As the deadline for the second Village Vibe photo competition approached, more and more stunning entries started to swarm in. We knew the task of shortlisting was not going to be easy.
But our jaws dropped as we glanced through the extraordinary pictures that you have sent. While our esteemed judges deliberate over the winners, we want to know from you – our prized Village Square followers – which you think are the best pictures.
You can access the voting link by clicking here – as we are once again opening our second annual Village Vibe photo competition up to the public. Each segment will have one People’s Choice Winner.
Warning: your job is not going to be easy as all the photos are spectacular.
Downtime – How rural India relaxes
For this year’s competition we turned to our growing photo community to help us break the strong, continuing belief about rural India being a place of drudgery and backwardness.
We wanted to see, through their lens, how rural India rests and relaxes, parties and has fun with our theme Downtime In Rural India – How Rural India Relaxes.
The five categories of this year’s photo competition are:
FESTIVALS – the known and the unknown: We wanted to see how rural India celebrates its festivals – the big, well known festivals and even the tiny, sub-regional or obscure festivals.
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.
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.
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.
R&R DOWNTIME – This category is your place to show us how rural Indians relax in ways other than what are mentioned in the categories above.
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. Following that the stunning photos will be exhibited at Delhi’s premier park, Sundar Nursery. So plan a day out – a picnic or a walk in the park – to stroll past the Village Vibe photo exhibit late in November through the new year.
Feature Image by Santanu Bose.
