We are at it again, folks.
We want to see rural India through your lens for our second annual Village Vibe photo competition.
Last year, the first edition of our Village Vibe photo exhibition, held at India Habitat Centre in November 2021, was a resounding success. We asked for artful, insightful and quirky photos of vibrant rural life and we got 2,500 photos of astoundingly good quality across six thematic areas crucial to village life.
Here are the highlights from our last year’s event.
This year we are turning it up – or perhaps down – a notch as we want to see how rural India rests and relaxes, parties and has fun with our theme Downtime In Rural India – How Rural India Relaxes.
As ever we are looking to India’s photo community to help us in our charge of breaking the preconceived notion that rural India is just a place of drudgery and backwardness. The stereotype of poverty and toil completely misses the lived human experiences in villages.
Help us document the unique, exciting ways in which rural India takes a break.
Through your lens, we want to see how rural India celebrates, plays and takes a break – from the way it celebrates its unique and special festivals to everyday leisure and entertainment.
The five categories of the photo competition are:
FESTIVALS – the known and the unknown: We want to see how rural India celebrates its festivals – the big, well known festivals and even the tiny, sub-regional or obscure festivals. Dazzle us with the colours, joy and excitement that festivals bring. But also enlighten and educate us about how they are celebrated, unique aspects or even unknown traditions, commemorations and carnivals. From Diwali, Holi and Eid to Sarhul, Chhath Puja, and Onam – surprise us.
FOOD AND DRINK – What people eat and drink paints a picture of who they are, where they come from, what language they speak or god they worship. And in a land as diverse and rich as India – the buffet table is endless. Show us. Make us wish we were there smelling the aromas and hearing the crackle and pop as feasts are prepared. Make our mouths water or our jaws drop. Make us hungry.
EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY – We love it and loath it. We wish there was both more and less of it in our lives. But often urban India cannot fathom that rural India also embraces technology – its highs and lows – as much as we do. Show us. Prove us wrong. As more mobile phones, internet connectivity and trendy apps find their way into rural India, show us how it fills people’s downtime – how it’s offering entertainment and recreation – both as users and creators.
SPORTS & GAMES – People in rural India rarely have access to fancy sporting equipment, stadiums or facilities. But that has not stopped them from finding pleasure in sports and games, creating pastimes from few resources or even seeking ways to stay fit. Can your lens capture these? From outdoor to indoor – from gully cricket to dodgeball to ludo to…? What can you introduce us to? Different regions of India have their own distinct games with their innovative, quirky rules. Blow the whistle, click the pic and show us.
R&R DOWNTIME – What have we missed? Some women taking a break from farming to talk under a tree? Men sitting around the chai wallah’s pot? Kids playing in a river? A sadhu napping in the shade? There are many ways to get rest and relaxation, or even a party, that have nothing to do with festivals, technology, food & drink or sports & games – this category is your place to show us how rural Indians relax in those other ways.
Each category will have a winner, two runners-up, and people’s choice award.
The photos of winners and runners-up under each category will be announced on 14 November at Delhi’s prestigious Indian Habitat Centre, where they will be on display for three days.
Then the exhibit will move to Delhi’s premier outdoor space, Sundar Nursery, for the rest of November and December.
Sign up here: 2nd Annual Village Vibe Photo Competition – Downtime in rural India – How Rural India Relaxes. Terms and conditions of the competition are included in the sign-up form.
Prizes:
Winners and runners-up in each category will be awarded with vouchers worth Rs 50,000 across categories along with Village Square goodies. (Rs. 5,000 for winner, Rs 3,000 for 1st runner-up, Rs 2,000 for 2nd runner-up).
The people’s choice award winners will be given Rs 2500/-.
Deadline:
3 November, 2022
Application link:
The application link is close now.
Judges:
Entries under each category will be judged by a panel of two acclaimed photographers/photo-journalists.
But you, our readers and viewers, are judges too. We want to know what you have to say about the pictures by choosing your favourite for our People’s Choice category.
The voting link for people’s choice award will be open between 1 November and 5 November, 2022. Stay tuned for more!
The lead image at the top shows third prize winner from last year’s competition in Healthy Living category (Photo by Pranab Basak)
