Do you know which are the UNESCO World Heritage sites in India? At least 10 of them? No? Then maybe it’s a good idea to peek into an exhibition of photographs ‘UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India and abroad’ which is on his weekend at the Alliance Francaise.
Conceptualised and curated by travel writer and photographer Susheela Nair, the exhibition will feature about 125 photographs.
“I’ve been hosting such photography exhibitions on the theme of adventure sports for the last two years. For a change, I wanted to do a series on heritage sites. But there are so many heritage sites, so I decided to zero in on UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The idea is to create an awareness on the 32 sites in India. There are two in Karnataka – Hampi and Pattadakal,” says Susheela. She has visited about 24 of these sites and ten of her photographs also appear in the exhibition.
Among the natural sites featured from India are the Manas Sarovar, the Kaziranga National Park, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, the Greater Himalayan Region. The exhibition is being presented across three categories — Cultural (Heritage) Sites, Natural Sites and Looking Beyond India. The Natural Sites section includes breathtaking photos of the exotic flora and fauna of the Western Ghats, Komodo dragons in Indonesia, Great Himalayan National Park, the spectacular Nanda Devi Biosphere, etc. The exhibition has photos from heritage sites across 20 countries.
“We called for entries in October 2014. Many of the photographers were not aware of the sites which qualify. We got nearly 250 entries, and are exhibiting 125 of them. The tourism boards of Indonesia and Spain are also participating. Some of the photographers are amateurs, some professionals; most are regular travellers. The idea is not so much about competition as it is about creating awareness. For example, the Kaas plateau in Maharashtra, is like the Valley of Flowers but not well known because it’s off the tourist circuit. Ashok Mansur has sent in pictures of the place.”
Hampi, the Chola Temples in Thanjavur, the imposing hill forts of Rajasthan, the ancient Mountain Railways, erotic panels of Khajuraho, stately churches of Goa, rock-cut splendours of Ajanta and Ellora, the stunning archaeological park in Champaner-Pavgadh, are some of the highlights in the cultural section.
The ‘Looking Beyond India’ section features pictures from the walled city of Khiva in Uzbekistan, red sandstone monuments of Petra, the desert landscape of Wadi Rum, Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, the sculptural extravaganza of Angkor Wat, Red Square in Melaka, incredible monuments of Spain, Golden Temple of Dambulla, the Historic Centre in Macao and so on.
The exhibition showcases photographs of photographers Amar Bhaskar, Anuradha Nadipalli, Arun Bhat , Aruna Chandaraju, Ashok Mansur, B.S. Prasad, B.V. Prakash, Charan Kumar, Dr. B.R. Suhas, Devendra Kumar, Dinesh Shukla, G.S. Krishnamurthy, Indonesia Tourism Board, Indrakumar Dastaenavar, Jayaram K, Jayan N.P., Judhajit Bagchi, Kumar Mangwani,K. Nallatambi, Nagesh Hegde, Prithwiraj Dhang, Rahul Gajjar, Raj Kamal Sahu, Ramakanth, Ranadeep Bhattacharyya, Susheela Nair, Satyanarayana C.R, Shankar Adisesh, Shivananda Kumar, Shivu K., Sohil Laad, Spain Tourism Board, Suresh Raman,and Shashi Kumar.
The four best entries that have been awarded prizes include — first prize to Rahul Gajjar (Baroda) – for his dramatic picture, ‘Moon Rise at Saat Kaman in Champaner-Pavgadh’, second to the Spain Tourism Board for the picture ‘Between Walls in Caceres’, third to Shivu K. for his picture of school children in Pattadakal, and the jury’s Special Mention Award to N.P. Jayan for his stunning landscape of the Silent Valley.
The exhibition will be on January 10 and 11, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Alliance Francaise de Bangalore, Thimmiah Road, Vasanth Nagar. For details contact: 94483 63336 or email essencom@yahoo.co.in
