Category Archives: Arts, Culture & Entertainment

NATIONAL: I.T. / INNOVATION: India’s Easternmost District, Changlang of Arunachal Pradesh gets PM’s Award for Excellence for its Innovative ‘New Age Learning Centre, (NALC)

The award is for a flexible New Age Learning Centre set up at Miao in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh.

Changlang in Arunachal Pradesh, India’s easternmost district, on Friday received the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration for its innovative New Age Learning Centre (NALC).

Sunny K. Singh, the district’s Deputy Commissioner who conceptualised the centre, received the award given in the category of “innovation”.

NALC is a flexible, futuristic, leisure learning space-cum-library set up in a part of the Miao subdivisional office to enable people from all age groups to learn and improve every aspect of their personality.

The space is designed according to the comfort, needs, and demands of the users. Anyone can access the facilities without any membership fee, Mr. Singh said, crediting the project to teamwork.

“Apart from government officials, NGO and community members are involved in the project. It is a proud moment for all of us,” he said.

He said that community involvement has helped NALC run sustainably. The award has motivated those involved to replicate the concept elsewhere in the district, arguably the most geographically challenged in the northeastern part of India.

Prime focus

Mr. Singh said the NALC’s focus is also on e-learning through free Wi-Fi, online training through tablets, e-reading through Kindle, etc.

“It is kept open for children and members on all days and also late at night during exams. The NGO volunteers help the library staff ensure seamless operation. So, the idle time has been significantly reduced and the usage has almost doubled,” he said.

Among the other features at the NALC are free provisioning of books, including those for competitive exams, CCTV surveillance, air conditioning and heating to enable children to learn at ease, recording of videos of all activities for future reference and providing the members first-hand feedback of their activities, promotion of peer-to-peer learning to enable cross-exchange of talent, and ideas and skills.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: BUDDHISM CONFERENCE: India to Host 02-day ‘International Buddhist Conference’

Over 170 delegates from foreign countries and 150 from India would participate in the summit to be held on April 20-21 in the national capital.

India will host an international summit on Buddhism which would be attended by delegates from 30 countries, a notable exception being China. Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, was also unlikely to attend the two-day conclave.

The maiden conference being organised by the Union Culture Ministry and the International Buddhist Confederation will discuss contemporary global issues through a Buddhist perspective.

“India is the birthplace of Buddhism. The summit aims to find solutions to problems such as climate change, poverty, and conflict, among others, by exploring the Buddhist teachings and practices,” Union Culture Minister G. Kishan Reddy said.

Over 170 delegates from foreign countries, including Mexico, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Japan, and 150 from India would participate in the summit to be held on April 20-21 in the national capital.

The delegates include prominent scholars, monks, diplomats and members of Buddhist organisations across the globe.

The largest number of delegates are from Sri Lanka (20) and Vietnam (30), Abhijit Haldar, Director General of International Buddhist Confederation, said.

He said that while no delegate had confirmed from China, there would be two participants from Taiwan.

“The invitations were sent to various Buddhist institutions and not to governments,” he added.

He also mentioned that the Dalai Lama might not attend the event due to “health issues”.

The Tibetan spiritual leader has been at the centre of a controversy earlier this month over an incident with a minor boy.

PM to inaugurate conclave

The conference themed “Responses to Contemporary Challenges from Philosophy to Praxis” would be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The discussion would be under four themes Buddha Dhamma and Peace, Buddha Dhamma: Environmental Crisis, Health and Sustainability, Preservation of Nalanda Buddhist Tradition and Buddhist Pilgrimage, Living Heritage and Relics.

The conference was expected to produce a document for further academic research and study the viability of Buddhism as a tool for the conduct of international relations on global stage.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: Miss. INDIA: Rajasthan’s 19-year-old Nandini Gupta Wins ‘Femina Miss India World 2023’

Nandini Gupta was crowned by the former Femina Miss India 2021 winner, Sini Shetty.

Rajasthan’s Nandini Gupta was crowned Femina Miss India World 2023 in a grand ceremony on Saturday, 15 April.

The 19-year-old beauty queen, who hails from Kota, will represent India at the 71st edition of the grand Miss World Pageant in the United Arab Emirates.

