When I was 5, our
family was invited to a wedding reception of a neighbour. We are Catholic, our
neighbours Muslim, but in a country like India, that's no rare occurrence. I
was the first to walk up the bridegroom and congratulate him and as is
customary in our tradition, I planted a kiss on each cheek. It felt like the
end of the world for 5 year old me, because this action was met with screeches
from my mother, laughter from my sisters and palpable silence from the entire
crowd.
It was my first lesson
in diversity & over time, I've realized that it's a never-ending journey.
This incident in turn made me more observant of the nuances of different
cultures, while heightening the awareness, that beneath it all, we are the
same.
Meandering through the
myriad throng of cultures and subcultures that constitute India, I’ve learnt to
respect opinions that do not concur with mine and have honed my instinct to
identify situations and back off, when I’m stepping on another’s sensibilities.
My eagerness to see the world has taken me to 3 continents and although I have
managed to check several items off, my bucket list is ever-growing.
Although my tryst with
photography began only a couple of years ago, it already feels like a lifetime.
From being a shutterbug to growing to a state of conscious incompetence where I
take time to compose, find the story and tell it through a few pixels, it’s
been a long and arduous journey. However, the years have only served to whet the
passion and child-like inquisitiveness to learn and better myself. This
opportunity is my chance to bring my two loves – Photography & Travel,
together.
