 9 : Festival Photography

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EDITORIAL 

Editorial 

Ravi Dhingra 

Prakhar Garg 

Chief Visualizer 

Sheetal Mann 

Design 

Priyashi Negi 

Writer 

Rahul Batra 

Shreeja Chaterjee 

Karishma Rana 

Ankit Tyagi 

Sana Singh 

Shimran Epari 

Vishakha Jha 

Aditi Puranik 

Dipanwita Nath 

Ghanishtha Arora 

Technology 

Sachin Arora 

Rishabh Jain 

Bharat Bhushan 

Aditya Baghel 

Business Development 

Rajesh Basu 

Amit Ghosh 

Dimas Fajar 

Sales 

Insaf Khan 

Krishna Srinivas 

Amit Gupta 

Analysis 

Prateek Kashyap 


Surbhi Sharma 

Marketing 

Neha Dogra 

Anurag Khaneja 

Public Relations 

Barkha Chandra 

Noopur Sharma 

Staff Photographer 

Susana Gomez 

Urshita Saini 

Tarundeep Singh 

Finance 

Neelu Singh 

Consultant 

Apratim Saha 

Mansa Inc. 

CEO 

Mukesh Kumar 

Cover Photo 

Sasi Ramachandra 

Once anonymously said, “If you want to know a 

place, rely on the words of the local people 

there.” Characters of a place are structured by 

religious beliefs and festive practices, which 

distinguish inhabitants of a place from others. 

In the roots of Indian existence, festivals take a 

huge responsibility in framing the culture of the 

locality. All in all, it’s the people and their 

festivities that make them distinguish within 

themselves and India has been a land of such festivities for a 

period longer than anyone of us can remember. 

In this edition, photographers around round the world poured in 

their contributions in order to portray a world full of colours, 

happiness, and sheer vibrancy. A world where all live in together 

and strive to leave a mark of our own characters. It is a major 

phenomenon that has brought this world a little closer and that 

has happened for the best. 

People have majorly taken part in bringing out the best of every 

procession and festival that happens around the world. In this 

issue, we have some great photographers with who have blessed 

us with their priceless words. Mr. Umesh Gogna has shared his 

works to enlighten us on better frames and help us achieve 

sharper vision every time the shutters fall. 

Apart from that, Lopamudra Talukdar and Anoop Negi has given 

us insights to work with, while covering the festivals around the 

world especially rural India. Mr. Faruk Akbas from Turkey, an ex- 

Photographer for Fujifilm has also accompanied us on our 

wonderful journey through colours. 

Zeeshan Ali and Meiji Nguyen brighten us further with their 

fashion flavors. Zeeshan, an artist who paints himself with a 

passion that surpasses most of the makeup artists and Meiji, a 

master photographer had some very creative ideas. 

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, 

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 

NIKON D5 600mm F/9 1/1600s ISO800 

Scaly Friends 


Salmon Hunt 

NIKON D5 600mm F/6.3 1/1600s ISO500

Penguin Drama 


Foot in Mouth 

NIKON D800E 300mm F/14 1/800s ISO2000 

Feeding the little one 


Sleeping with Death 

NIKON D4 600mm F/7.1 1/1000s ISO400

Cub-bing Around 


Arctic Kill 

NIKON D3S 500mm F/10 1/2000s ISO450

Andean Cock-of-the-rock 

NIKON D4 600mm F/5.6 1/250s ISO2000 

Puffin Pair 

NIKON D3S 1000mm F/7.1 1/1000s ISO3200 

Southern Ground Hornbill 

NIKON D3S 700mm F/10 1/500s ISO400

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 

Canon EOS 7D Mark II 700mm F/6.3 1/1250s ISO320 

Black Crested Coquette 


Rüppell Warbler 


Barred warbler 

Canon EOS 7D Mark II 700mm F/5.6 1/800s ISO500

Puffin With Lunch 

Canon EOS 7D Mark II 500mm F/8 1/800s ISO640

Bee-eater 


Dalmatian Pelican 


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 

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. 

Those 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 

Canon EOS 5DS R 70mm F/2.8 1/320s ISO200 


Canon EOS 5DS R 70mm F/5 1/160s ISO100

Dyed in Faith 

Canon 60D 70mm F/5 1/200s ISO125

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. 


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. 

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 

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.

Symbolically Ganiga community force feed Dasappa community during their 

annual village festival. This villageis called Ramohalli and is very close to 

Bangalore city. 


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 in Karnataka 

state . This agriculture community celebrates this during Holi festival. Different 

villages of these tribes form a team to perform their traditional dance. 


