Explore the Vibrant Culture of India Through Stunning Photography
Silk Road TV presenter Sumnima Udas: “As soon as I saw the picture I thought — this is India. A sea of people, pushing, rushing, striving to meet a goal. The fact that you can’t see the earthen pot full of curd makes this photo even more interesting. I’ve been to many such celebrations before, and it’s not easy to take a photo that so perfectly captures the energy, color and vibrancy of India.”
Imran Shah: “Brick making is an unorganized industry, generally confined to rural areas and is one of the largest employment industries in India. The laborers usually work in hard conditions for 12-14 hours a day, earning less than $150 a month. The emission of a huge quantity of toxic elements is causing serious health hazards to workers, with most suffering from respiratory or skin problems.”
CNN Travel producer Maureen O’Hare: “The parched, dusty reds contrast with the hydrating green bucket, giving a visceral sense of the harsh working conditions at the brick kiln.”
After CNN published a story on India’s best Instagrammers, we asked if you could do better, showing us your India with the hashtag #MyIndiaCNN. You responded…in your hundreds. The Silk Road enlisted the help of top Instagrammers @siddharthajoshi, @indiapictures, @khannachandan, @ravimishraindia, @abirladianu, and @anushree_fadnavis; Silk Road TV presenter Sumnima Udas and key CNN staff chose our favorites. It was a tough job!
Instagrammer Ashok Saravanan impressed the judges with this photo of a man holding an idol of the Hindu elephant god Ganesha, taken on the last day of the Ganeshotsav festival at Marina Beach, Madras.
“In these lanes, one sees hundreds of potters and artisans who are involved in making thousands of (religious) idols each year,” said Sil.
CNN Travel producer Maureen O’Hare: “Your eyes are immediately drawn to this young girl’s challenging, confident stare. She’s making sure no one messes with her or her grandfather.”
“It was around 6:45 PM, I was heading back to the office after an assignment. It was cloudy and suddenly the sun shone — it was a nice light and the paddy was adding color to it,” said Meraj.
“Agricultural land is shrinking at an alarming rate in Kashmir valley. At the current rate, 5,550 hectares per year, Kashmir is set to lose all of its paddy land in the next 25 years.”
Chetan Kumar: “The cool breeze and the soft rays of sunlight on the open fields were beautiful and captivating. I love the soft light falling on the flowers with the tree at the background.”
