Bhubaneswar, Oct. 3 (UDN): The winners of the ‘Kala O Camera’ photography competition were felicitated at a special ceremony held at Rabindra Mandap in Bhubaneswar, celebrating Odisha’s rich artistic traditions, heritage and endangered art forms through the lens of photography.
Culture Minister Suryavansi Suraj presented the awards to the winners at the event organised by the Odisha Lalit Kala Academi in collaboration with the Department of Odia Language, Literature and Culture.
Over 500 Photographers Take Part
The competition witnessed participation from more than 500 contestants, who submitted over 600 photographs based on three themes:
Tangible Heritage of Odisha
Intangible Heritage of Odisha
Endangered Art of Odisha
Following evaluation by a panel of eminent photographers, the top 10 entries were selected for awards.
‘Whisper of the Mist’ Wins First Prize
Photographer Debadatt Behera secured the first position for his photograph titled ‘Whisper of the Mist’ and received a cash prize of ₹25,000.
Ajay Mohan Sahu, for ‘Pratyushere Mukteswar’, and Chinmay Kumar Nayak, for ‘Faith in God’, jointly secured the second position and received ₹15,000 each.
Dharma Sangram Amanta bagged the third position and received ₹10,000.
Participants securing positions from fourth to tenth were awarded ₹3,000 each by the Odisha Lalit Kala Academi.
Minister Appreciates Photographers
Congratulating the winners and participants, Minister Suryavansi Suraj appreciated their efforts to showcase Odisha’s art, architecture, sculpture and cultural heritage through photography.
The minister also felicitated the members of the jury panel comprising photographers Prafulla Chandra Dhir, Surendra Kumar Sahu, Dilip Kumar, Dhir Samant and Ashish Kumar Jena.
Photo Exhibition Showcases Odisha’s Heritage
A photography exhibition titled ‘Kala O Camera – Ama Kala, Ama Asmita’ was also inaugurated during the programme.
The exhibition features selected photographs from the competition, offering visitors a visual journey through Odisha’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage as well as its traditional art forms facing the threat of decline.
Following the inauguration, the Culture Minister toured the exhibition and interacted with artists.
Ekamra MLA Babu Singh, Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department Secretary Dr. Vijay Ketan Upadhyay, Odisha Lalit Kala Academi Secretary Dr. Devyani Bhuyan and Sangeet Natak Akademi Secretary Dr. Chandra Shekhar Hota were among those present at the event.
The initiative highlights how photography can serve not only as an art form but also as a means of documenting and preserving Odisha’s cultural identity for future generations.
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