Suggi festival is the biggest festival of Halakki tribes from Kumta 

in Karnataka state . This agriculture community celebrates this 

during Holi festival. Different villages of these tribes form a team 

to perform their traditional dance. 

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


NIKON D750 50mm F/2.2 1/80s ISO125 NIKON D5100 28mm F/4.5 1/40s ISO400 


Kullu Dusshera 

Shikha Sood 



Kullu 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 


Resting God’s 


Food for the God’s 


Incense 


High Priest 

NIKON D5100 18mm F/4.5 1/2500s ISO200

The Burden of Faith 


Throng of Devotees 

NIKON D5100 32mm F/6.3 1/125s ISO400

Giving Hands 

NIKON D5300 18-140mm F/3.5 1/200s ISO100 

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 

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 

the “Buddha’s Relic Casket” at buddha jayanti 

every year, Disciples come here to witness the last 

remains of Buddha and celebrate the auspicious 

event of Buddha purnima. 

Benediction 


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 

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. 

Gavri 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, 

human values and respect for women. 

The Supreme Goddess 


30 Vol 9

Keepers of the law 


Divine Vengeance 

Canon EOS 70D 10mm F/6.3 1/200s ISO100

Together we Stand 


Shackles 


Ritual 


Demon in Black 


The Holy Dip 


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 


Ghats 


Helping Hands 

NIKON D5300 35mm F/1.8 1/50s ISO1250

Kalash Yatra 

NIKON COOLPIX P900 107mm F/5 1/20s ISO100

Dive into the Holy Waters 

Nikon D700 50mm F/9 1/320s ISO140 

Har-ki-Pauri 


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. 

My 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 


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 


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 


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 

Nikon D700 11mm F/2.8 1/15s ISO1100

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’sthe 

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 


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 

Happy Faces 



Agra, India 

Gateway to the God’s 


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. 

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. 

Naman Srivastava 

Lucknow, India 

Prayer at a Mausoleum 

NIKON D750 15mm F/2.8 1/4000s ISO500

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 

zodiac Aries (“Mesh” in Sanskrit) and the Jupiter (“Brahaspati” in 

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

place. 

Nandi-The Bull 

ASUS_Z00LD 4mm F/2 1/2066s ISO50 

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 


The Joy of Giving 


Washing Away the Sins 

ASUS_Z00LD 4mm F/2 1/4237s ISO50

Nanda-Sunanda Devi 


Nanda Devi Fair 

People in the state of Uttarakhand celebrate the Nanda Devi Fair as a tribute to the 

goddesses Nanda and Sunanda. The term Nanda means prosperity and well being. Nanda 

Devi Fair is held with a great deal of pageantry and magnificence and it signifies the 

economic and cultural affluence of the region. 

The Nanda Devi Fair is usually held in late August or early September depending upon the 

date of the lunar calendar. It is held in many places in Uttarakhand like Almora, Nainital, 

Nauti, Dandidhara, Munsiyari, Ranikhet, Bhowali and Kichha. 

The fair was initiated by King Kalyan Chand of Chand Dynasty of Garhwal in the 16th 

century to showcase the economic and cultural prosperity of different regions. It also 

served as a competition to better each other every year. People take part in the procession 

which carries the dola (litter) of Goddess Nanda Devi. 

Vineeta Yashswi is a travel enthusiast 

and loves to travel with the aim of 

reaching new places, people, and 

cultures. Her love for trekking has 

taken her to Milam Glacier (3500 mt.) 

and Nanda Devi East Base Camp 

(4200 mt.), Roopkund Trek (4800 

mt.), Kuari Pass Trek (3,500mt.), 

Chader Trek in Leh on Frozen Zanskar River, and 

Kedartaal Trek (4056mt.). With a penchant for 

reading and writing travel write-ups, she also has 

a flair for photography and is of the opinion that 

it is a pure medium of expression. 

Goddess’ Regalia 


The procession of faith 

NIKON D5000 55mm F/9 1/320s ISO200

Mud Binding the Faith 


Sanjhi 

Bless My Universe 


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. 

Enlightening the Dark 


Mukesh Kumar Gautam Aka MKG is a 

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 


The Untold Story 


UTSAV 

Pinak Pani Dutta 

This is an annual festival, popularly known as Utsav, celebrated during the month of 

January/February on the birthday (Janam Tithi) of Sri Ram Thakur. The Utsav is a three day 

long festival in which different groups of Vaishnavas mainly from Tripura and West Bengal 

perform Kirtan in form of singing and dancing. A small fair is also organised here based 

on this festival which attracts a huge gathering from adjoining villages. It is held in a village 

named Maheshkhala, 20 min from Agartala. This festival depicts cultural, traditional, and 

religious aspects of rural people living there. 