Along with Nandini, Delhi’s Shreya Poonja was announced as the first runner-up, and Manipur’s Thounaojam Strela Luwang was crowned the second runner-up.

Femina Miss India also made the big announcement on their official Instagram handle and wrote, “WORLD – here she comes! Nandini Gupta has conquered our stage and taken over our hearts with her magnetism, charm, endurance and beauty! We’re so proud and can’t wait to see her on the Miss World stage! We’re so proud of your journey and all the hard work you’ve undertaken to earn the crown to your full credit. May you shine always! Ladies and gentlemen, welcome your new reigning queen, Nandini Gupta, Femina Miss India World 2023. Heartiest congratulations to you @nandiniguptaa13.”

Here, take a look:

The 59th edition of Femina Miss India was held in Manipur this year. The grand finale of the pageant was held on 15 April in a star-studded ceremony that celebrated the ethos of beauty in diversity.

The evening kicked off with performances by the former winners of the pageant, including Sini Shetty, Rubal Shekhawat, Shinata Chauhan, Manasa Varanasi, Manika Sheokand, Manya Singh, Suman Rao, and Shivani Jadhav.

Several Bollywood actors, including Kartik Aaryan and Ananya Panday, also performed at the ceremony.

Whereas, Manish Paul and Bhumi Pednekar kept the audience engaged with their witty hosting.

source/content: thequint.com (headline edited)

WORLD RECORDS: ARTS & CULTURE / DANCE: Assam’s Bihu Dance sets 02 World Records with over 11,000 Dancers and Musicians taking the stage

With over 11,000 dancers and musicians, Assam’s Bihu dance breaks two world records and is inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records.

Assam’s Bihu dance has made history by setting two world records with over 11,000 dancers and musicians taking the stage at the Sarusajai Stadium in Guwahati. More than 7,000 dancers, most of whom were female, and more than 3,000 drummers and musicians from all districts of the state performed the popular traditional dance style, which is practised across Assam, particularly during the spring festival of Bohag Bihu or Rongali Bihu.

Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief minister of Assam, posted unforgettable moments of the MegaBihu rehearsal on Twitter. He added that two world records set in Sarusajai had earned them entry into the Guinness Book of World Records today.

The event sought to break two world records: the largest Bihu dance performance and the largest performance by traditional folk musicians employing instruments including the “dhol,” “pepa,” “gogona,” and “toka.”

Rishi Nath, the official Guinness World Records judge, claimed that 500 Bihu dancers made up the previous record-breaking crowd before the event. He described the event as “mesmerising.”

Speaking at the event, the Assam chief minister expressed his belief that the people of Assam need to present themselves as a proud race on the world stage, and that their mentality of limiting themselves to certain boundaries has held them back.

He also spoke about the need to showcase the bravery and valour of historical figures from Assam, such as Lachit Barphukan, to the rest of the world. The event was well-received, with Guinness World Record adjudicator Rishi Nath describing it as “absolutely fantastic.”

While the exact number of musicians who participated in the second performance is yet to be determined, officials have indicated that it will be recorded in the official certificates.

The event was organised by the Assam government, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will present them with their official Guinness World Records certificates during a similar performance on Friday.

source/content: indiatvnews.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: HISTORY / TREASURES: Chhatrapati Shivaji’s Ceremonial Sword ‘Jagdamba’ may travel to India from the U.K. for a year

Maharashtra is in talks with the Centre to be guarantor for the journey of the sword, gifted by Shivaji IV to the then Prince of Wales, to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the warrior king’s coronation.

‘Jagdamba’, the ceremonial sword of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji, may soon return to Maharashtra from a museum in the United Kingdom for about a year, to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the famed Maratha ruler’s ascension to the throne.

The sword, set with several diamonds and rubies, was presented to Albert Edward, then Prince of Wales and later King Edward VII, by Shivaji IV “as a relic of the Maratha Chief Shivaji to whom it formerly belonged” during the former’s visit to India in 1875-76.

The Maharashtra Government has started talks with the Centre to get the sword from Saint James’s Palace in London, State Cultural Affairs Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar told The Hindu.

