Festivals in Nepal are occasions to express religious devotion and reaffirm social ties. They bring color and magic to daily life and are eagerly awaited events. Almost all the festivals happen as per the lunar calendar.

Bhaktapur literally translates to Place of devotees. Also, known as “Bhadgaon” or “Khwopa”, it is an ancient Newar city in the third of the medieval city-states in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, about 13 km from the capital city, Kathmandu. Many Nepalis still use the old name of Bhadgaon (pronounced bud-gown) or the Newari name Khwopa, which means City of Devotees. The name fits – Bhaktapur has not one but three major squares full of towering temples that comprise some of the finest religious architecture in the entire country.

Bhaktapur was the largest of the three Newar kingdoms of the Kathmandu Valley and was the capital of Nepal during the great ‘Malla Kingdom’ until the second half of the 15th century. Today it is the third largest city in the Kathmandu Valley, with a population of more than 80,000, of which majority are still Newars. Historically more isolated than the other two kingdoms, Kathmandu and Patan, Bhaktapur has a distinctly different form of Nepal Bhasa language.

Bhaktapur was always described as the best-preserved city. Tragically, the 2015 earthquake caused terrible devastation, with whole streets of traditional houses lost to the disaster. Only a few temples were destroyed but many traditional buildings that survived the earthquake have since been declared uninhabitable and are now being torn down. The scars of the disaster are still clearly visible and it will take years for the city to fully recover.

Bisket Jatra is an annual festival in Bhaktapur and Thimi in Nepal. This festival is celebrated at the start of the new year on the Bikram Sambat calendar. The festival welcomes one and all in and around Bhaktapur and beyond its boundaries.

The famous festival, which is observed for eight nights and nine days, as per historical records it has been marked since the Lichchhivi era (c. 450-c. 750), The Jatra started worshiping Bhairabi temple nearby Paanchtale temple in Naumadi.

Legend has it that this celebration is the “festival after the death of the serpent.” Prominently observed at the advent of spring, it is a festival of human emotions that are symbolically depicted through the multiple aspects of the festival. The central point of folklore, as it goes, is about the slaughtering of a pair of snakes by a handsome young man bestowed with tantric powers. It is said that the two serpents came out of the nostrils of a beautiful princess when she sneezed at midnight. In the twinkling of an eye, they transformed into huge serpents. When they were about to strike the young man, he killed them, using his tantric powers.

Many areas of Bhaktapur city celebrate this festival as per their own ritual. The most eventful places during the festival are, Bhaktapur Durbar Square and Thimi Balkumari. An immense chariot carrying a statue of God Bhairava is pulled by hundreds of people to the Khalna Tole. The most spectacular event on Bhaktapur Durbar square is a huge tug-of-war between the eastern and western part of town. Each team tries to pull to their side but later the chariot heads toward Khalna Tole. A huge approximately 25 meters Yohsi (male genital) is erected in the stone called yoni (female genital) base. In the evening of New Year, the Yohsi is pulled down as the New Year officially commences. The Bisket Jatra marks a cultural ecstasy in Bhaktapur.

Early morning puja at Durbar Square

Pulling chariot at Bhaktapur by your boyes

Pulling the Linga at Pottery Square

Animal sacrifice during the festival

Carrying a small chariot at Bhaktapur

Animal sacrifice by a young kid

Pulling chariot at Bhaktapur

Pulling chariot at Bhaktapur by your boyes

A young kid holding his knife after animal sacrifice during the festival

Animal sacrifice during the festival

Animal sacrifice during the festival

An old woman during the festival

Animal sacrifice during the festival

Worshipinig the Linga

Mashal Jatra during midnight at Thimi

Worshiping Lord Shiva at Bhaktapur

Worshiping Lord Shiva at Bhaktapur

Mashal Jatra at Thimi

Counting the reward money after the sacrifice

An old woman during the festival

Pulling chariot at Bhaktapur

A young kid is taking rest under the chariot after animal sacrifice

Pulling chariot at Bhaktapur

Welcoming the god

Dancing during the festival

A family performing Mashal Yatra at Thimi

Carrying a small chariot at Thimi

Sindur Jatra at Thimi

Sindur Jatra at Thimi

Mashal Jatra during midnight at Thimi

Mashal Jatra during midnight at Thimi

Yatra at Bhaktapur

Yatra at Bhaktapur

About Apratim Saha

I am a commercial photographer specializing in people photography, portraiture, lifestyle & editorial clients. Besides commercial works, I also shoot weddings, family portraits, and other subjects that stimulate my visual or emotional sensibilities.

Experience:

• I have more than thirty years of experience in the field of photography from analogue to digital.
• I am a National Geography Stock photographer from last 12 years.
• I became a Getty Image member from last 10 years.
• I am a Stocksy United’s contributing stock photographer from last 4 years.
• I’m the Brand Ambassador of Datacolor, the leader of colour technology in the world, for India from last 3 years.
• I became the Mentor and Brand Ambassador for Tamron Lenses from this year.
• My work has been published in National Geographic several times.
• My Maha Kumbh Mela work has been published by the Italy’s most prestigious magazine ‘The Postinternazionale’ and ‘We Photo’.
• I am a professional photographer of Loculars International platform for India.
• My ‘Making of a Devi’ work has been exhibited at Camden Centre, London in 2016
• I have been featured in Asian Photography as a “Pro Photographer” with an interview along with some of my work.
• I’m a featured photographer of Life Force Magazine. They have published my several works in their magazine many times.
• My interview has also been published in 121clicks.com, a prestigious online magazine.
• My work has been published in many magazines in prints as well as websites from India and around the world.
• I’m doing Photography Workshops and Photo Tours all around India and abroad.
• I am an honourable judge for many photographic competitions around the world.
• I also give mentorship to a lot of national and international students.

You can find Apratim Saha on the Web :

• Website
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• 121Clicks Interview

Copyrights:
All the pictures in this post are copyrighted Apratim Saha. Their reproduction, even in part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.

‘O Prophet! Tell thy wives and thy daughters, as well as all [other] believing women, that they should draw over themselves some of their outer garments [when in public]: this will be more con-ducive to their being recognized [as decent women] and not annoyed. But [withal,] God is indeed much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace! ‘ -​​ Surah Al-Azhab 33:59

I am a 21st century girl, born in a ​well educated ​Muslim family. My parents brought me up with much liberal views. After attaining puberty I was introduced to the abaya and niqab. I was given a choice to wear it or not to wear it.

Often misinterpreted as a shroud of oppression and a flag of fundamentalism, the burka/burqa, hijab and the niqab have been the centre of many controversies in the western world where it is regarded as a security risk.

I wear a burka not because someone forced me to, but because I wanted to. I love how it is so easy to wear, I love how I can move freely in it, I love how people stare at me when I walk down a non Muslim neighborhood because I appear different. It gives me confidence and makes me feel one with my community which I am proud to be a part of. It doesn’t chain me, it liberates me. I am still a girl like all of the others and I still do things which every other girl does.

Sadly enough in the 21st century when the world is echoing with shouts of protests for feminism, we are still often isolated in a crowd due to our choice, often misinterpreted as our compulsion.

About Kanishka Mukherji

I am Kanishka Mukherji. I did my Masters in Marine Science holding a First Class 2nd rank. Presently I am working in State Bank of India. I started doing photography just 2 and a half years back with a Canon SX 160, point and shoot camera. Few months later this hobby turned into a passion. My current gear includes Nikon D5100, a Nikkor 18-105mm lens, and a Nikkor 35 mm 1.8g lens.

According to me, a photograph is a bridge between the subject and the viewer. A photograph should compel the viewers to think and be one with the subject. Each photograph should should tell a story and give a jerk to the thought process of the viewers. Despite my busy work schedule I manage to take some time out to sneak into the world and bring out the untold stories from the life of people.

