PHOTO EXHIBITION by VIDYASAGAR
Vidyasagar Lakka, is an Alumnus of JNTU fine arts Photography and Hyderabad Central University. He did a post-graduate diploma in TV Production, and is currently working as a Photo officer at International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) where photography is not just a means of documentation and communication but also a tool of research of the ‘cosmos’ of the plant world. He is also a member of Telangana Photography Society, Hyderabad. Photography is his passion and he occasionally dwells on the visual narration of the folk traditions of Telangana, and the colours of life in the fledgling state of Telangana. Bonalu is one of its oldest surviving folk festivals, keeping alive the tradition of thanksgiving to Goddess Kali. A photo is worth a thousand words, and photography can go a long way in preserving local cultures and traditions in a world rapidly changing beyond comprehension, that is why he uses his camera as a tool to popularise Telangana festivals and identity of Telangana people.
Embracing the motto ‘show, don’t tell’, the author’s camera becomes a tool for accurate capture of the visual experience of Bonalu, and for the faithful dissemination of his impressions across India and the world. This is, therefore, a result of the author’s passion for the realistic preservation of India’s local cultures and traditions through his photography. It takes you on a tour of Bonalu, revealing the colour, the excitement, the energy and the unforgettable feel of the spectacle that unfolds in the streets of Hyderabad.