The Minister, who is likely to visit London in May to hold discussions with officials in the U.K., said that the Centre would be the guarantor to get the sword back to India for a brief period. “I will personally reach out to U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in this regard. We wish to keep it in Maharashtra for at least one year. It is touched by the Maharaj [Shivaji Maharaj] and is extremely valuable for us since,” Mr. Mungantiwar said.

The first effort to bring back the sword was made by freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and after Independence, several Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, including the first CM, Yashwantrao Chavan, pursued the matter.

“It will be a moment of pride if we get back the Jagdamba sword to mark the 350th anniversary of Shivaji’s coronation in 2024. Once we get the sword, we will organise a series of events across the State for the special day,” Mr. Mungantiwar said.

Shivaji was crowned as emperor of his realm at Raigad Fort on June 6, 1674, and he was said to had three swords named ‘Bhavani’, ‘Jagdamba’, and ‘Tulja’.

Bhavani and Tulja, both battle swords, are currently at Satara and the Sindhudurg Fort, respectively. Jagdamba, the ceremonial sword, is at Saint James’s Palace under the purview of the British Royal Family.

The Prince of Wales was a keen collector of antique weapons, and before his scheduled visit to India, he instructed all the British officials here to find which ruler had the “best antique” weapons with historical significance, historian Indrajit Sawant, author of Shodh Bhavani Talwaricha (‘In search of Bhavani sword’), said.

He said that Shivaji IV was about 11 years old when he gifted the Jagdamba sword used by Shivaji Maharaj to the British prince, like several other Indian kings of the time.

“During their historical meeting in Mumbai, as a return gift, the Prince of Wales presented a sword to Shivaji IV, which is currently at the New Palace Museum at Kolhapur. A catalogue also describes the Jagdamba sword as that of Shivaji Maharaj and its specifications in detail,” Mr. Sawant said.

The 18th century weapon’s whole object dimensions are “127.8 x 11.8 x 9.1 cm” and its blade length is 95 cm.

Mr. Sawant said that a catalogue at the museum read: “Sabre: Maratha straight, one-edged old European blade, with two grooves on each side, in one of which I.H.S. is stamped three times; the raised steel supports at the hilt are damascened with gold in floral designs; the guarded hilt is iron with a broad knuckle guard and a circular pommel, terminating in a spike and encrusted with heavy open-work floral decoration of gild thickly set with large diamonds and rubies. Presented by H.H. the Maharaja of Kolhapur as a relic of the Maratha Chief Shivaji to whom it formerly belonged.”

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: ARTS & CULTURE: Kiran Nadar Conferred with France’s Highest Civilian Award, the “Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur”

Ms. Nadar, chairperson of the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art has played a vital role in advancing Indo-French cultural ties, and artistic cooperation.

Philanthropist and art collector Kiran Nadar was recently conferred “Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur” (Knight of the Legion of Honour) by French Ambassador to India Emmanuel Lenain.

The highest French civilian award comes in recognition of Ms. Nadar’s outstanding contribution in the field of art, her commitment to providing greater access to culture both nationally and internationally, and her leading role in fostering Indo-French cultural ties.

Ms. Nadar, chairperson of the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) — a philanthropic initiative in art — and a trustee of the Shiv Nadar Foundation has played a vital role in advancing Indo-French cultural ties, and artistic cooperation.

“It is an absolute privilege for me to be conferred ‘Chevalier de l’Ordre national de la Légion d’Honneur’ and I am deeply grateful to the French Government for this great honour.

“KNMA has a longstanding relationship with France in the cultural space. Our partnership with France has been instrumental in bringing together diverse perspectives and promoting cultural exchange,” said Ms. Nadar in a statement.

In 2022, KNMA joined hands with Alkazi Foundation, and the French Institute in India to create “Converges”, the largest exhibition of original pictures from French photographers ever shown in India.

This exhibition was brought to India as part of “Bonjour India 2022”, a six-month cultural festival organised by France across India as a present for India’s 75th Independence anniversary.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL RECORDS: ARTS & CULTURE: President Biden presents National Humanities Medal to Indian-American Actress and Producer Mindy Kaling

President Biden said that Mindy Kaling empowers a new generation to tell their stories with irreverence and sincerity.