Life is a quintessential element of my photography because they say, “it is more important to click with people than to click the shutter”.

You can find Kanishka Mukherji on the Web :

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Copyrights:
All the pictures in this post are copyrighted Kanishka Mukherji. Their reproduction, even in part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.

During our childhood, we acquired countless memories and experiences that formed who we are today. However, we cannot recall most of those memories. They are unconscious forces (beliefs, patterns, subjective maps of reality) that drive our behaviors.

Our behaviors might indicate the unconscious forces that drive them, we don’t have easy access to the information stored in the unconscious mind. In this photo series I tried to portray some of my experiences which are stored in my unconscious mind.

Sometimes I find myself standing in the middle of the sea. Sometimes I saw myself climbing up. Sometimes I heard the sound of my soul, calling me and I have tried to find it from the shadow on the water.

About Suvrajit Dutta

I am a Kolkata based self employed person by profession and an armature photographer with keen interests to capture the emotions and the moments of our daily life.

In every image I try to capture the moments, the happiness, and the life.

To me photography is nothing but capturing the moment (which will never appear in our life again) with an artistic point of view.

You can find Suvrajit Dutta on the Web :

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Copyrights:
All the pictures in this post are copyrighted Suvrajit Dutta. Their reproduction, even in part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.

The remote mountains of Chin state of Myanmar, is witness to one of the fast vanishing tribal traditions of tattoo faced women. The older women of the Chin tribe still bear the scars of a barbaric ancient tradition. Chin legend has it that when a Burmese king traveled to the region, he was so impressed by the women’s beauty that he kidnapped one to take as a bride. Because of this, Chin families began to tattoo their daughters to make them look unattractive, thus preventing them from being kidnapped or forced to become a concubine during the time of the Burmese king. Other Chin tales say that the tattooing was done for beauty, while some others say, to differentiate between the various tribes in case one was kidnapped by another.

As tradition stood, young girls aged between 12 to 14, had their faces tattooed in a painstaking process. They also wear enormous earrings which stretch their skin.

The Burmese socialist government banned the practice of face tattooing during the 1960s as part of their programme of getting rid of the old and ushering in modernisations, with missionaries in the Chin state also criticising it as barbaric. These women are the last generation to all bear facial tattoos; when they die, a chapter of Chin history will be relegated to the books.

The ancient practice involves using tattoo needles made by tying three pieces of bamboo together or using thorns to draw the design. The ink is a mixture of cow bile, soot, leaves, grass shoots and pig fat. The leaves give colour, the soot acts as a disinfectant and the grass shoots are added at the end, acting as a bandage and natural healing cover. The concoction is applied to the face using sharp cane thorns, which prick the skin to create the pattern. The process is extremely painful, especially the tender eyelid area and it normally takes one day to finish, it can be extended to two days depending on the complexity.

With a variety of styles and designs the detailed markings have a deep rooted cultural significance. The six Chin tribes wear an array of different tattoos. The M’uun women are the most easily recognisable, with large looping “P” or “D” shapes on their faces and “Y” symbols on their foreheads. The M’kaan women have line tattoos on both their foreheads and chins. The Yin Du and Dai tribes feature long vertical-line tattoos across the entire face, including the eyelids; similar to the Nga Yah who have dots as well as lines. The U Pu tribe have the incredibly rare whole face tattoo, this is one of the most impressive styles as the entire face is inked up.

But times are changing even in this remote corner and young Chin who are getting education and some travelling as far as Yangon no longer see face tattooing as fashionable or beautiful. In fact, many of them are embarrassed by their grandmothers’ seemingly out-of-date markings.

90-year-old Hung Shen is one of the oldest surviving M’kaan women from the Chin Province of Myanmar having line tattoos on both their foreheads and chins.

Yaw Shen (88) who got her tattoos at the age of 15, entertains visitors by playing the nose flute, also a vanishing tribal art.

A M’uun woman goes about her weaving work as I visit her home.

M’uun women are the most easily recognisable, with large looping shapes on their faces and “Y” symbols on their foreheads.

The Chin tribals does not seem to believe in family planning and often have large families.

An older woman interacts with her grandson.

The kitchen is often the place where these women spend a better part of their life.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and Hung Shen at 88 is still a head turner, when she decides to dress up.

Often regarded as a malaria zone, a M’uun woman gets out of her mosquito net.

The tribal villages are scattered around the hills and takes a strenuous hike to reach them on foot.

A Chin woman with her tattoo face goes about her daily chore as her husband takes a smoke.

Most houses are built of wood and bamboo, standing on stilts on the hillside.

Pam Hung is one of the rare women of the younger generation who decided to uphold the century old tradition of tattooed faces. Despite the government ban, the Chin State is a long way from the capital and many mountain villages receive little outside interaction.

With increasing access to the outside world, most young Chin don’t see face tattooing as fashionable or beautiful. In fact, many of them are embarrassed by their grandmothers’ seemingly out-of-date markings.

Scarred as a girl: When they were aged 12 to 14, women in Burma had their faces tattooed to make them so ugly they wouldn’t be kidnapped and forced to be concubines, it is thought

Up until the 1960’s girls born into the varying Chin tribes were expected to get their faces tattooed between the ages of 12 and 14. However in this picture of three generations, it is only the grandmother who has her face tattooed.

“I got my tattoos when I was about 12. It was so painful, my face hurt for five days. I didn’t think about why I did it, it is just our custom and what all girls my age did then”, says this lady who has no idea what her actual age is.

Another woman of the younger generation who has defied government prohibition to go ahead with the tattoo, just like the women in her family have been doing for generations.

Hunting is the most common male profession among the Chin tribes. A M’uun woman with her hunter husband.

Facial tattoos became part of Chin culture nearly a thousand years ago and re-defined the concept of traditional beauty. It is however a vanishing trend these days.

About Lopamudra Talukdar

Lopamudra Talukdar, a Masters in Zoology from the University of Kolkata, was fascinated by the world of photography ever since she was a kid but never thought of taking it up seriously until she was gifted a Canon 5D Mark II as recently as 2010.

It changed the world around her…. She started looking at the world through a different set of eyes and with accolades and exhibition opportunities coming her way, it also changed how the world looked at her. It helped that she travels around a lot, both inside and outside India but she is particularly fascinated by the diversity of Indian culture and how different it can be from Nagaland to Nagpur! She is currently doing assignment based photo stories for a number of leading magazines including National Geographic Traveller and Femina.

You can find Lopamudra Talukdar on the Web :

• Flickr
• 500px
• Facebook
• 121Clicks Interview

Copyrights:
All the pictures in this post are copyrighted Lopamudra Talukdar. Their reproduction, even in part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.

Tonle Sap is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia & a UNESCO biosphere reserve. It is situated almost in the middle of Cambodia. Siem Reap is only 15 km to the north of it. The lake changes in size with each season.

During rainy season from June to October, the lake is filled by water flowing from the Mekong with 14 meters in depth and increases the surface of 10,000 square Kilometres. In dry season from November to May its size 3,000 square kilometres with two meters in depth and water flows out from the Lake to the Mekong, in and out flowing is the natural phenomenon incidences.

It is because of this significant change in water levels that fishing families who make their living on the lake began living in floating villages & everything- homes, shops, schools, hospitals – teeters just above the water on stilts. One million Cambodians directly depend on this lake in living. 89% of those people have stilt houses made in the lake and 11% live in floating villages.

This lake is well-known for its abundance in fish. It is the fourth largest source of fresh water fish in the world.

About Sirsendu Gayen

Sirsendu Gayen, an Assistant Professor in Chemistry at Vivekananda College Kolkata, is a passionate amateur photographer since 2006.Photography is his way of feeling, touching and sharing the freedom that he sees through the lens. He enjoys shooting different subjects with specific interest in travel, architecture, Nature and people to capture the spirit of Mother India.

