Immagine, a registered Non Profi t Organization started off as a Facebook page to encourage beginners in photography. As the initiative grew more popular, they organised several photography contests as well as workshops. The name ‘Immagine’ was chosen, as it means ‘image’ in the Italian language.
Over a period of ten months, Immagine conducted a series of 29 online photography contests. The theme of each of these contests was an Indian state. Winners and Top Trios were selected for each theme, and the result was an 87-image repertoire—India Weaved in Frames (IWIF). This book comprises of all those shots from India. Each image comes with a write-up that gives us a peek into the culture and conditions of the state. Immagine has also organised a fund-raising initiative, wherein a major share of the proceeds from book sales will be donated to the welfare of underprivileged children.
The book opens up with a note from Creative Director Gowtham Nandakumar, leading on to the pictures collected from all over India. Ours is a diverse nation, with religion, culture, nature and people making it all the more colourful. This is what the book aims to portray.
Perhaps the variety found in the country is best depicted by the portraits in this book. A glance at pictures of a sardar from Punjab, a Bihu dancer from Assam, an old tribal woman from Himachal Pradesh and a little girl from Arunachal Pradesh are a few examples of the diff erent physical features that the fellow countrymen exhibit. Pictures of the ghoomar folk dance of Rajasthan and the garba which is native to Gujarat manifest the immensely diverse local cultures that exist in these neighbouring states. Images like ‘ Dancing Adonia’ (Mizoram) and ‘Convivial Arunachali’ (Arunachal Pradesh) highlight the communities and culture peculiar to the north-eastern region of the nation. A close-up of a performer at the Bonalu festival, in honour of Goddess Mahakali, which happens in Andhra Pradesh can be seen in ‘God on the Streets’.
An image titled ‘Himalayan treasure’ by Biswajit Patra is a rare view of a sunrise over the Kanchenjunga. Another beautiful shot of the Brahmaputra in Assam, titled ‘The Wonder Boy of Himalaya’ gives a serene picture of the vast river. ‘The Morning Hues’, taken in Goa by Pragat Naik reminds us about the laidback tranquility of this western state. The flora of the country changes drastically as we move to different regions, and this is demonstrated best by a spread with pictures of fields with trees from Karnataka, Meghalaya and Jammu and Kashmir.
India is incomplete without its wildlife, and the book has images of the creatures inhabiting our dense forests as well. ‘The Poster Boy of Assam’ is a grand picture of the Rhinoceros. A pair of blackbucks from Gujarat and baby elephants from Uttarakhand add to the quota of wildlife imagery.
The creators of this book have taken the opportunity to highlight issues that some regions face. ‘Overloaded’ a picture of a man transporting sacks on his cycle in the mineral-rich state of Jharkhand puts focus on the mineral and coal reserves and their impact on the tribals that reside in the area. ‘Against the skies’ shows a silhouette of a young boy on a boat at a beach in Chennai, and the description speaks of the harmful effect of tourism on the marine eco-system.
No amount of imagery can do justice to the land of contrasts that is India. India Weaved in Frames is a collection of glimpses into the crowded religious festivals, the silent mountains and valleys, the enormous coastline and the diverse population of India. The contributors are from India as well as abroad, and each photographer brings his own unique perspective. Some of them are locals, merely trying to capture the beauty of a daily occurrence, whereas some bring to sight the exotic quality of a location they have travelled to. The book is recommended for travellers who have toured through the country, as well as for people who wish to see a lot of it.
Creative Director: Ar. Gowtham Nandakumar
Write-up: Mr Kishan Sabi and Mr K Dibyajyoti Mohanta
Price: Rs.700 (soft binding) and Rs.800 (hard binding)
Tanika Godbole
