Capturing Bathukamma through lens

Hyderabad: Photographs connect us to our past and remind us of people, places, feelings and stories. Keeping this concept in mind, the Telangana State Photojournalists Association Greater Hyderabad unit on Thursday honoured all those who have clicked best images of the Bathukamma celebrations.

The photographs were selected by a panel from among the large number of entries that were received from across the State.

A total number of 90 members participated in the competition including non-photojournalists. The best three photographs received the first, second and third prizes and seven were given consolation prizes.

Narre Rajeshwar of Namaste Telangana has won the first prize, Surya Sridhar, Telangana Today, has secured second spot and Gandrath Venkatesh, freelancer from Peddapalli got third prize.

Kalvakuntla Kavitha, former MP and president of the Telangana Jagruthi, who gave away the awards to the winners, said Bathukamma got its prime place after Telangana State was formed and it was a pleasure to see how hard the photographers had strived to capture every special moment of the festival celebrations.

Lot of effort has gone into the pictures, she said, adding that the photographers should always strive to click photos in a manner which would be remembered forever and people should talk about them just as we speak about Raja Deen Dayal, who was a legendry photographer during 1870s.

Kavitha expressed hope that the Association would conduct many more such competitions and encourage the upcoming photographers as well.

Among those who were present on the occasion were Mamidi Harikrishna, Director, Telangana Culture Department, K Srinivas Reddy, Editor, Telangana Today and V Ramu Sarma, Editor, The Hans India.