This passion led him to achieve many national and international awards and more than 400 of his photographs have been exhibited in various national and international exhibitions. Some of his notable achievements in the field of photography are the following:

1. Received National Photo Award (Special Mention) 2011-12 from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India.
2. Received PSA Gold Medal at 11th Grand Canyon International Circuit 2013, USA & 16th Dilwarra Valley International Circuit 2014, USA
3. Received Humanity Photo Performance Award from UNESCO and China Folklore Photographic Association in the year 2013 & 2015
4. Winner in National Geography Traveller India Magazine BIG SHOT Photography Contest, April 2014 (THEME:SUMMER IS FUN)
5. Got First Prize In a National Level Photo Contest organized by Bio Diversity Board of Uttarakhand Government on the occasion of “International Bio Diversity Day 22 May 2014”.
6. Second Prize in Amateur Photographer Magazine, UK Photography Contest for the month August 2014 (Theme: LANDSCAPE AT DAWN & DUSK)
7. Second Prize in Black & White Section and another two photographs have been selected in B/W section for the Exhibition in 19th National Photo Contest organized by GUJRATA STATE LALIT KALA ACADEMY( Theme: Indian Arts and Culture)
8. 3rd PRIZE in Popular Photography Magazine USA Your Best Shot ( YBS) Photo Contest for the month October 2016
9. Received First Prize in Nikon ‘ Who Are You ‘ Contest organized by Nikon India in the year 2015
10. Grand Prize Winner in ‘WeAreFamily’ Photo Contest 2017, Jointly organized by National
    Geographic Traveller India & Canon India.

His work has also appeared in Amateur Photographer Magazine UK, National Geographic USA(Online), National Geographic Traveller Magazine India, Lonely Planet Traveller UK, Lonely Planet Asia, Lonely Planet India, Outlook Traveller, Photo life Magazine Canada, Digital Camera World UK, N- Photo Magazine UK, Times of India ( Kolkata Edition ) and numerous other publications.

You can find Sirsendu Gayen on the Web:

• Facebook

Copyrights:
All the pictures in this post are copyrighted Sirsendu Gayen. Their reproduction, even in part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.

This puja dates back to late 19th century in the village of Keshiyari, District Medinipur (West Bengal, India). There is a very interesting story about how this puja got started. It was on a summer evening when the Zaminder (landlord) of Keshiyari village Mr. Padmolochon Dutta was returning from village inspection in his area and it started raining fiercely. To take cover from the rain he took shelter in an abandoned fort named Kurum villa in the village of Gaganeshwar. The fort was in a very bad condition due to ill maintenance for a long time. As he was waiting there for rain to stop, out of curiosity he started exploring the place and while doing so he came across a room with closed doors. Though it was closed for years when he pushed the door it got opened immediately and inside the wooden idols of Sri Jagannath Deb, Balabhadra and Suvadra were adorning the place, it is the same wooden idols which are gracing the village temple till today.

He immediately called up the villagers to ask about it and no villagers had any answers to give him as that place was abandoned several years back. They had never entered the room and had no clue about the idols being there for so long. Padmolochon Dutta had a feeling deep inside his heart that the god wants puja from him and he decided to bring the idol back to Keshiyari, his native village with the help of the villagers. He constructed the temple and from then on this century long puja started taking place which is still going on and taken forward by the new generation of Dutta family.

The puja here has some uniqueness of its own, according to the rituals Jagannath Deb with his brother Balabhadra and sister Suvadra on the day of ratha yatra travels to his maternal aunt’s place by chariot but here in this village the god travels on the shoulder of village priests. It’s an inimitable scene which remains etched in the mind in years to come. The Bhog( Prasad) gets distributed to everyone in the village who comes to visit the temple on the auspicious day.

About Nilanjan Ray

NILANJAN RAY (b. 1959) has a handful of exposed stock on “HUMAN INTEREST” and keeps stock of other people’s money in a Bank since it is his profession.

Has received wide appreciation Internationally as well as Nationally. Has received Merit Prize from National Geographic, USA & National Award from Photo Division, Govt. of India.

Solo Photography Exhibition on ‘VARANASI – AN ETERNAL CITY’ organized by OXFORD BOOKSTORE, Kolkata, NATIONAL CENTRE FOR PERFORMING ARTS, (NCPA), Mumbai and INDIA INTERNATIONAL CENTRE (IIC), New Delhi.

Solo Photography Exhibition on “FAITH – A QUAINT EMOTIONS” was organized by INDIA INTERNATIONAL CENTER, NEW DELHI from 29th Novemvber,2016 to 9th December,2016.

Other than above, my photographs are selected for exhibition at British Council, UNICEF, ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS, Calcutta, LALIT KALA ACADEMY, New Delhi etc.

Photographs are also selected for a Book” Framed City” – published at Indian Art Festival, New Delhi.
Photographs are also selected for a Book “INDIA- 5 Senses “by Roli Books.

Photographs & Articles are published regularly in leading daily Newspapers and Magazines.

Received letter of appreciation from Maitre Henri Cartier-Bresson. Paris.

You can find Nilanjan Ray on the Web :

• Facebook

Copyrights:
All the pictures in this post are copyrighted Nilanjan Ray. Their reproduction, even in part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.

In Hindu belief, death is not the end of life. It’s just a door to enter a new body and get back into the circle of life. It is considered to be like a comeuppance of one’s Karma that the soul has to come back to suffer. Manikarnika, one of the most famous Ghats of the ancient city of Varanasi is deeply related to this belief. It is dedicated for the last rites of the Hindu community and this belief is deep rooted in the minds of the Hindus that cremation here can get a person rid of the cycle of births. This in Hinduism, is called Moksha. After cremation here, the soul gets liberated and become one with the almighty.
The non ending flow that the soul moves on, through the series of rebirths, is supposedly represented by the continuously burning of pyres at Manikarnika. It is said that the fire of Manikarnika never ceases to burn.

Death, to all living things, is an enigma that scares. When I stepped in the premises of Manikarnika for the first time, it was a mixed feeling that I will never forget in my entire life time, though I know that I will keep coming back to this place. I knew it was an ideal place for a photo essay as each and every life that came here on their last journey, is a story in itself. The kith and kin of the parted souls, the caretakers there (known as Doms), the log sellers, the priests (pundits) – all of them played major roles in this story and helped me to cast aside the myths about death and see the realities in a new light. Standing there and watching a body turning into ashes definitely helps one realize the value of life and liberates from sense of possession. I tried to capture frames that depicted such expressions along with the environment and the mood that prevailed all over the place. As I kept picking on the moments of Manikarnika, I felt like meeting souls on the passage to Moksha.

About Jit Rakshit

I am Jit Rakshit, a Kolkata based professional wedding photographer. My passion is street photography , documentation & photojournalism. I fell in love with the intricacies of light and shadows long back in my school years but I have seriously started to study and learn the art of photography around 5/6 years back. I currently use Nikon D7000 and love to capture actions of people and special moments of interest.

You can find Jit Rakshit on the Web :

• Facebook
• Flickr

Copyrights:
All the pictures in this post are copyrighted Jit Rakshit. Their reproduction, even in part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.

In India, Hindus worship the Ganges River, the Mother Ganga as a Goddess or Devi. Kolkata, the city of Joy is also enriched with the presence of the great holy river.

From different places, people come every day to take a holy bath into the Ganga. Especially on some auspicious occasion, it gives you a festive feeling when the colorful flow of pilgrims with their pious values started to descend into the water of the sacred river to take a holy bath.

From early morning to late night the Ganga ghat is crowded with different purposes.

