India, with its diverse culture, offers a variety of festivals. There are celebrations on one hand, on the other it has issue like poverty, political identity crisis and farmers’ unrest. citizens from different parts of the country try to portray such stories. Let’s have a look…
Battle of colours
Barsana, a small town at a distance of 42 km from Mathura, is the birthplace of Radha – Lord Krishna’s beloved. Holi is celebrated with great enthusiasm in this town. ‘Barsana Holi’ is marked by a mock ‘battle’ of colours between men and women. The vanquished men are made to dress like women and dance. Thus, this young Barsana holi warrior tries to protect himself from splash of colours, from the disgrace that would follow if lost. Photograph by: Puneet Arora, IT Professional, New Delhi
Religious fervour
Thousands of devotees from all around the country gather to perform spiritual rituals during Magh Mela – one of country’s largest religious festivals. This old man is one such devotee, who came from a far-off village. Exhausted by the tedious journey, the old man agreed to pose for a photograph. But his parched face could not carve out a smile. Photograph by: Aamir Khan, Student, Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh)
Deliver us from evil
Karuppusamy dance, the most popular dance form in Tamil Nadu, is performed during the Dasara festival. The performance takes place near the Karuppanar Kovil shrine, which is believed to keep evil spirits away from the village. Here, a Karuppusamy professional dancer is all set to perform. All these performers embellish themselves using vibrant costumes and bright makeup. Photograph by: Arun Kumar, Photographer, Perambalur (Tamil Nadu)
Age of Innocence
Unaware of the miseries and maladies of the world, the four-year-old giggles when asked for a photograph. Evidently, life’s simple pleasures give her happiness. She was on her way back from their harvesting land, which they own at a small village in Bengal called Dignagor. Photograph by: Ankita Paul, Student, Kolkata (West Bengal)
Terror in the hills
The ongoing violence in the serene hills of Darjeeling, regarding the Gorkhaland issue, has made the peaceful lives of the locals turbulent. The two-year-old girl, a local, bursts into tears when a group of army men crosses the vicinity. Though peace has been restored, but somewhere it reminds her of the days of unrest. Photograph by: Indrani Bose, Student, Kolkata (West Bengal)
Against all odds
Delhi Haat, the biggest and most renowned market in the capital city, provides a platform to various artists to showcase their art – be it their craftwork or performance. Chau dance, a semi classical dance form with tribal origin, is quite popular here. A chau dancer, despite his leg injury, performs in the haat, only to support his family financially. He rests his leg after the performance. Photograph by: Ria Saini, Journalist, New Delhi
