"Photo Feature" : Bhagoria: The Festival of Love, Life and Colours

-Photo Feature-

Bhagoria: 

The Festival of Love, Life and Colours

India is rich in varied customs. Diverse cultural and traditional activities can be observed in different parts of the country. Bhagoria is one of them. Bhagoria is a festival of love, life, music and colors. It carves a special niche amongst the tribal people of Madhya Pradesh.  Mr. Kailash Mittal of Indore is before us with a photo feature about this event.

 -Dr. Pankaj Sharma

 “Bhagoria is a tribal festival of Nimad and Jhabua regions of Madhya Pradesh, India. This is a trademark celebration of the Bhils and Bhillalas. It is believed that the people of the village, “Bhagor” of District Jhabua started celebrating this festival many years back. Thus this is known as Bhagoria.

The festival marks the onset of the spring season and falls a few days before the festival of colours, i.e., Holi every year. This unique festival can be witnessed at its peak on the Gujarat-Rajasthan border of Madhya Pradesh. The celebration starts with the tribal music and dance. The tribal people are an important part of Madhya Pradesh and contribute a lot to the culture of the state. It is a sparkling occasion, accompanied by singing, dancing and drunken revelry. Bhagoria is one of the most entertaining tribal festivals where young boys and girls are permitted to choose their partners. A number of shops equipped with local items add to the charm of this occasion. Varied means of amusement, especially for children, are also available during this festivity. ”

-Kailash Mittal, Indore

 

“Obituary” Tribute to an Exceptional Photo-Artist Balbir Singh, IIPC Diamond

“Obituary”

Tribute to an Exceptional Photo-Artist

Balbir Singh, IIPC Diamond

Balbir Singh (Nainital, India), a courageous photo-artist, passed away on 11^th March, 2013 in Patiala, where he was admitted in a hospital for treatment. Balbir Singh was ill for past few months.

Born in 1956, Balbir Singh was fond of photography since his school days. Unfortunately he had a hard-hitting time in 1976 when his both legs were paralysed due to a problem in spinal cord. This incident brought him under deep grief, and his passion for photography was left far behind. He struggled hard and at last conquered over his depressed life. As a result of his honest attempts, he got job in State Bank of India in 1983. This boosted his courage. Now he decided to breathe life into his hobby, i.e. photography. However, this was not so easy due to his physical immobility. He finally got a three-wheeled scooter. This added wings to his passion. Now his camera became his companion and he never looked back. He did not take halt in his voyage of art till the last days of his life.

He achieved a number of awards and recognitions for his art works. His photographs were displayed in numerous shows in different cities of India. The images clicked by him got wide appreciation.

A few years back I had to go to Nainital to judge a photography contest. He was among the organizers of this event. Unfortunately his mother passed away a few days before this event. During our telephonic conversation he said, “The passing away of my mother is a natural phenomena. The schedule of contest's judging should not be postponed ….The show must go on……….” His words doubled my respect for him.   

We salute him for his valuable contribution in the field of art-photography. He will always be remembered for his indomitable courage and his true love for art-photography. May his noble soul rest in peace.

--Dr. Pankaj Sharma