The morning starts with Yoga classes near in Aheritola Ghat. They do exercises, yoga beside the Ganga ghat. Some of them come to ghat to take a deep breath of fresh air which re-energize their body besides their spiritual conscience.

After that people fresh themselves with the holy water of Ganga. They came to ghat to take bath, they wash their cloth, household, and soul at the same time.

Beside Ganga, there is also a Crematorium, where a dead person’s body is cremated according to the funeral ritual of Hindu. The close relatives like sons, grandsons have tonsured themselves near river ghat. The local barber comes to business for the service.

The famous Kumortuli para of Kolkata also lies on the bank of river Ganga.

Kumortuli is a traditional potters’ quarter in northern Kolkata, the skilled artists make earthen Idols, which are worshiped by Hindus. They dig the soil from Ganga and use this as a raw material for making the Idol. They feel and believe in the purity of the soil.

Actually, the people beside Ganga is fortunate to have her. Ganga blessed the people in many ways, people celebrate their festival and their extreme time with Ganga. Local folk considers Ganga as Mother who always stands beside them in the time of pain and pleasure. Ganga is like a thread with which keep the people together as a chain.

About Saptarshi Choudhury

I am Saptarshi Choudhury, i am from Kolkata, India. I did my Engineering in Civil Engineering. Presently I am working in an IT firm. I started doing photography just 2 and a half years back with a Sony Point and shoot camera. One year later this hobby turned into a passion. My current gear includes Canon 600D, an 18-55mm Kit lens and 50mm Prime lens.

According to me, street photography should contain a story to tell with the emotion, drama and the innocence. Sometimes words are not enough to tell a story, the vision of the moment is also paralelly important. Street photography is the mirror of the story rapidly happens in this world.

You can find Saptarshi Choudhury on the Web :

• Facebook
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• Flickr

Copyrights:
All the pictures in this post are copyrighted Saptarshi Choudhury. Their reproduction, even in part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.

NILANJAN RAY (b. 1959) has a handful of exposed stock on “HUMAN INTEREST” and keeps stock of other people’s money in a Bank since it is his profession. Has received wide appreciation Internationally as well as Nationally.

Some of his achievements:

• Has received Merit Prize from National Geographic, USA & National Award from Photo Division, Govt. of India.
• Solo Photography Exhibition on ‘VARANASI – AN ETERNAL CITY’ organized by OXFORD BOOKSTORE, Kolkata, NATIONAL CENTRE FOR PERFORMING ARTS, (NCPA), Mumbai and INDIA INTERNATIONAL CENTRE (IIC), New Delhi.
• Solo Photography Exhibition on “FAITH – A QUAINT EMOTIONS” was organized by INDIA INTERNATIONAL CENTER, NEW DELHI from 29th Novemvber,2016 to 9th December,2016.
• Other than above, my photographs are selected for exhibition at British Council, UNICEF, ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS, Calcutta, LALIT KALA ACADEMY, New Delhi etc.
• Photographs are also selected for a Book” Framed City” – published at Indian Art Festival, New Delhi.
• Photographs are also selected for a Book “INDIA- 5 Senses “by Roli Books.
• Photographs & Articles are published regularly in leading daily Newspapers and Magazines.
• Received letter of appreciation from Maitre Henri Cartier-Bresson. Paris.

What first drew you to Photography and how did you discover it?

Basically, I love drawing since my childhood. When I was in college, I met one of my classmates, who used camera when we were in any trip. He took the snaps and when he came with those black & white prints, it’s fascinating me.

Then in my service life, first I bought a camera Asahi Pentax K 1000 and started my Photography journey.

How did you get interest about people and documentary Photography?

There after I was become a member of an oldest club of our country “PHOTOGRAPHIC ASSOCIATION OF BENGAL”, Kolkata, where Mr. Satyajit Ray was an Honorary Member. Every Saturday evening, we all junior members used to gather there to learn some useful tips from some Great Photographers, who were showcasing their Photographs. All photographs were in Black & White and related to people’s mood, culture etc. Gradually, my interest grows towards the people’s behaviour & culture. Since then I am trying to create documentary photography, which can tell astory of Life.

How important is Culture & Tradition for any country. Since your Picture strongly reflects Indian Culture?

It is an indisputable fact that no society can exist without a culture, knowing that culture is the way of life of a people. Therefore, every society, no matter of its size or population must exist with certain cultural values and norms.

Tradition contributes a sense of comfort and belonging. It brings families together and enables people to reconnect with friends. Tradition reinforces values such as freedom, faith, integrity, a good education, personal responsibility, a strong work ethic, and the value of being selfless.

Tradition offers an excellent context for meaningful pause and reflection.

For Nilanjan, what does it takes to make a good photograph?

The most important element of a good photograph is the ability of the photo to communicate with the viewer. It should be able to tell a story through its composition, lighting, and most importantly its subject matter.

What do you want your viewers to take away from your work?

My Photography is a kaleidoscope of images on:

• Nature
• Religion/Faith/Festivals
• Social Issues etc

This is so because I am greatly influenced by whatever is around me and hence thevariety of topics.
To be able to give my viewers an out-of-body experience by transporting them to those worlds through my lenses would truly be the ultimate achievement for me as a passionate photographer.

Can you please choose one picture from your portfolio and share the story behind the making?

I was on a trip to Varanasi at the time of Kartik Purnima (Mid November). At morning, myself with my friend were roaming around the Ghats. It was a fantastic weather and we were enjoying different activities of the People around the Ghats.

We were sitting at highpoint and sipping tea at the Ghats, enjoying the beautiful climate. Suddenly, I saw these three ladies are taking their holy deep in Ganga and start praying to God Suryadev.
I stood with my gear and planned to shoot them from a point. They adjusted themselves as they were stand conveniently for their Puja. I took my gear and look through it. It forms a triangle with a halo all over the three devotees. I took three or four shots in Fuji Velvia color slide. This picture gives me the Great Honour from National Geographic, USA and selected as one of the ten best pictures in that year. This is my first honour in my life.

Your constant source of Inspiration?

Music can evoke memories, thoughts and emotions. Similarly, art created by great artists can help you find your own vision and your own style. My constant sources of inspiration are:

• Love what to do
• Read
• Communicate with Creation.
• Nature/People
• Music

One greatest achievement & one important lesson you have learned being a photographer?

My greatest achievement is the appreciation letter from Henri Cartier Bresson. I was busy with my exhibition on VARANASI – AN ETERNAL CITY and during that time I sent him all the photographs on VARANASI …(around 70 photographs) for his comments. Within a week, I received an appreciation letter along with the selected photographs for my Exhibition and two Catalogues of his exhibition.

It was an auspicious Day for me because that letter made my day.

The lesson I have learned being a photographer: FOLLOW THE GREATEST, BUT DONOT COPY THE GREATEST.

One place you all always want to visit for Photography?

Actually, I don’t have a power to comment on others, but Kolkata and Varanasi are my favourite places for Photography.

Which Photographers inspire you?

Respected Henri Cartier Bresson, Raghu Rai, Raghubir Singh, Josef Koudelka, Trent Parke, David Alan Harvey, Ami Vitale, Lee Friedlander and some more.

Your Favourite Photography quote?

Photography for me is not looking, it’s feeling. If you can’t feel what you’re looking at, then you’re never going to get others to feel anything when they look at your pictures.”

What are some of your favourite Books on Photography?

The Decisive Moments by Henri Cartier Bresson, Calcutta by Raghu Rai, Varanasi & Monsoon by Raghubir Singh, Chaos by Josef Koudelka and many more.

What camera do you use the majority of the time?

Mainly, I used analogue camera- Canon EOS Rebel G with Fuji Neopan 400 asa film (as I fond of Black & White photography) and Canon EOS 7D in digital format.

Apart from Photography, tells us your hobbies and Interests?