Pinak Pani Datta, 21, is an Agriculture student 

from Agartala. In the process of following his 

passion, he discovered his true interest in exploring 

different aspects of human lifestyle, their culture, 

traditions and he felt in love with documentary 

photography. He says, ‘To me photography is like 

meditation, there I find peace and can cherish my 

being lost in various environments.’ 

Vol 9 

45

Emblem of Joy 


Wangala (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 


Tribal Tune 

NIKON D610 50mm F/1.8 1/50s ISO800

Dev Dipawali 

Every year on the night of Kartik Purnima( the 15th 

lunar day of the month of Kartik, ie, November- 

December), the gods are believed to descend from 

the Heavens to the city of Kashi (present-day Varanasi) 

to take a dip in the holy river of Ganga and celebrate the 

festival of lights. This festival is celebrated to mark the 

victory of Lord Shiva over the demon Tripurasur. The 

city celebrates this festival fifteen days after the festival 

of Diwali in the form of Ganga Mahotsav. 

This five-day Ganga Mahotsav starts on Prabodhini 

Ekadashi (11th lunar day of Kartik) and ends on the 

Kartik Purnima. This festival also celebrates the river 

Ganga along with its presiding goddess. On the final 

day of the festival, i.e, on dev Dipawali, thousands of 

devotees come to take a dip in the holy Ganga and when 

the dusk sets in, all of the 87 ghats spread across a 7km 

radius are festooned with flowers and thousands of 

diyas to pay tribute to their ‘Maa Ganga’. 

The ghats of Varanasi adorned with countless diyas 

whose light is reflected by the river is a sight to behold. 

With the many musical programmes, the ganga 

aarti, the boat rides and picture perfect views, it is no 

wonder that Dev Dipawali attracts as many tourists and 

photographers as it does the devotees and pilgrims. 

Shreenivas Yenni 

Gangavathi, India 

Lighting Lamps for the God 




Sacred Fire 




Fusion of Colors and Lights 

NIKON D750 15mm F/2.8 1/30s ISO800



Big Picture 


Keyasen Gupta 

Kolkata, India 

Delighted Smile 


Mithu Chakraborty 

Singapore 

Credential Flame 

FUJIFILM X-T2 18mm F/3.2 1/160s ISO10000 

Kuntal Paul 

Bhubaneswar, India 

Celebrating Nature 


Enthralling Dash 


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. 

Hiyang 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 

all its quirks. 

Mukesh Kumar 

New Delhi, India 

Skyscraping Valor 


Mukesh Kumar 


Pace and Precision 

NIKON D800 24mm F/2.8 1/2000s ISO100

Unaccounted Wealth 

In Talks with 

Faruk Akbas 

Faruk 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 

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 

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. 

54 Vol 9

Transcendent 


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 


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. 

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. 

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 

that her son is looking after his father’s flowers. All this while this one 

thought of holding on to those flowers means that there is a light of 

hope which is a very beautiful metaphor. Sarah’s character which is 

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. 

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. 

Shimran Epari 

shimran@chiiz.com 

Shimran is a exceptional thinker and a extremely expressive person. She is a 

passionate towards literature and enjoys writing as a medium of expressing 

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 


Spectra of Expressions 


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 

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. 

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 

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. 

Switching the Subject 


Antecedents of Art 


The Chandrahas 


Art Attack 


Colourful Smile 


Paint me like Canvas 


Stag Crafting 


Forgetting the Self 


Action Parade 


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. 

Photography 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. 

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 

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. 

