'Ladakh - the mystic land of lama and dream destination of every adventure traveller has always fascinated me whenever I visited it.
The soft symphony produced by cadence of gently flowing Indus, Zanskar, Suru and Shyok waters (not forgetting numerous small rivulets and tributaries which loose their existence by merging into these well known rivers), the eolian rustle of the wind blowing gently over the grey sand dunes of Nubra, forming different patterns with the caress of the mistral, the revolving prayer wheels of the monasteries, prayer incantations of the red robed lamas, frozen waterfalls, lakes and rivers of harsh winter - Ladakh has enchanted me in every season and every visit.
It is perhaps the favourite playground of God Almighty where His munificence with all elements of nature is visible in all their abundance and gaiety.
Natural beauty of Ladakh has always enchanted me, its stunning landscapes of all seasons always held me in a spellbinding trance, whatever be the season.
Like an affectionate parent, It has always embraced me fondly. And again like a doting parent who preserves the best of everything for its favourite child, it has always gifted me with the choicest of the views which when photographed and presented to the world through the eye of my camera, have perpetually brought me recognition, accolades and awards. If in summer it has treated me endearingly with the sight of flowing rivers and placid lakes, its harsh winter and high velocity chilled breeze chapping my lips and cheeks has forced my attention to click views of frozen lakebeds, not available anywhere else in India. and
My 2019 e-calendar is dedicated to Ladakh landscapes which have been photographed during various visits. Some of them have won appreciation, awards and accolades and have been exhibited abroad also. A few have achieved iconic levels as they have been presented to important dignitaries.
I am sure this small effort would bring forth to the viewer both - the much talked about as well as hidden natural beauty of Ladakh.
Disclaimer: Saturdays, Sundays and important holidays have been highlighted in red and restricted holidays in brown but please check their authenticity at your own end.'
Author Bio
Bio Profile Of Hobbyist Photographer Dr. Arun Khanna
Ph. D (H.C.), AFIAP, FFIP
Introduction:
Dr. Arun Khanna, is a hobbyist photographer and is working as General Manager (HR-CSR) with the foremost state owned Oil Company of India. Presently he is based at Chandigarh – The city Beautiful.
Although he had been indulging in travel writing and casual photography for some time, the drift towards serious photography happened around seven years ago. Arun seems to have surely come a long way in since then.
Little did he know that it wouldn’t be long before his hobby would soon turn into a passion. His transfer to Lucknow from Chandigarh in 2012 proved to be the turning point. It was here that he got an opportunity to hone his skills in photography by clicking photos of monuments, landscapes, wildlife and various cultural events also.
An alumnus of the famous University Of Lucknow, Arun has captured the architectural brilliance of Lucknow monuments from an entirely different and interesting perspective which has won him many awards and accolades. He has also covered myriad hues of history, architecture and daily life in Allahabad, Varanasi and Jhansi.
In addition to photographing architecture and landscapes which remain close to his heart, he has also captured the confluence of cultures by covering the Shree Ganesh Chaturthi, the Chhath Pooja, the Moharram, Diwali, Eid and Holi celebrations. He even covered the Maha Kumbh held at Allahabad in 2013 – the largest congregation of humans on planet earth, trapping some of his memorable and never before shots.
He has further expanded his horizon by extensively photographing the mystic Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
For Arun, photography has now transcended from being an art to an act of worship.
Honors And Distinctions:
Ø Dr. Arun Khanna has been conferred with Honorary Doctorate – Ph.D – Honoris Causa in Photography by the famous and well known Teerthankar Mahaveer University, Moradabad during convocation held on 24th March 2018 in appreciation of his accomplishments in the realm of photography and in recognition of his extraordinary contribution in the field of Photography as also significant influence on Indian art and culture through his photographic endeavors.
Ø Honorary Doctorate is awarded in rarest of the rare occasions and only to those eminent achievers who have made extraordinary contribution and spectacular achievements in a particular field.
Ø No such precedence or authentic records of any Indian Photo artist having received Honorary Doctorate in Photography prior to Dr. Arun Khanna are available.
Ø Arun Khanna is one of the only six recipients who have been decorated with AFIP honour for the year 2016 by FIP – the Federation Of Indian Photography.
Ø Not halting at achieving AFIP and moving ahead further, in 2017 Arun Khanna has added FFIP (Fellow Of The Federation Of Indian Photography), the 2nd highest honour of FIP by application.
Ø He has been felicitated by His Excellency Sh. Kaptan Singh Solanki Ji, Hon’ble Governor of Haryana on the occasion of World Photography Day 2017 held at Chandigarh under the aegis of Tricity Photo and Art Society (TPAS).
Ø Another of his salient achievement in 2017 has been getting the highly coveted honour of AFIAP (Artiste Fédération Internationale de l'Art Photographique) by one of the most acknowledged International photography body FIAP with headquarters in Belgium. With AFIAP honour in his bag, he has further expanded his footprints on international platform.
Ø He is one of the only two photo artists of Panchkula with AFIAP honour.
Ø During convocation of Lucknow University on 9th December, 2017, e-calendar 2018 consisting of photos of Lucknow University clicked by him has been launched by His Excellency Sh. Ram Nayak Ji, Hon’ble Governor of Uttar Pradesh, who is also chancellor of Lucknow University and Sh. Raj Nath Singh Ji, Hon’ble Home Minister of India.
Ø For the last many years he has been launching his e-calendarof the photos clicked by him which he shares with his friends and acquaintances.