I like Music, Good Movies, Trekking as well as roaming in and around. Interested to interacts with Great People in any creative fields, which helps me lot.

Any tips for aspiring Photographers?

Listen Good Music, interact with Great Creative Peoples, Think Positive, Don’t copy the Greatest, just follow them. Also must have an inner eye to feel the Situation to Photograph. (Very important).

You can find Nilanjan Ray on the Web :

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Copyrights:
All the pictures in this post are copyrighted Nilanjan Ray. Their reproduction, even in part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.

This is a series on landscape of Himalayan high, develop over the year of travel in multiple location in this vast mountain range. My aim is to make a book in future, my goal is to spread awareness about the climate change and its effect on our nature, through my images i want to show how beautiful and unique our earth is, and what we have to protect from the evil effect of global warming.

**This series is a Shortlist of Sony world photography awards 2017 , in professional landscape category.

About Jayanta Roy

I am a Kolkata, India based practitioner of photography. Not a photographer, just practise photography to make some better images in future.

I started using camera long time back when my father gives me a used basic film camera. It was very basic and I don’t have much money for films so i shoot less, frame more, it’s a habit to see things through the viewfinder, but click shutter only when i am confidant to make a decent image. Which teach me to compose my images properly and very carefully, till date when i used a digital SLR i have the same habit, i shoot less, frame more.

For me black and white photography is divine, which cross the barrier of reality and land in a world full of wonder and unexpected, where everything defined in shades and not in colours, and reveal the reality hide deep inside which is not possible to see in colour, for me b&w is a very powerful tool to achieve vision, which is most important in photography, a strong vision.

You can find Jayanta Roy on the Web :

• Facebook
• Flickr
• 500px
• 121 Clicks Interview
• Frozen Paradise

Copyrights:
All the pictures in this post are copyrighted Jayanta Roy. Their reproduction, even in part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.

Love his words and very inspirational thoughts on the aspects of photography. Meet Sirsendu Gayen from Kolkata, India, a chemistry professor by profession who simply excels in various genres across. In this brief Interview with 121clicks.com, Sirsendu opens up on his vision, what is the good photograph for him and more. Read on.

Could you please introduce yourself to our readers?

I am an Assistant Professor in chemistry of Vivekananda College Thakurpukur and a passionate amateur photographer from Kolkata, India, started the journey with Kodak Kroma that is followed by Cosina C1s, Nikon D80 and Nikon D610.

I started photography seriously since 2009 when I got the DSLR (Nikon D80) from my elder brother. Photography is my way of feeling, touching and sharing what I see through the lens. I love photography because this is the medium where I can express myself with freedom. I enjoy shooting many different subjects, but with specific interest in travel, architecture, Nature and people.

For Sirsendu, what does it take to make a good photograph?

To make an incredible photo you should be to a great degree fortunate or more probable, you should be set up to work for it. The astonishing photographs you find in books and magazines seldom occur unintentionally. As a rule the picture taker has invested energy looking into and get ready, and afterward been unimaginably patient, overcome or decided so as to accomplish that one picture. War photographic artists routinely hazard their lives for an awesome picture. Wildlife photographers spend months, and sometimes years, learning and tracking animals, waiting for that perfect moment. Landscape picture takers climb up mountains at day break to ensure they get the best light. The rundown is endless. If somebody requesting that you compose an article, you wouldn’t simply begin composing without doing research first. Photography is the same.

What do you want your viewers to take away from your work?

I’d like them to share my interest and energy of the assorted world we live in, to value the diverse societies and the distinctive types of living we’ve created in various parts of this world. In the meantime, I feel it will be useful to comprehend that regardless of how assorted we some of the time appear despite everything we share to such an extent as people and it is justified regardless of the push to get in contact.

Your constant source of inspiration?

I find out motivation all over, from art and nature, to the work of fellow photographers. I read photography magazines and books, go to displays and introductions, and here and there when I discover a smart thought I take a note. Not to duplicate it, but rather to take it as a motivation.

One place you all always want to visit for photography?

I would love to travel each & every place on this beautiful earth. I believe that each & every place has a beauty to be captured through the lens if & only if the eyes see it.

Which photographers inspire you?

Steve McCurry, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Ansel Adams, Raghu Rai…..

Your gear?

Camera:

• Nikon D80
• Nikon D610
• Nikon D3300

Lens:

• Tokina AT-X Pro SD 12-24mm F4 (IF) DX
• AF-S DX Zoom-NIKKOR 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED
• AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D
• Tamron SP 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Lens
• AF-S NIKKOR 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR

What is your favorite image of all time?

It’s a very tough question to be answered. “A picture is worth a thousand words” refers to the notion that a complex idea can be conveyed with just a single still image. Therefore it is almost impossible to choose a single image captured by the so many great photographers around the world. Even it’s a so difficult task to choose a single image clicked by a photographer.

Apart from Photography, tell us your hobbies and interests?

My leisure activity is tuning in to melodies particularly Rabindra Sangeet, composing travelogue and read books. I am also very much interested in movies.

Any tips for aspiring photographers?

Variety of Photographic Equipments certainly helps to capture good images but these are not the one & only essential tools to capture it. One should have love, passion & dedication for photography.

You can find Sirsendu Gayen on the Web:

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Copyrights:
All the pictures in this post are copyrighted Sirsendu Gayen. Their reproduction, even in part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.

The name Varanasi possibly originates from the names of the two rivers from north and south: Varuna, still flowing in Varanasi, and Asi, a small stream near Assi Ghat. Varanasi is also known as Benares or Kashi , is a North Indian city on the banks of the Ganga in Uttar Pradesh.

Varanasi has been chosen as one of the heritage cities in India.

The photographs of Varanasi in black and white to highlight aspects of this historical site of pilgrimage and the rich tradition it encapsulates. As I see it, Varanasi – the Sacred City of Light – stands outside time and space, is frozen in its eternal moment of being. I wish to capture this aspect of the city and I feel that black and white photography is best able to capture this eternal quality of the city.

I would like to focus on principally on two aspects of the city. One is the culture of temples and historical spots; the other, the famous bathing Ghats of Varanasi. The Ghats themselves for me are metaphors of the spiritual city; the steep steps leading up from the sacred river appear to me as images of the desire that this city has generated through the ages.

About Nilanjan Ray

NILANJAN RAY (b. 1959) has a handful of exposed stock on “HUMAN INTEREST” and keeps stock of other people’s money in a Bank since it is his profession.

Has received wide appreciation Internationally as well as Nationally. Has received Merit Prize from National Geographic, USA & National Award from Photo Division, Govt. of India.

Solo Photography Exhibition on ‘VARANASI – AN ETERNAL CITY’ organized by OXFORD BOOKSTORE, Kolkata, NATIONAL CENTRE FOR PERFORMING ARTS, (NCPA), Mumbai and INDIA INTERNATIONAL CENTRE (IIC), New Delhi.

Solo Photography Exhibition on “FAITH – A QUAINT EMOTIONS” was organized by INDIA INTERNATIONAL CENTER, NEW DELHI from 29th Novemvber,2016 to 9th December,2016.

Other than above, my photographs are selected for exhibition at British Council, UNICEF, ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS, Calcutta, LALIT KALA ACADEMY, New Delhi etc.

Photographs are also selected for a Book” Framed City” – published at Indian Art Festival, New Delhi.

Photographs are also selected for a Book “INDIA- 5 Senses “by Roli Books.

Photographs & Articles are published regularly in leading daily Newspapers and Magazines.

Received letter of appreciation from Maitre Henri Cartier-Bresson. Paris.

You can find Nilanjan Ray on the Web :

• Facebook
• 121 Clicks Interview

Copyrights:
All the pictures in this post are copyrighted Nilanjan Ray. Their reproduction, even in part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.

