NAMRATA KHERA
N A M R ATA K H E R A
W O R L D B E Y O N D
I learned about Yamuna ghat when
I first started photography and
came across a beautiful picture of
a sunset captured at Yamuna ghat.
The place was notorious among
photographers owing to the
migratory seagulls that travelled
there each year. Admittedly, I was
drawn to the place for the very
same reason. Only upon reaching
the place did I realise how much
more the place had to offer. It was
filled with countless stories waiting
to be told. Hence apart from the
seagulls at the ghat, I wanted to
document the lives of the people
living there. This image is the
fruition of the very same desire.
Another detail I like about the
picture is how the door serves as a
portal- giving us a glimpse into the
life of the children while also being
a window to the outside world for
the children, the world that awaits
the child.
This moment was captured in the bustling
streets of Jodhpur, though the fact might not be
too evident in the photograph. This is because
amidst all the chaos of a busy Monday morning,
the old man is completely enamoured by the text
he’s reading. He is adrift on a sea of thoughts, far
away from the confinements of his physical
surroundings.
T H E O U T L I E R
Q U E E N O F
T H E H I L L S
The hills that can be seen in
the picture are those of
Landour, a small town
contiguous with Mussoorie,
which was once widely
known as the "Queen of the
Hills". The sun rays seeping
through the hills are
comparable to a bejewelled
crown which are aptly
adorning the Queen of the
Hills. The photograph is also
a reminder to the fact that
dark times are always
succeeded by good times.
No matter how dark the
night, the sun will find a way
to infiltrate, welcoming a
glorious morning of a new
day.
This photograph was
clicked at Jama Masjid on
the occasion of Eid. This
woman was chaperoning
the children outside the
mosque, waiting on her
husband to return. While her
husband was offering
namaz inside the Masjid,
she had to settle with
offering prayers from a
distance.
A D I S TA N T
P R AY E R
A G A M E O F
S H A D O W S
This was photographed
inside the Jaipur City Palace
on a particularly bright
afternoon. The photograph is
titled so because I had to
wait a long time for the
shadow be cast at a
particular angle to capture
this particular image. 'A
Game of Shadows' also
picturizes how we
continually toy around with
the sun, consistently seeking
shade, just like the subject in
the photograph.
Banaras, home of the holy, is one
of the most chaotic yet calm
places I have been to. I always
heard people speak so fondly of
the place, about the people, the
infamous Ganga aarti and the food,
that I wanted to experience all of it
myself. When an opportunity
presented itself, I readily booked
my ticket to Kashi, the city of
lights. As soon as I reached the
ghat, I knew nothing I heard until
now was an exaggeration; Banaras
is surreal. Amidst the chaos and
unrest, you still feel calm. Ever
since I began photography, I've
always wanted to document the
Ganga aarti. Everything was in
sync and so well coordinated.
Witnessing the passion and belief
with which the pandits performed
the aarti was a remarkable
experience that I'll always cherish.
K A S H I
PAAP
It is widely believed that
taking a dip in the holy
Ganges rids one of all sins.
As I peacefully admired the
beauty of the flowing river,
this thought struck me.
Seeing these men dipping
their entire bodies in the holy
water, I pondered over the
kind of lives they live, sins
they might have committed. I
wanted to capture the
moment to encapsulate their
vulnerability in front of god-
equated water, their belief
that it could wash off their
paap.
J U S T
A N O T H E R D AY
This photo encapsulates the
day to day life of a man living
on the banks of Yamuna. The
view, the seagulls, the river,
which are a part of his daily
life are a hotspot for tourists,
for whom this would be a
moment of a lifetime. He sips
chai, preparing for another
day, which brings with it the
onslaught of new people
dropping by to experience
these things that he is
accustomed to.
S W I N G I N G
T H R O U G H A
L I F E T I M E
I like to go for walks in the
evening with my camera in
hand. On one such day, I
came across this group of
children playing around on
these swings they had made
themselves. They were so
full of life that I was
enamoured by the
innocence and carefreeness
of young age. It reminds me
of how when you’re little,
the whole world is your
playground, but as you grow
old you stop playing and life
passes you by. The
photograph also elucidates
a sense of nostalgia and
makes one reminiscent of
the younger days.
The inspiration behind clicking this picture was the
beautiful symmetry that is created by the boatman
and his oars. The symmetry exudes a feeling of
order, a serene force of nature that can be found
even in the most chaotic of places.
E Q U I L I B R I U M