Sometime in early June during an annual Kailash Mansarovar Yatra of 2007, a pilgrim from Kozhikode slipped out of his sleeping bag from the Mansarovar campsite at dawn to capture a rare view of Mount Kailash as the sunlight hit the snow-capped Tibetan Himalayas.
“The temperature was freezing. But a news photographer would never want to miss the moment. This is the picture,” says T. Mohandas, pointing to an exhibit of a golden crystallised Mount Kailash, at the Lalitha Kala Akademi Art Gallery in the city.
Aptly titled “Visual Pilgrimage – Journey Through Snapshots,” the exhibition tells the fervour of a photographer more than a pilgrim’s progress to the foothills of Mount Kailash. The majority of the pictures were taken during the circumambulation of Mount Kailash on foot spread over four days. “The path is over 50 km and the second day of the 24-km journey perhaps was more arduous,” he recollects.
Mohandas says he loves to capture the adventurous intricacies at different pilgrim spots. This attitude might have led him to the dangerous trekking at Mansarovar. Each frame portrays the inhospitable conditions in the rugged terrain, but devotionally revered. “I was assisted by two Sherpas, including one to carry my cameras and accessories. Just 15 out of the 80-odd pilgrims managed to complete the Parikrama,” he adds.
Every exhibit has been deftly chosen to suit the adage that a picture is worth a thousand words. Conceivably, Mohandas is obsessed with panoramic photographs as it is evident from pictures of the Triveni Sangam at Allahabad or a Tibetan valley or the famed Gauri Kund near Kailash or the numerous bathing and puja ghats at Varanasi. Similarly the aerial photographs explore the creativity of the photographer. A huge picture of the aerial view Kozhikode city greets visitors at the art gallery “It was taken during an helicopter ride,” he says.
Aerial pictures of Mount Everest and Kashmir in different hues during his flight trips encapsulate the passion of the artist. “For that, I had to seek the help of the pilot to fly the aircraft in such a way for the suitable light, ” Mohandas says.
The ongoing exhibition will conclude on Thursday.