All of us grew up seeing black and white photographs at home – those albums take us back to childhood memories. Actually, today it is even more fun to turn those thick black pages in the albums and visit those old family memories. Most of the photos have turned black and yellow though!

I think most of us, as photographers, are in love with Black and White to some extent, if not fully. But it also makes me think sometimes, why painters don’t paint pictures in Black and White? When I asked some of my painter friends, they shared different views, but what I feel probably appropriate is that colors required to paint was available since the ancient times and there are evidences we know. But color films in photography was invented much later than the black and white medium.

So, coming back here, this medium of black and white has been a strong influence in my life as a photographer. Large part of my works are in black and white, whether it is documentary or travel or otherwise from any genre. I strongly feel, that to a viewer black and white appeals more, and even an ordinary image sometimes becomes very good because it is in black and white. Had the same image been in color, it would perhaps been a very ordinary image; and here in my portfolio too, you will find such images. This is because black and white increases the aesthetics of the image by a great degree.

In my last ten years of being with the camera, I feel that I have not learnt even ten percent of photography. This is so vast! I have not become a specialist doctor even – I am still like the general practitioner who sees all types of patient! But there is no harm in that, till the time I am learning and loving every press of the shutter. But one thing is for sure that human interest is what quenches my thirst to a great way and I love travel, documentary projects which has an element of people in it. Most part of my work has been around India and its people, places, festivals, streets so far. I hope to travel to many places in future, some in the list are Vietnam, Iran, Bangladesh, and of course all corners of my country.

About Bhaskar Kundu

• Lives in Kolkata
• Works as a Senior Manager in Nestle India Ltd
• Photography distinctions: EFIAP from France, FFIP from India, AICS from USA
• Published: Interview in Indian Express, three articles in Deccan Chronicle, Better Photography, Asian Photography, National geographic Assignment, Creative Image Magazine
• Uses Canon 5D mark 2, Canon 24-105 mm lens, Canon 50 mm 1.8 lens, Sony a6000 mirrorless camera

You can find Bhaskar Kundu on the Web :

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Copyrights:
All the pictures in this post are copyrighted Bhaskar Kundu. Their reproduction, even in part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.

Durga Puja is one of the most important Hindu festivals in India, celebrated with great vigor and devotion. The origin of Durga Puja goes back to as early as 16th century A.D. The festival is celebrated for ten days in Ashwin month of Hindu calendar. It usually falls in the month of September and October. DurgaPooja celebration involves worshiping of Goddess Durga, the ten armed Goddess riding the lion. Last four days called as Saptami, Ashtami, Navami and Dashami are being celebrated with much aplomb and gaiety.

The day is also observed to commemorate Lord’s Ram’s first invocation of Goddess Durga when he was preparing to wage war with the king of Lanka, Ravana. The legend has it that Lord Ram invoked Goddess Durga, also known as the slayer of the buffalo-demon, by lighting 108 lamps and offering 108 blue lotuses before going to war. Today, the celebration of Durga Puja has more evolved into popular culture of Bengal and special occasion for family reunion and social gatherings.

The origin of celebrating DurgaPooja in Bengal dates back to 16th century AD. According to legends, the landlords of Malda and Dinajpur started Durga Puja for the first time in the state of Bengal. However, according to some sources it is said that BhabanandaMazumdar of Nadiya or Raja Kangshanarayan of Taherpur first initiated autumn Durga Puja or Sharadiya, as it is called in Bengali.

Over the years, the celebration has taken the form of mass festivity called as Barowari Puja when twelve friends of Guptipara in Bengal came together to organize a collective Puja called as ‘twelve-pal’ or Barowari Puja in 1790. This collective form of celebrating Durga Puja was first initiated in Kolkata by Raja Harinath of Cossimbazar in 1832. Gradually by 1910, this collective form of celebrating Durga Puja evolved into community celebration known as Sarbajanin Durga Puja.

It was first held by SanatanDharmotsahiniSabha in Baghbazar in Kolkata with participation from large number of people. The tradition of observing SarbajaninDurga Puja in the eighteenth century gave way to the growth of Bengali culture.

About Nilanjan Ray

NILANJAN RAY (b. 1959) has a handful of exposed stock on “HUMAN INTEREST” and keeps stock of other people’s money in a Bank since it is his profession.

Has received wide appreciation Internationally as well as Nationally. Has received Merit Prize from National Geographic, USA & National Award from Photo Division, Govt. of India.

Solo Photography Exhibition on ‘VARANASI – AN ETERNAL CITY’ organized by OXFORD BOOKSTORE, Kolkata, NATIONAL CENTRE FOR PERFORMING ARTS, (NCPA), Mumbai and INDIA INTERNATIONAL CENTRE (IIC), New Delhi.

Solo Photography Exhibition on “FAITH – A QUAINT EMOTIONS” was organized by INDIA INTERNATIONAL CENTER, NEW DELHI from 29th Novemvber,2016 to 9th December,2016.

Other than above, my photographs are selected for exhibition at British Council, UNICEF, ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS, Calcutta, LALIT KALA ACADEMY, New Delhi etc.

Photographs are also selected for a Book” Framed City” – published at Indian Art Festival, New Delhi.

Photographs are also selected for a Book “INDIA- 5 Senses “by Roli Books.

Photographs & Articles are published regularly in leading daily Newspapers and Magazines.

Received letter of appreciation from Maitre Henri Cartier-Bresson. Paris.

You can find Nilanjan Ray on the Web :

• Facebook
• 121 Clicks Interview

Copyrights:
All the pictures in this post are copyrighted Nilanjan Ray. Their reproduction, even in part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.

Gajan is a Hindu festival celebrated mostly in the Rural part of West Bengal. Gajan spans around a week, starting at the last week of Chaitra continuing till the end of the Bengali year.

The word Gajan is considered a combination of parts of two words – “Ga” is from the word gram meaning village and “jan” is from the word janasadharan meaning folk. In this sense Gajan is a festival of village folk. Some of the myth said Gajan means Gar+Jan = A Bengali Word which reveals the call of the sannyasi or Bhakta to their lord Shiva. Often in this festival Sannyasi or Bhakta are murmuring with the name of Lord Shiva on daily basis 108 times & together they cry with pain : Debadi Dev Mahadev .. Hara Gauri .. Joy Shiv . They often believe its such a powerful chant that keep them cool and help to overcome all the pain related to their painful process of devotion.

Hindus celebrate the festival mainly on the last two days of the month of Chaitra. This period is known as Chaitra Sankranti when Sun will enter Pisces sign. Chaitra Sankranti begins on 14th March of every year. People observe fast during this period devoting themselves to their God. Gajan is actually linked to persons who are related to agricultural community, directly or indirectly. They pray for the rains and better harvest. Lord Shiva is said to be closely related to this community.

This photo story is from a remote village in the district Hooghly, west Bengal, India. Gajan is celebrated here more than 100 years. Devotees make one month restricted life as a part of the process like sleep on the floor, veg diet single time a day and known as SANYASI (devotee).

On the day of Gajan devotee gather in the oldest temple of LORD SHIVA in the village at night. At 12 o clock night, they made an holy bath in the river Ganga. After returning from bath they start their worship to LORD SHIVA, but the no of devotees is more than 50+, so it is not possible to accommodate all of them inside of the temple, so they worship their LORD SHIVA from outside the temple. It takes near about 3 to 4 hour, so when they complete their worship then it is dawn, and the day of the GAJAN starts. In the morning, the first event was “BANPHORE”, that is a 5mm iron rod penetrated through the devotee’s toung. The devotee bite the middle of the rod which penetrated through his toung. In this condition, all the devotees take part in a procession with the drum and other musical instrument and make a around the village.

