30 Award-Winning Photos From 30 States Which Perfectly Capture Beauty Of India

In the year 2011, there was a photography contest initiated on Facebook by the name of Immagine. The main purpose of this page was to support budding photographers around the country. It is engaged in various online and offline activities related to photography such as publishing photographs, holding theme based photography contests and publishing interviews. One such online activity was the India Weaved in Frames contest (IWIF). It invited photograph entries from amateur photographers capturing the essence of a particular state or its culture and selecting the best out of those for each state, selected by an esteemed panel of judges. We bring to you those magnificent shots which were selected for each state.

The photographs are listed in alphabetical order as per the name of the state.

1. Andhra Pradesh – Belum Caves

These caves consisting of black limestone are situated in the state of Andhra Pradesh and are the longest and largest cave system open to public on the Indian subcontinent. These caves have long passages, galleries, spacious caverns with fresh water and siphons. The award winning photograph captures the essence of these caves in the most beautiful manner depicting the beauty of this state.

2. Arunachal Padesh – Pride

The state of Arunachal Pradesh is one of the linguistically richest and most diverse regions in all of Asia, being home to at least 30 and possibly as many as 50 distinct languages in addition to innumerable dialects. And despite constant rivalries and a struggle for survival, Adi/ Bangni-Bokar Lhoba hill tribe has withstood many hurdles for centuries giving them a good hold and control over their habitat. The photograph selected from this state just elaborates this in the manner of pride that this clan holds.

3. Assam – Peeping eye

Since the Indian independence, Assam has been home to many communal tensions and violence. Despite all that it has become the common ground for many diverse clans and their culture from the nearby areas. As per a project, there are about 115 ethnic groups in Assam and around 45 different languages spoken by different communities here.

4. Bihar – A glimpse of faith

This award winning photograph captures the essence of the state of Bihar – Chhat, an ancient Hindu festival dedicated to the Sun. The rituals are observed over a period of four days and include holy bathing, fasting and abstaining from drinking water, standing in water for long durations while offering prasad to the setting and rising sun.

5. Chattisgarh – Black treasure

A picture that depicts the raw and rustic beauty of this state which is known for its coal mines, this shot was sure to be a winner. It captures the hills and the landscape perfectly and has an old world charm about it.

6. Delhi – The all of it

Delhi is known to be a home for people of all religions, cultures and backgrounds. And there is no better picture to describe this than that of the Lotus/ Bahai Temple. The Lotus Temple treats all religions as one and believes in Gods from all different religions to be one.

7. Goa – Larger than life

The award winning picture of the Anjuna Beach depicts the generosity and bounty of nature. Gazing at the sea, one can see how vast Mother Nature is and how little we are in front of it. For most people, it is a beautiful place to rejuvenate, loosen yourself and rediscover yourself.

8. Gujarat – Soul food

As Gujarat is known for its food and culture, this picture is a perfect shot of it and the lighting is just a cherry on the cake.

9. Haryana – The unique one

This award winning picture perfectly depicts the state of Haryana which is infamous for its egregious male-female sex ratio. It is only due to this that the slogan ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ came into existence.

10. Himachal Pradesh – Moons and Stars

Himachal Pradesh is blessed with natural beauty and nights are equally marvellous as the days. This picture illustrates the charm of the hills of Himachal amidst the luminous sky adorned with stars. The picture has been captured in Kunzum La, at height of 4,551m which connects the Lahaul valley with the Spiti Valley.

11. Jammu and Kashmir – Beauty of the Indus

This picture seizes the best possible representation of the river Indus that flows through the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir. The sight in this photograph is of the valley where Indus joins the Zanskar to create some breathtaking and spell binding views.

12. Jharkhand – The weight of coal

Jharkhand is one of the leading suppliers of coal in India and provides employment to many. The picture illustrates the hardworking and devoted life of a common man in Jharkhand and its dependence on coal.

13. Karnataka – Dusk at Hampi

This accolade winning picture portrays the life of Hampi while the sun goes down and everyone, from humans to animals, return to their homes. Hampi possesses magnificent beauty and is also been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of more than 1,600 surviving remains of the last great Hindu kingdom in South India.

14. Kerala – Majestic

An important part of the culture of Kerala is its elephants. Their grandeur is present not just on all important festivities but in their day-to-day lives. The emblem of the Kerala government portrays two elephants guarding the state and national insignias. And this picture illustrates the pertinence of elephants in Kerala.

15. Madhya Pradesh – The floating grandeur

This picture captures the extraordinary grandeur of the two storied architectural wonder situated between two artificial lakes in Mandu, Madhya Pradesh. The landscape gives an impressions of a ship floating on water, thus, giving it the name of Jahaz Mahal.

16. Maharashtra – Gold in the air

The picture taken during the ongoing festivities of Somavati Amavasya Festival illustrates the aura of the Khandoba Temple at Jejuri. Khandoba Temple is known for its offering of turmeric powder in large quantities which is even thrown in and around the temple. It is considered auspicious for a newly married couple to come here to this temple for blessings.

