Oh! Kolkata !!

Oh! Kolkata!! , The City of Joy – The City of Poets, Artists and Philosophers - is a city of many moods and Avatars and colored in as many hues. The erstwhile capital of British India, Kolkata, is a beautiful collage of the English imperial culture and the traditional Bengali way of life, interspersed with all the elements of a modern metropolis.

Kolkata formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal & located on the east bank of the Hooghly River. The city has a population of about 14.2 million, making it the third-most populous metropolitan area in India and the 13th-most populous urban area in the world.

The name ‘Kolkata’ has its roots in Kalikata , the name of one of the three villages (Kalikata, Sutanuti, Govindapur) in the area before the arrival of the British. ’Kalikata’ , in turn, is believed to be a version of Kalikshetra (Bengali Kalikkhetro - Land of the goddess Kali ). Thus, while the city's name has always been pronounced ‘Kolkata’ in the local language, its official English name was changed from ‘Calcutta’ to ‘Kolkata’ in 2001, in order to reflect the original pronunciation. In part, this was a move to erase the negative legacy of British rule.

Kolkata is a city to be felt, heard and smelled, as much as it is to be seen . If you delve deeper, bereft of pre-conceived judgments your experience is sure to be one that will leave a deep impact on you. Especially during the ‘Durga Puja’ in october every year, when every true Kolkatan worth his salt and Shondesh wants to be in the city, Kolkata is not to be missed for it’s visual, artistic, gastronomic & celebratory splendor paralleled by few other in the world.

‘Oh! Kolkata ‘ is my ode to the city and it’s people.

http://subhashsharma.photoshelter.com/

AWARD: 2nd Prize MFI photo Contest 2011

Holi celebrations in the Braj region of India


I am very happy to inform that my above moody single "Braj Ki Holi" has just won the 2nd prize in the Arts and Culture category at the Media Foundation of India Photo Contest 2011 .
The award ceremony will be held in May, also a book of all the prize wining images is in the works.

...........With the Holi approaching this weekend .....I guess I 'll just relax this time ........maybe stroll down Juhu beach .....no pics.........just want to be on the other side of the lens.......color in hand........and have loads of fun.