The second phase of programme is started at 8.30am. Here the devotee’s activities are different. Cross made of wooden structure taken from the nearest pond and devotees being crucified with nail hammer with the structures. Water given continuously on their faces so that they can overcome the pain of crucification and blood can be stopped from their Body.

Next phase They are laying down on the nailbed, in this condition they make round in the village and the programme is end at 12.00 pm. It ends with Charak Puja Participants of this festival is known as Sannyasi or Devotee. Persons of any gender can be a participant. The complete history of the festival is not known. The central theme of this festival is deriving satisfaction through non-sexual pain, devotion and sacrifice.

About avishek Das

Avishek Das is an Indian born Photographer. Over the past 6 years he has been actively associated with this field of photography.

He is the Chairman of Creative Art Solution – A Registered Photography Club of India under Federation of Indian Photography & Liason Officer of Master of Light Photographic Association for Asia & India.His photographs and writings have already been published in different Websites & Photo competition in national & International level (Italy, France, Argentina, Serbia, Romania, Wales, Greece, Canada, China, Bosnia, Malaysia, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Macedonia, Turkey, UK, Bangladesh, Slovakia, UAE, Indonesia), National Geographic India & US Edition, 1X .com, Vogue, Dodho Magazine, Asian Photography, Better Photography, 121 Clicks, Creativeimagemagazine and many more.

He bagged more than 210+ Awards (National & International) including Bronze,Silver & Gold Medal from Royal Photographic Society, Photographic Society of America, International Association of Art Photographers, United Photographers International, Fédération Internationale de l’Art Photographique for his Photographic works.

His significant achievement like – Grand Winner of Ariano Film Festival – Italy (Digital Photo Category), ICICI Bank Privilege Moments Zonal Category Winner (India), Asian Photography Artistique Special Mention Award (India), Metropolis Asia Runner Up Award – Street Photo Category, Finalist / Silver Medal Winner in HIPA Award & Siena International Photo Award, Px3 Paris Global Photo Award. He has been Appointed as Jury Member from Russia, Bosnia, Serbia for different International Photography Competitions.

For his Photographic Development & Achievement recently he has been Awarded with Distinction EFIAP (Excellence FIAP) from Fédération Internationale de l’Art Photographique (France) and Crown Level 2 by Global Photographic Union, SSS/Y by Sille Art Gallery, Turkey.

You can find Avishek Das on the Web:

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Copyrights:
All the pictures in this post are copyrighted Avishek Das. Their reproduction, even in part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.

The Muharram festival or Ashura, symbolizes the beginning of the new Islamic year. Muharram word is derived from the word ‘haram’ which means “forbidden”. People celebrate this as the first month of the twelve months of Islamic lunar calendar day when they see the crescent moon. It is celebrated by the people of the Muslim community to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (including his family members and followers), a grandson of the Prophet Mohammed. He was killed including with his family members and followers in AD 680 during the Battle of Karbala. On this day, the Shias commemorate the martyrdom of Hussain by re-enacting the events of the Battle of Karbala.

People also remember Ali (the son-in-law of Prophet) and his elder son Hassan while celebrating the Muharram because they too suffered a lot and died for the rights of the whole Muslim community.

The entire month of Muharram is considered as sacred during which fighting is strictly prohibited. First, ten days of this festival is called as the period of mourning. According to the history, it is considered that Prophet Mohammed had no successor as he never named anyone. So his followers have been elected as his successors. Hussain, the younger son of Ali, was assassinated on the tenth day of the month of Muharram that’s why the event is also referred as Ashura. This led to the division of whole Muslim community into Shias and Sunnis. The day is celebrated by the Shia Muslims by considering themselves rightful successors of the Prophet Mohammed (Ali, Hassan and Hussain). They mourn the death of Prophet’s successors during the Muharram and on the occurrence of crescent moon they recite the plaintive verses, on the sweetened cold drink by wearing the black dress in the memory of the Imam Hussain.

Male and female participants congregate in public for ceremonial display of their devotion to Imam Hussain and in remembrance of his suffering. Expressions of grief / Matam, an act of mourning such as sine-zani (beating the chest), zanjeer-zani (beating oneself with chains) and qama-zani – also known as tatbir (hitting oneself with swords or knives) – have emerged as common features of the proliferating mourning-processions. Thus the self-flagellation or th practice of self-harm is a remembrance of the pain Imam Hussain went through on his quest to protect his people from the oppressing rule and inhumanity.

About Debarshi Mukherjee

Debarshi Mukherjee, an Indian born photographer, has been associated in the field of photography for the last 3-4 years. He was recently acknowledged with Artiste FIAP distinction and BEPSS distinction for his photographic achievements. He is a member of the “Federation of Indian Photography”, the national photography body in India.

Within a short span of time his photographic efforts have been recognized globally in 30 + countries like India, Serbia, UK, Singapore, Romania, Scotland, Wales, Turkey, Switzerland, Russia, Hong Kong, Austria, Ukraine,Czech Republic to name a few. He has received multiple awards and critical acclamation for his photographic works. His works have also been featured / published on various websites (like National Geographic YourShot, Dodho, 1X etc.) and print media in UK (N-Photo Magazine). Debarshi’s photographs have been part of exhibition galleries in India and abroad. Earlier this year, his work was exhibited at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Hawaii. His photograph will also be a part of the exhibit at “The Weather Photographer of the Year 2017” in UK. He was also the state winner for a nation-wide photography contest, which received critical acclamation from the Limca Book of Records. He loves to explore genres of Human Interest, Photojournalism, Environment, Street and documentary styles.

By qualification he is a B. Tech & Masters in Energy Management. He works as a Sustainability Manager in an organization of high repute. But his heart and his passion lie with photography. He believes in capturing a slice of life in each of his photographs, which uphold the reality and beauty of the world that surrounds us.

You can find Debarshi Mukherjee on the Web :

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Copyrights:
All the pictures in this post are copyrighted Debarshi Mukherjee. Their reproduction, even in part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.

I’ve been shooting Street Photography since I started photography. I always believed in Street Photography as a powerful tool for growth which concealed many secrets in a simple walk. To me, Street photography is not only a genre but delicate visual poetry. It is a combination of shadows, movements, looks, and connections hinted by the geometry of framing.

I Love to hunt the moment of mystery, surprise, and humor in my street photography. These fragments of fictional stories are drawn from the real world through the facsimile or aesthetic composition that hints at a larger story. It’s something interesting in the ordinary places. Above all, I photograph to reproduce the feeling of the moment.

Kolkata, the City of Joy, is one of my favorite place to shoot. Here frame is being created and changed in every moment. If you go for a walk on the street with a camera, I promise, you just can’t stop clicking. Here, I wanted to show some different frames of Kolkata. I emphasize on light and shadow, in different tone, where I caught the frames in exaggerated way with a moment of mystery. Through these visual presentation I wanted to hint at a large story of life for these people captured in my frame.

About Ranita Roy

I always wanted to live A CREATIVE LIFE. Born and brought up in Andul, a small town under Howrah District in West Bengal, India, grew up with a great interest in Art. My goal is to show the different moments and moods of life. I focus on place with regular people in exaggerated situations that highlight an aspect of who they are. I look for a sense of defiance and fortitude in my work. Above all, I photograph to reproduce the feeling of the moment.

You can find Ranita Roy on the Web :

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Copyrights:
All the pictures in this post are copyrighted Ranita Roy. Their reproduction, even in part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.

Ever since the realization of our being comes in our consciousness we tend to look beyond us, think about the huge unknown universe around and ask some essential questions about our entity on this earth. The more we think of the vast unknown we get a feeling that apart from our own existence in nature, there might be something indefinable, something that goes beyond human cognition. From this constant struggle to decipher the vast unknown universe, the concept of unknown supernature, the belief in the existence of Almighty, comes in.