U.S. President Joe Biden has presented the prestigious 2021 National Humanities Medals to Indian-American actress and producer Mindly Kaling, with several others, in recognition of her giving voice to a new generation of storytellers, at a White House ceremony.

The National Medal of Arts is the highest award, given to artists, arts patrons, and groups by the U.S. government. It honours exemplary individuals and organisations that have advanced the arts in America and inspired others through their distinguished achievement, support, or patronage.

Presenting the award to the actress on March 21, at the ceremony attended by First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and the Second Gentlemen, Mr. Biden said that Mindy Kaling is the first woman of colour to create, write, and star in a primetime sitcom.

He added that the 43-year-old actress empowers a new generation to tell their stories with irreverence and sincerity.

“The daughter of Indian immigrants — we know about that, right? Our Vice President is a daughter of Indian immigrants — a mother who was a great scientist,” the U.S. President said.

“Above all, she is hardworking and an adoring mom, just like her own mom was. And, Mindy, we know your mom is always with you in your spirit. We know that,” Mr. Biden added.

“Imbued with humour and heart, Mindy Kaling’s work across television, film, and books inspires and delights, capturing and uplifting the experiences of women and girls across our nation,” the citation of Mindy’s award, read by a military aide later, said.

The award honours individuals or groups whose work has deepened the nation’s understanding of the humanities and broadened citizens’ engagement with history, literature, languages, philosophy, and other humanities subjects.

The 11 other distinguished medal recipients were Judith Francisca Baca, Fred Eychaner, Jose Feliciano, Gladys Knight, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Antonio Martorell-Cardona, Joan Shigekawa, Bruce Springsteen, Vera Wang, The Billie Holiday Theatre, and the International Association of Blacks in Dance.

Richard Blanco, Johnnetta Betsch Cole, Walter Isaacson, Earl Lewis, Henrietta Mann, Ann Patchett, Bryan Stevenson, Amy Tan, Tara Westover, Colson Whitehead and Native America Calling were the recipients of the National Humanities Medal.

thehindu.com (headline edited)

REGIONAL: NATIONAL RECORD: SPORT / CYCLING: National Institute of Mountaineering & Adventure Sports (NIMAS) Team Creates Record Cycling 5,374 kms in 37 days across 6 South East Nations

The team commenced the expedition from Hanoi in Vietnam and culminated it at Indian National Army (INA) Memorial in Singapore, a Defence Ministry statement said.

A team of four officers posted at the National Institute of Mountaineering & Adventure Sports (NIMAS), Dirang in Arunachal Pradesh, created a national record in cycling by covering 5,374 kms in 37 days across six South East Asian nations.

“The team commenced the expedition from Hanoi in Vietnam and culminated it at Indian National Army (INA) Memorial in Singapore. It was carried out in extreme weather conditions where the team members cycled on an average of 9-10 hours a day,” a Defence Ministry statement said. Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt flagged-in the team on Wednesday.

The team led by Col. Ranveer Singh Jamwal, Director, NIMAS, had undertaken the first-ever cycling expedition in six South East Asian Nations — Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore — from January 16, 2023 to March 06, 2023, the statement said. On March 3, they were felicitated by High Commissioner of India to Singapore P. Kumaran.

On the extreme weather conditions, a team member said, “Vietnam was cold, Laos and Cambodia were hot, Thailand and Malaysia were humid while monsoon welcomed us in Singapore.”

Most of the cycles broke down in Laos and Cambodia while in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia the team faced challenges in terms of language and food, he stated. The team was welcomed by Indian population in Malaysia and Singapore.

The team visited over 10 monuments and memorials and interacted with the heroes of Azad Hind Fauj, revisiting the stories of sacrifice and bravery of the INA, the statement said adding that they also scaled the highest peak of Vietnam Mount Fansipan (3,143m).

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL RECORDS: ARTS & CULTURE /ACADEMY AWARDS: India at the Academy Awards: from ‘Mother India’ to ‘RRR’ 

Ahead of the 95th Academy Awards, a look at memorable appearances by Indians at the Oscars over the years.