17. Manipur – The sacred dance

The state of Manipur is known for its dance Khamba Thoibi which is dedicated to the sylvan deity, Thangjing of Moirang. Khamba and Thobi are two mythological characters who have over time become immortal in the Manipuri folklore, who, as the belief goes, danced in before Lord Thangjing for peace and prosperity of the land.

18. Meghalaya – Matrilineality

Meghalaya is known for historically following a matrilineal system where the lineage and inheritance are traced through women. Wherein, the youngest daughter inherits all wealth and he also takes care of her parents. The Khasi and Garo tribes of Meghalaya are few rare ones in the world that follow this system.

19. Mizoram – Happy meals

Mizoram is uniquely known for its food. All Mizo dishes has a substantial amount of vegetables it them. The people of Mizoram are ardent lovers of pork; hence, most of their dishes revolve around pork. Mizo food is less spicy as compared to food in other regions of the country and cooked in very little oil. The picture portrays the happiness of surrounding a family and their food.

20. Nagaland – The tribe

The Konyak tribe that belongs to Nagaland has the largest population among the Nagas. They are fierce fighters, distinguishable by their pierced ears and tattoos all over their body; while the facial tattoos bear proofs of taking an enemy’s head. The Konyak tribe is a vibrant tribe which is very disciplined with strict adherence to duties and responsibilities and possess an equally rich culture and diversity.

21. Odisha – The vanishing sea

This award winner photograph captures the beauty of Chandipur Beach, located in Odisha. The beach is known for its unique quality of receding upto 5 Kms during the ebb tide i.e. twice in a day. It has been listed as one of the most unusual beaches of the world by Lonely Planet.

22. Punjab – Religious triumph

A sikh is a follower of Sikhism, a monotheistic religion based on the revelation of Guru Nanak preaching the belief that there is only one God. The picture was clicked at Hemkund Sahib in Uttarakhand and perfectly illustrates the dedication of a Sikh to his religion.

23. Rajasthan – Distinct and authentic

Rajasthan is a colourful blend of culture and diversity. The award winning picture portrays the work going on in Rajasthan, for which it is known and widely appreciated – Diya making. While there are many regions in the country making diyas during Diwali, nothing can match upto the hand crafted and authentic diyas made in Rajasthan.

24. Sikkim – Unique powers within

The significance of Enchey Monastery is deeply ingrained in every household in Gangtok and this picture was clicked during a holy ceremony being carried out in the monastery. The location of the monastery was blessed by Lama Drupthob Karpo, a renowned exponent of tantric art in Buddhism with flying powers. The Monastery pays its reverence to Buddha, Loki Sharia and Guru Padmasambhava.

25. Tamil Nadu – Joyful

This award winning picture was taken at the festival that is held annually for transgender and transvestite individuals, in the village Koovagam. This festival goes on for 15 days from May-April every year.

26. Telangana – The life of a child

Telengana is the twelfth-most populated state of India and the economy of Telengana is mainly agriculture driven. Hence, economically, Telengana is not a strong state. Aalthough many NGOs have now adopted villages; it still has a long road ahead. This picture shows the life of a child growing in such villages.

27. Tripura – Majestically white

Known to be one of the oldest princely state of ancient India, Tripura, boasts of the Ujjayanta Palace, a grand museum and former royal palace on the banks of a small lake surrounded by Mughal Gardens. It was used to house the state legislative assembly until July 2011. It is now a state museum illustrating the lifestyle, arts, culture, tradition and crafts of the communities residing in north east India.

28. Uttar Pradesh – Divinity

This award winning picture was taken during the celebration of Holi in Barsana, the birth place and home of Lord Krishna’s favourite ‘gopi’ Radha. The vibes and colours are unique to this place and the celebrations are carried out in full glory. This picture depicts two people enacting Lord Krishna and Radha during one of the Holi rituals.

29. Uttarakhand – The grand himalayas

Home to the Himalayas, Uttarakhand is a land with abundance of natural beauty. From religious places to snow clad mountains, Uttarakhand is a state known for its spirituality and picturesque hills and mountains. The picture depicting this state perfectly portrays the beauty of the Himalayas, to which, the clouds can be seeing bowing.

30. West Bengal – Life goes on

This picture captures the life in Kolkata on a rainy day and illustrates the never-dying spirit of the people living there. Many areas of Kolkata get water logged and cause great inconvenience to the general public putting an end to all of their activities. However, many determined people still manage to make things happen and proceed with their day to day activities amidst all the problems, as portrayed in this photograph.

It is this diversity that makes India rich in culture, history and topography. With lands varying from sandy beaches and boastfully flowing rivers to extremely dry or mountainous landscapes, India is known for its heterogeneity. The contest, India Weaved in Frames, was a demonstration of the rich assortment of India’s cultures, traditions, people and landscapes.

Also read- 29 Thalis From 29 Different States Of India Which Will Give You Instant Foodgasm