Ø His 2014 calendar under the theme ‘Birds In Flight’ had been hosted by the leading travel and tourism site ‘Thinking Particle’ (thinkingparticle.com), presently being managed from Netherlands, which gathered around 83000 hits.
Ø His 2017 e-calendar dedicated to Ladakh has also been released and is available on thinkingparticle.com.
Other Salient Achievements, Citations and Publications:
The list of milestones successfully achieved by him is rather long in his relatively short journey as a writer and photographer. Salient ones are:
Ø The pinnacle of his photographic journey so far has been when he presented his award winning photo titled ‘Amazing Ladakh’ to the then President Of India, Hon’ble Sh. Pranab Mukherjee in May 2017.
Ø In a glittering function held at Panchkula on the occasion of Republic Day Of India on 26th January 2017, Arun Khanna has been honoured by Sh. Manohar Lal Khattar, Hon’ble CM of Haryana for his achievements and contribution in the field of photography.
Ø Photos clicked by him have also been praised by His Excellency Sh. N.N.Vohra, Hon’ble Governor of J&K, His Excellency Sh. V.P.Singh Badnore, Hon’ble Governor of Punjab, Dr. Jitendra Singh Ji, Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ministry of Development of NE Region, MOS for PMO, Personnel, Public Grievance & Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space, Government of India, Sh. Vir Bhadra Singh, the then CM of Himachal Pradesh, S. Sukhbir Singh Badal, the then Dy. CM of Punjab, Sh. Ajay Nanda, Hon'ble MOS for Fin. and Plng, Information Tech., Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, CA and PD, Tribal Affairs, Relief & Rehabilitation and L & Emp. Govt. of J&K, Late Dr. Sonam Dawa, CEC, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council and many other dignitaries from various walks of life.
Ø A gallery of Sh. Arun Khanna’s photos has been commissioned under the name of ‘Wall Of Fame’ in IndianOil Bhawan, Sector 19-A, Chandigarh. It was inaugurated by Sh. B.S.Canth, the then Director (Marketing) of IndianOil on 22nd January, 2018.
Ø A photo gallery captioned ‘Shaan-e-Awadh’ consisting of photos of Lucknow shot by Arun has been commissioned on the Executive Floor of IndianOil Bhawan, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow. The galley was inaugurated on 24th June, 2015 by Sh. Amrit Abhijat, IAS, Director General cum Secretary Tourism and MD, UP Tourism Corporation Ltd.
Ø Winner of 19 awards (non monetary) and more than 500 acceptances in International and National Photo Salons organized under the aegis of various apex international photo federations/societies/groups(e.g. FIAP, PSA, RPS, IUP, FIP – to name only a few)
Ø His photos have been exhibited in more than 25 countries.
Ø Hat trick of receiving Citation cum Appreciation Award (non monetary) by the Hon’ble Vice Chancellor, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow successively in 2013, 2014 and 2015 for clicking photos of this architectural marvel from a completely different perspective.
Ø His photo titled ‘Aerial View Of KGMU, Lucknow’ has achieved an iconic status. It is one of the most viewed photos of KGMU. It is also the cover photo of KGMU Coffee Table Book, launched on 20th December 2015 by His Excellency Sh. Ram Naik Ji, Hon’ble Governor of UP, also the Chancellor of KGMU, Lucknow. Hon’ble Governor Sh. Ram Naik Ji also appreciated the photographic endeavor of Mr. Arun Khanna in his key note address, delivered on the occasion.
Ø Prior to that, in 2014 KGMU Convocation and Founders’ Day, this photo highlighted the grace and beauty of KGMU on the backdrop, the degree covers and invitation cards.
Ø His photo titled ‘Late Evening Aerial View Of KGMU, Lucknow’ has the pride of being cover page photo of January 2016 edition of Lucknow Observer.
Ø Photos of KGMU clicked by him have even been hosted by UK chapter of KGMU alumni on their website.
Ø Arun has achieved a rare distinction of scoring double hat trick in Photography competitions in 2016 as he has successively won awards (non monetary) in all three previous editions of Explore Lucknow contest (2013,2015 & 2016 – no contest was held in 2014) and also winning awards in three photography contests held in Lucknow in 2016.
The details of double hat trick are as given below:
· Winner of 1st prize in the category ‘Emerging Lucknow’ in the second edition of Photo
Contest ‘Explore Lucknow’ in 2013. The contest was jointly organized by The Lucknow Society, The Hindustan Times and Amar Ujala.
· Winner of 2nd Prize in Selfie Section and 3rd Prize in ‘Architectural Wonders of Lucknow’
(‘Aerial View Of KGMU, Lucknow’) in third edition of Explore Lucknow 2015 Photography contest organized by Lucknow Society, Lucknow Observer along with Uttar Pradesh Tourism.
· Winner of 1st prize in ‘Emerging Lucknow’ and 2nd Prize in ‘Architectural Wonders of
Lucknow’ category in the fourth edition of Explore Lucknow 2016 Photography contest organized by Lucknow Society, Amar Ujala and Ola Cabs and Radio City.
· Winner of ‘Best Of Three’ prize in a Lucknow Photo Fair Photo contest 2016.
· Winner of consolation prize in Uttar Pradesh Photo Expo 2016.
Ø Winner of many online contests organized by a leading photography website from time to time.
Ø Arun Khanna’s other interests include Hindu Mythology and travel writing.
(Mr. Arun Khanna, GM (HR-CSR), PSO receiving Honorary Doctorate – Ph.D – Honoris Causa from His Excellency Sh. Ram Nayak, Hon’ble Governor of Uttar Pradesh during convocation of Teerthankar Mahaveer University, Moradabad held on 24th March 2018)
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