Come Sunday, Indian cinema is launching one of its biggest offensives ever at the Academy Awards. Naatu Naatu from S.S. Rajamouli’s RRR is up for Best Original Song; it won the Golden Globe, to frenzied jubilation everywhere, two months ago. Meanwhile, two documentaries — Shaunak Sen’s feature-length All That Breathes and Kartiki Gonsalves’s 41-minute The Elephant Whisperers— are in with a shout in their respective categories. It really does look like our year, with celebrations planned and congratulatory posts drafted out in advance. The cinephile excitement is at a peak, so what more could we want?

One answer is Deepika Padukone. Last week, Oscar enthusiasm hit the roof when it was announced that Padukone, after unveiling the FIFA World Cup Trophy in Qatar in 2022, will present an Academy Award alongside the likes of Riz Ahmed, Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt and Samuel L. Jackson. Padukone will be part of a double treat for Indians watching with sleepy eyes on Monday morning, with MM Keeravaani conducting a 2.5-minute Naatu Naatu piece on stage (sadly, no Ram Charan and Jr. NTR to lead the dancers; they’ll be in attendance with director Rajamouli).

Indians at the Academy

Indians, and Indian movies, have been thinly represented at the Oscars. In a history of 94 years, we’ve won six times (the number is marginally improved if you include the technical achievement awards). On the face of it, this shouldn’t be too depressing; the Oscars remain a predominantly American bash. Yet the Academy — a 9000-plus-members honorary body that gives out the awards — has been pushing for increased diversity, and includes many Indians. On a more pedestrian level, if there’s one country as frenetically obsessed with red carpets, flashy performances and celebrity jamborees as the US — the difference, perhaps, is only one of prestige — it’s probably India.

S.S. Rajamouli’s globe-trotting awards tour leading up to the Oscars might make it look like a breeze, but it wasn’t always the case. Indian artists, like Indian scientists and Indian sportspersons, have always starved for budgets. In 1957, the Academy created a separate competitive category for foreign-language films; a year later, Mehboob Khan’s Mother India was sent as India’s first official submission to the Oscars. Khan, already debt-ridden by the film’s gargantuan production, turned to Jawaharlal Nehru for help. He eventually reached LA with his wife Sardar Akhtar and attended screenings for Academy voters, with one concession: the famous sickle-and-hammer logo of Mehboob Productions was excised so as not to upset American sensibilities.

The stratagem didn’t help; Mother India lost out to Federico Fellini’s Nights of Cabiria, significantly — it is claimed — by a single vote. Khan attended the ceremony, but there contrasting reports of his response; he either laughed off the defeat with a smile or was crestfallen enough to suffer a heart attack the following day (Khan died of a heart attack on May 28, 1964, a day after Nehru’s death).

Like Khan, a young Vidhu Vinod Chopra also lacked the means for intercontinental travel when his An Encounter with Faces (1978) was nominated for Best Documentary Short (the saviour, this time around, was LK Advani, the then I&B Minister).

It wasn’t the same experience for Bhanu Athaiya, legendary costume designer and India’s first Oscar winner. Athaiya was awarded for her work on Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi. Columbia Pictures, the film’s distributors, funded her travel to the 1983 ceremony. A trendsetter back home — she dressed films as sartorially wide-ranging as Sahib Bibi Aur GulamTeesri Manzil and Razia Sultan. Athaiya walked up to the stage in a shimmery turquoise drape, paired with choker, danglers and handbag in tow. In contrast to the jokey patter of presenters Steve Guttenberg and Ann Reinking, her speech was simple and short: “Thank you Academy and Sir Richard Attenborough for focusing world attention on India,” she said.

Honouring the greats

By the early 1990s, the Academy had honoured world cinema giants like Akira Kurosawa, Jean Renoir, Charlie Chaplin and Orson Welles. Now came Satyajit Ray’s turn. In March 1992, Ray was ailing in his hospital bed in Kolkata and could not attend the Oscars ceremony in LA. Audrey Hepburn, while presenting his Academy Honorary Award on stage, addressed him with the phonetically accurate ‘R-ai’ (as opposed to the anglicized ‘R-ay’ so many Indians prefer to use). Holding his golden statuette, in a beige embroidered panjabi, Ray joined via a video-feed and spoke of the influence of American cinema in his life. Despite his failing health (he died less than a month later), the master was calm, eloquent and funny — a tonality of televised award shows he understood too well.