Man replaces his ignorance with a faith, a strong belief in something supreme that controls our birth and our human existence in this world. The fear of the unknown destiny keeps haunting us and we clutch on to our faith of Divinity that the unseen Supreme nature is to be satisfied for the wellbeing of ourselves and that of our near and dear ones. This is that deep faith in that nature or as someone says God, we feel we are under the benevolent care of supreme Almighty. This leads to the following of various rituals aiming to satisfy God of one’s individual religion. This undaunted faith gives in us the inner strength to fight the fear of unknown destiny.

Bengal is identified with multifariousness so far these religious sects and their faiths are concerned. Cutting across their religion, these people, mainly the rural folks, take part in various ritualistic activities all through the year. All of these festivals originated in pockets of Bengal. None knew the exact inception of these festivals but all these have a common aim – to satisfy the divine so that their existence on this earth is taken care of by that Supreme Being.

Faith is their gateway to connect with the universe and their only answer to the question of their own identity as the human beings and purpose of human birth. Behind all Hindu festivals, there are certain Gods or Goddesses and the people who take part in these rituals believe in certain acts of penance to satisfy those Gods. The Muslims believe in the presence of Allah and undergoing several acts of self-infliction they want to propitiate that unseen Allah. Other religions have their own interpretation of Almighty and their own individualistic ways of worshipping their God.

Observing these acts of the devout people of all religions one wonders at the power of faith in human beings. Truly faith heals where logic and reason fails. It is so well said that faith only gets one the desired results when arguments only push him afar.

About Niladri Adhikary

A banker by profession, but the routine life never ceases to impress him. Since his childhood he was taken a keen interest in drawing. Later it shifted to photography. The magic of photography has not only intrigued him but the transition of a picture convert into a story has never failed to amaze him.

From the past four years he has been traveling vigorously which is another his interest accompanied by his camera. Streets, Travel & Rituals are his favorite genre in photography.

You can find Niladri Adhikary on the Web :

• Website
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Copyrights:
All the pictures in this post are copyrighted to Niladri Adhikary. Their reproduction, even in part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.

Kanishka Mukherji is from Kolkata, India. He is a Banker by profession, working in State Bank Of India. Kanishka started photography as a hobby, later it became an indispensable part of his life. In this fine interview with 121clicks.com, Kanishka shares some wonderful thoughts with us. Thanks, Kanishka for accepting our invitation. Read on…

Could you please introduce yourself to our readers?

Hi everyone. I am Kanishka Mukherji from Kolkata, India. I am a banker by profession working in SBI. I started photography as a hobby with a point and shoot camera. What started as a hobby, later became an indispensable part of my life. Other than photography I have interest in music and was a riff guitarist in a rock band.

What first drew you to photography and how did you discover it?

My earliest memories of photography were during my childhood. My father had an Asahi Pentax Spotmatic analog film camera which I was not allowed to touch. Whenever he was not at home, I used to play around with it pretending to be a photographer. I think that camera drew me to photography.

In 2012 I had a phone with a camera. I went around clicking anything and everything with it. Once, I clicked a very simple photograph of a boat tied to the bank of a river under the shade of a tree. My girlfriend appreciated the photo and advised that I can think of taking up photography seriously. Maybe that is the moment I ‘discovered’ photography in me.

How did you develop an interest in people photography? What kind of human activities and elements do you like shooting most?

I feel that being alive is a wonderful gift. So I try to incorporate life in most of my photos and what else could be the best representation of life other than people with their variety of emotions.

I like shooting people in their normal course of daily life which gives a sense of naturalness to my photos. Bringing the untold stories of people into the limelight is what I strive to do. I believe “it is more important to click with people than to click the shutter”

What determines the success or failure of a photo?

I personally feel that no photo is a failure. Each photo is beautiful in its own way. It’s just a matter of perspective of the author and viewer. If the POV of viewers is in unison with the author then that photo may be called as a successful one. But, if the viewer is unable to understand the photographer’s thinking behind the creation of the photo, we shouldn’t tag that piece of work as an unsuccessful one. Rather it is viewer’s inability to decipher the inherent beauty of the photo.

You visit Varanasi every year. What attracts you more?

Varanasi occupies a special place in my heart. I feel that maybe I have some old connections with the ancient city from my past life. It is a goldmine for photographers of which I feel only a little has been explored. The antiqueness of the city has a typical irresistible charm which attracts me like no other place.

From your portfolio, The 25th Hour is very special, few words about the series?

Thank you for the appreciation. Actually, when I started working on The 25th hour, I was going through an emotional crisis. I had kept myself withdrawn from the world at that time. I had sleepless nights, and in the middle of the night, I used to go out of my house with my camera. I found that there is an amazing serenity around me when the world is asleep. I discovered inner peace in that placidity. I kept on shooting like this for the next four months. Finally, I compiled the shots and the result is The 25th Hour. You will find a sense of solitude and a hint of introspection in most of the photos. This series is one of my favorite work and very special to me too as it helped me immensely to overcome my crisis and regain my confidence.

What are your thoughts on working on single images versus projects?

Although I am more comfortable in working on projects, I can’t choose one over the other. Working on a Project gives me a broad scope to portray my work arranging them eventually, narrating a story through series of images. While single images demand from me to be more precise in expressing a fact or making a statement through only one image.

Both of them has it’s importance individually. It depends on what and how you want to do.

One place you always want to visit as a photographer?

If there is an option for time traveling then I would like to visit Sudan of 1993 and shoot the infamous famine. Else, it is Leh & Ladakh in India without any second thoughts.

Your favorite photographers?

I am my favorite photographer. Just kidding. The list is a long one. But to name a few I take my inspiration from, are masters like Raghu Rai, Raghubir Singh, Sebastian Salgado, Trent Parke, Saul Leiter.

I do like works of Pronob Ghosh, Sohrab Hura, and Jacob Aue Sobol also.

What are some of your favorite books on photography?

I am not much of a reading person. But whenever I get a chance to visit a bookstore near my house, I go through Raghu Rai’s Calcutta and Varanasi portrait of a civilization.

Your favorite photography quote?

“Every photograph I click creates me, I click to create myself.”

Your Gear?

Nikon D7000 with 18-105mm, 35 mm and sometimes I borrow a Tokina 12-28mm from my friend.

Any final thoughts and words of advice for your fans and our readers?

It really feels pleasantly weird to learn that I have fans.

To the readers of this article and to those people who love photography I would say, go out, shoot a lot. Make mistakes. Interact with people you shoot. Shoot from the heart. Savour every moment when you are out with your camera. Most importantly shoot for yourself, not for others. Do not let short-term appreciations or criticism bother and defer you from your goal. Have faith in yourself. More than being a passionate photographer be a dedicated photographer.

Wish everyone a good life and good light. Amen.

You can find Kanishka Mukherji on the Web :

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Copyrights:
All the pictures in this post are copyrighted Kanishka Mukherji. Their reproduction, even in part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.

India is a versatile country of different religious people. Among them the poor peoples required to put extra effort to earn some penny to feed their family and do the needful for them like working even in the hard sunlight or act as a barber on some specific spot on the street or cleaning the garbage and even working in a high heated place and work in any situation without thinking about the workplace or about the work.

About Shibasish Saha

My name is Shibasish Saha. Travel & Street photography is my passion. I’m doing photography from past 4 years and I always concentrate on single picture to tell the story. But this is my first photo-series which I have made till date. My photos published in Natgeo Daily Dozen, Photo Burst online travel magazine, Smart photography magazine and many more travel and different magazines also.

Photo By: Chirantan Bhawal

You can find Shibasish Saha on the Web :

• Facebook
• Instagram

Copyrights:
All the pictures in this post are copyrighted Shibasish Saha. Their reproduction, even in part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.