Umesh Gogna 

Jaipur, India 

Veils in Fest 

SONY ILCE-9 159mm F/6.3 1/160s ISO400 

Umesh Gogna 

Jaipur, India 

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

Emrah Uygun 

Istanbul, Turkey 

Horse Beard 

NIKON D810 50mm F/1.8 1/80s ISO80

Shweta Agarwal 

Mumbai, India 

Dance of a Mother 


Emrah Uygun 

Istanbul, Turkey 

Ultimate Supper 

NIKON D810 50mm F/1.6 1/20s ISO1250

Susana Gómez 

Barcelona, Spain 

Flowing with the Wind 


Susana Gómez 

Barcelona, Spain 

One Centrifuging Turn 

NIKON D750 24mm F/4 1/1000s ISO1250

th 

7Edition-Mumbai 

15 - 18 Feb, 2018 

Nehru Centre 

Dr A B Road, Worli 

Mumbai, India 

Art Gallery 10 | Mumbai 

Art India International | Mumbai 

Artezvous | Mumbai 

Arts Breeze Art Gallery (AAG5) | Hyderabad 

Artzolo.com | Mumbai 

Baroda Heritage Art Gallery | Baroda 

Charvi Art Gallery | Bangaluru 

Dolna the Movement | Mumbai 

Gallerie Splash | Gurgaon 

Gallerie Art Eterne | New Delhi 

Gallery Endless Thoughts | Delhi-NCR 

Gnani Arts | Singapore 

Gallery Pioneer | New Delhi 

Hunar Showcasing Art | New Delhi 

I Quest Gallery | Mumbai 

The Lexicon Art Gallery | New Delhi 

Mriya Arts | Mumbai 

Painted Rhythm Art Gallery | Mumbai 

Peaks Art | Singapore 

Rhythm Art | Mumbai 

Studio3 Art Gallery | Mumbai 

Studio Anita Dinesh | Noida 

Uchaan | Gurgaon 

West 10 Art Gallery | Mumbai 

Emami Art | Kolkata 

Agantuk Art Tune | Kolkata 

ArtDesh Gallery | Mumbai 

Artequest Art Gallery (AAG) | Mumbai 

Canarys Fine Art Gallery | Indore 

eArt Gallery | Mumbai 

Eminent Art Gallery |New Delhi 

Gallerie Ruki | New Delhi 

Gallery Sara Arakkal | Bengaluru 

Indian Art Place | Delhi 

Innovative Spaces | Mumbai 

Myanmar Ink Art | Dubai 

Sheruta | Indore 

Studio7Seven | New Delhi 

Tao Art Gallery | Mumbai 

WBC Gallery | Mumbai 

Visit: www.eindiaartfestival.com 

Woman’s Magazine Partner 

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Media Partners 

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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Email: info@indiaartfestival.com / indiaartfestival@gmail.com W: Website: www.eindiaartfestival.com

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. 

Festivals 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 wellknown 

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

Bull Racing in Kerala 


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 

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 


Yakshagana Karnataka 


Pushkar Rajasthan 


Bharani Kerala 

NIKON D70 18mm F/8 1/250s ISO200

Attachamayam Kerala 


Carnival Goa 


Carnival Goa 

NIKON D70 12mm F/6.3 1/250s ISO200

Bagavathi Theyyam Payyanur kerala 


Fitting Ornaments to the Theyyam Performer 


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. 

Theyyam 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 


Pongal in Nagathambiran Temple Kilinochchi 


‘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) 

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 


‘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. 


Art Blended with Colours of Faith 

Canon EOS 5D Mark II 105mm F/4 1/80s ISO1250 

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 

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 

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 

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All About Green Room 


Checking me Out 

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

All Set 


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@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 


Flame of Faith 


Bless Us 


Obeisance 


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. 

His work started with Instagram which he used as a platform to 

showcase his numerous eclectic creations. Soon he only went bigger 

as his work attracted many collaborations with photography projects, 

documentaries, prominent fashion shows in multiple metro cities, 

Face Awards and others. He as an artist and his work has been featured 

in multiple social media platforms, esteemed magazines from the 

fashion industry, major newspapers. To add to his credibility he also 

has a documentary in his kitty where the story of his life and his work 

was beautifully portrayed. 

To give specifics about his work, Zeeshan is a Jack of all trades where he 

has tried different forms to express his art. He has worked with varied 

Model - Ranjana Ramesh 

Make Up, Costume -Zeeshan Ali 

Photography - Photography: Mathan Maddy 

productions ranging from major shoots with renowned designers and 

brands. He also experienced in black light photography, virtual reality 

shoots which has been seldom done in the country. 

Zeeshan believes through his craft he can depict his talent and 

professional abilities. He loves to create and share his imaginations 

with the world. His art thrives to create a vibrant ménage of costume, 

styling, make up and photography through characters. He recreates 

and relives his fantasy to make them reality. It’s like living a fantasy 

in reality. 

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Model, Make Up, Costume - Zeeshan Ali 

Photography - Shwet Priya 



Model, Make Up, Costume -Zeeshan Ali 

Photography - Sushmitha Tadakamadla


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

“ 

The side 

that you 

don't see 

with the 

naked 

eye 

“ 

Trussed Up 


Fashion Photographer 

Meiji Nguyen 

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. 

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 

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Hair Choker 


Buckle my Shoe 


Rope Play 


Neck Coils 


Crouch 


Take a Toke 


Black and White 


The Wait 

Canon EOS 5D Mark II 81mm F/10 1/100s ISO100

Hold

Chiiz Volume 9 : Festival Photography

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