The star of Indian cinema has risen piecemeal at the Oscars. In 1987, Chiranjeevi became the first South Indian actor to be guest of honour at the Oscars; two years later, Mira Nair’s Salaam Bombay! was nominated. The new millennium saw Aamir Khan hobnobbing with Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington on the red carpet. His Lagaan was a big deal (ultimately losing out to Bosnian war drama No Man’s Land), but it was Slumdog Millionaire, eight years later, that really kicked down the doors.

Reminiscent of Naatu Naatu’s success, Jai Ho was already a globally downloaded sensation when it won the Oscar for Best Original Song – one of eight the film took home that year. Though a British production, and suitably problematized for its view of urban poverty in India, Danny Boyle’s film turned the Oscars into a joyous Bollywood night. A.R. Rahman, Gulzar and Resul Pookutty won awards, with Rahman winning two. Particularly touching was the final tableau during the Best Picture win — Anil Kapoor beaming, Irrfan Khan struggling to tuck in his cuffs, Dev Patel picking child actor Rubina Ali Qureshi in his arms. A typically Indian assembly, with a bunch of foreigners thrown in.

Deepika Padukone’s appearance at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday will certainly break the internet. Before her, Indian and Indian origin actresses — Priyanka Chopra, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Mindy Kaling, Persis Khambatta — have all partook in the ceremonies, raising the country’s profile and visibility in the global media glare. Chopra, particularly, has displayed an internationalism characteristic of the 21st century Asian crossover star. Now Padukone is poised to do the same. It’s a shiny year for India at the Academy Awards. If a win marks the occasion, there will be nothing like it.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD: Indian-origin California-based Engineer Karthik Subramaniam Wins the Top ‘National Geographic Picture of the Year Photography Award’ for his Photograph of the Bald Eagles catching Salmon in Alaska titled ‘Dance of the Eagles’

The prize-winning picture was captured on the final day of his week-long photography trip to Alaska, in Eagle Preserve, where he watched bald eagles catch salmon from the water.

Karthik Subramaniam, an Indian-origin software engineer in the U.S. and a hobbyist photographer, has won the prestigious National Geographic’s ‘Pictures of The Year’ award with his photograph titled “Dance of the Eagles”.

Selected from nearly 5,000 entries, Subramaniam’s picture won the grand prize on Friday, earning him a feature in the magazine’s May issue alongside Nat Geo’s leading photographers.

The award-winning photograph captured a bald eagle intimidating its peers to claim a prime log while salmon hunting in the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve in Alaska.

“Every year in November, hundreds of bald eagles gather at Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska, to feast on salmon. I visited there last two November to photograph them,” Subramaniam was quoted as saying in the statement.

Salmon and chaos

Camped in the preserve, waiting for the perfect click, Subramaniam’s motto was, “Wherever there’s salmon there’s going to be chaos.”

The California-based software engineer started experimenting with wildlife photography only after being grounded by the pandemic in 2020, before which he used to capture landscapes and his travels.

The prize-winning picture was captured on the final day of his week-long photography trip to Alaska, in Eagle Preserve, where he watched bald eagles catch salmon from the water.

“They (the eagles) also seemed to have some favourite spots to hang out, and usually, commotion ensues when an eagle wants an already occupied spot. This photo was taken during one such commotion,” Subramaniam was quoted as saying in the statement.

“Hours of observing their patterns and behaviour helped me capture moments like these,” he added.

Homage to George R.R. Martin

According to the statement, he titled the photograph “Dance of the Eagles” as a homage to a fictional dragon war in George R.R. Martin’s novel A Dance with Dragons.

In recognition of his work, Subramaniam also received a six-month digital subscription to the magazine.

Tied to the annual ‘Pictures of the Year’ list featuring National Geographic’s top images of the year — 118 out of more than 2 million total — the photo contest invited aspiring photographers from across the country to submit the favourite image they captured in 2022, broken into four categories: Nature, People, Places and Animals, the statement said.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)