Profile : A Visionary in Art and Photography: Manish Khattry

-Profile- 
A Visionary in Art and Photography:
Manish Khattry

On the 8th of February 1973, an artist’s soul graced this world—one destined to leave an indelible mark in the realms of art, literature, music, and culture. From a tender age of 16, Manish Khattry’s creative brilliance found its way into the pages of a leading daily newspaper through his cartoons. What began as a youthful passion soon transformed into a lifelong devotion to the artistic world.

In 1994, he pioneered a revolution in Indian art by introducing the computer as a recognized medium of artistic expression. Training over 3,000 students, he guided them to showcase their digital artworks in prestigious galleries, including the esteemed Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi.

Among all artistic pursuits, photography became his true calling—a medium through which he could immortalize the timeless essence of Banaras. With a keen eye for antiquity and an unwavering passion for storytelling, he has spent over a decade capturing the rich cultural heritage of Varanasi. His collection, now exceeding a million images, intricately portrays the city's diverse facets—its architecture, daily life, fairs, festivals, food, and crafts. This labour of love is not merely a photographic endeavour but an earnest mission to preserve the real, ever-evolving Banaras for generations to come.

His work has earned him the prestigious title of the top-ranked street photographer in the world. With a deep commitment to sharing his vision, he has compiled and published numerous books, each an artistic masterpiece and a visual narrative of Banaras.

Some of his notable publications include Varanasi –

‘Varanasi - The Luminous City’ (2007)

‘My World Through My Lens’ (2014)

‘The Book of Banaras’ (2015 & 2017) got unveiled by honorable Governor of Uttar Pradesh, India Shri Ram Naik

‘The Life of Banaras’ :: Volume 1 - Black and White (2017)

‘Bhaj Vishwanatham’ - The first coffee-table book of Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple (Hindi - 2017)

‘The Life of Banaras’ :: Volume 2 - Color (2018)

‘Sanskrit Bhagirathi’ (2018)

‘Mysterious Banaras’ (2019)

‘Kashi - Older than History’ by Times Group & Ministry of Tourism for the Pravasi Bhartiya (2019)

‘Magh Mela Prayagraj’ (2019)

‘Bhaj Vishwanatham’ - Pictorial story of Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple (English - 2019)

‘Banaras - Sacred Thread of Eternal Peace’ (2019)

‘Banaras ke Thath - 84 Ghat’ by Jagran Group (2020)

‘Guru Nanak Dev Ji - Footsteps in Banaras & Beyond’ (2020)

‘Banaras - City Eternal’ (2020)

‘Kashi - Fairs and Festivals / Lakkha Mela’ (2020)

‘Sublime Banaras by IndiaOil’ (2022)

‘Kashi Rahasya 1 - Shiva Khand’ (2022)

‘Kashi - Ek Nagar Ka Mahakavya’ (2023)

‘Baba and Me - Bharat Ratna Ustad Bismillah Khan’ (2023)

‘Modi ka Banaras’ (2024)

‘Yug Pravartak’ - Portraits of Shri Narendra Modi by Maniah Khattry (2024)

‘Meri Kashi - Older than History’ (2024) by Ministry of Tourism for the G20 summit published by Times Group, released by the Prime Minister

‘Refractions - Seven Perspective - One Spectrum’ (2024)

‘Timeless Kashi’ (2025)

‘Shivoham - a pictorial story of Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham’ (2025)

‘Unscripted’ (2025)

and 20+ upcoming publications and many more, with over 20 upcoming publications. 

Taking Banaras to the world, he showcased his black-and-white photographic exhibition, Life of Banaras, at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Indian Culture, Mauritius, organized by the High Commission of India. With invitations to exhibit in several other countries, his vision continues to transcend boundaries.

His artistic excellence has been honoured with multiple awards, including three Gold, two Silver, and one Bronze in the Kashi Sansad Photography Pratiyogita 2024.

A gold medallist in Master of Fine Arts from Banaras Hindu University, he also contributed to academia as a visiting faculty at the Department of Applied Arts, BHU. His photographic contribution to the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ campaign earned him a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.

As he continues his journey, compiling and publishing timeless visual stories, his unwavering passion and dedication serve as an inspiration to artists and storytellers worldwide.

(The pictures shared in this article are from the series of Manish on the theme “Kashi ~ Colors of the Life in Monochrome”)

Photographs and text courtesy: Manish Khattry.
Manish Khattry's profile photo courtesy: Manoj Kar

--Dr. Pankaj Sharma