Amazing Photo Workshops in India
Further to our October 2018 Newsletter for listings of our international photo workshops sent out to our subscribers, we are delighted to announce schedules for 2019 / 2020 of our new photo workshop itineraries in India. Our original Golden Triangle workshops in Rajasthan, Pushkar camel fair and the Kerala workshop in Southern India as well as the Varanasi extension continue, however we have the absolute pleasure of including Holi & Hola Mohalla, and Kolkata & Kumbh Mela to our list of itineraries.
In our opinion, there is nowhere on the planet that compares to India for the aspiring travel photographer. This vast country will overwhelm your senses like nowhere else, no matter how many times you return. After living in the Thar desert of Rajasthan for 6 years in my early 20’s, I would consider myself somewhat adopted by it’s people. India is more a state of mind than just a typical far-away destination. For the adventurous traveller looking for the exotic and unexpected, India will leave it’s impression on you forever.
With a population of over 1 billion people and a land mass over twice the size of the European Union, we have always felt that travelling in India should be done in relatively small areas and at a more leisurely pace, compared to attempting to visit various regions on a single visit. Apart from the huge distances involved, part of your travel experience should reflect in just absorbing what lies around you. It is the ideal country where you can just lose yourself and find yourself again, while exploring the surroundings with your camera.
Holi & Hola Mohala are a combined itinerary of the Hindu spring festival of Holi and the Sikh festival of Hola Mohalla. Holi is considered one of the most revered and celebrated festivals, and is celebrated in almost every part of the country. Also known as the festival of love, people of all ages, casts and backgrounds unite with positive energy and good will. Colour is the vital ingredient that turns these joyful festivals into an unbelievably photogenic experience. The night before Holi, during a full moon, huge bonfires are lit to burn out evil spirits and celebrate the triumph of good over evil. The next day brings about a free-for-all of powder dye in the most dazzling array of colours you will ever see. Anyone and everyone participates in this festival, including animals. It is not uncommon to see multicoloured cows wandering the streets! This ancient festival will likely be about the most amazing festival you will ever witness. During Hola Mohala, Sikhs display physical strength and military prowess with amazing swordsmanship and horse riding skills. Our next Holi & Hola Mohala workshops are held in March 13-22, 2019 & March 3-12, 2020.
Kolkata & Kumbh Mela includes a heady mix of Kolkata, India’s second largest city, together with Kumbh Mela – the largest congregation of pilgrims on earth. The former capital of the British empire in India, Kolkata has a dynamic mix of colonial era architecture, urban decay and modern shopping malls. Widely known as the country’s intellectual, artistic and cultural capital, Kolkata will undoubtedly leave you thrilled, overwhelmed and exhausted. Kumbh Mela (the festival of the sacred Pitcher) participants bathe or take a dip in a sacred river. Devotees believe that by bathing in the Ganges one is freed from sins liberating her/him from the cycle of birth and death. Millions of people reach the place without any invitation. The congregation includes ascetics, saints, sadhus, aspirants-kalpavasis and visitors. The festival is held at Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik every four years by rotation and is attended by millions of people irrespective of caste, creed or gender. Kumbh Mela only occurs once every 6 years in Allahabad, so our January 28 – February 9, 2019 itinerary is a rare and unique chance to experience this spiritual spectacle.
A photographic adventure in India is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and for photographers whose preferred photographic subjects include portraits, street photography, environmental portraits and architecture, we highly doubt you will find such photogenic diversity anywhere else on the globe. Even wildlife photographers return time and again to photograph the majestic Bengali and Indochina tigers, asiatic lions, elephants, white giraffe, snow leopards and so much more. As with our other international scheduled workshops, our India itineraries are run through Photo Workshop Adventures – our affiliate with over 150 photo adventures in over 50 countries. Join us for the photo adventure of a lifetime!