Best Of
These shortlisted pieces of media are some of our personal favorites.
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Indira Gandhi, against the Himalayas, after signing the Shimla Agreement in Himachal Pradesh, India (1972)
There is always something to be said about the duality of the Indian State. Indira Gandhi, in this image in particular, is the perfect personification of this duality. The Indian State at it’s best is a supremely competent force of nature that bends the laws of man and god, to accomplish it’s agenda in a [Continue Reading]
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A woman stands in front of sculptures in the Elephanta Caves (Unknown)
“Terrifyingly beautiful” is how Jay Vardhan Singh described these images. This description is extremely appropriate. These photos are undoubtedly stunning, but also eerie in the way that they make you feel something. Perhaps it has more to do with the contrast between a relatively small “modern” human and the ancient, divine and overbearing sculptures behind [Continue Reading]
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Man hugs an Indian Soldier standing guard during a public gathering two days after the liberation of Jessore, East Pakistan, during the third India-Pakistan war (1971)
This photo, taken during the 1971 War, shows a young Bengali embracing an Indian soldier who stands guard during a large public meeting of the Provisional Government of Bangladesh, only two days after the town of Jessore was liberated. The town of Jessore is located on the eastern end of the Jessore road. The Jessore [Continue Reading]
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Indian Air Marshal Dewan takes the Instrument of Surrender after it is signed by Pakistani Lt. Gen. Niazi (1971)
By now, most Indians have seen the iconic image of the signing itself. While the original is often attributed to the Indian Navy, this image from an alternate angle is taken by the esteemed Indian photographer, Raghu Rai. It does not capture the moment that Lt. Gen. Niazi signs the paper, but rather immediately after, [Continue Reading]
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Indian Troops charge a Pakistani Post in the Khem Karan-Kasur Sector on the Lahore Front (1965)
This photo shows Indian troops charging at a Pakistani post in Kasur, a township on the Lahore Front. If the date in the caption and location is to be believed, these are likely troops of the XI Corps during the push towards Lahore from September 9th onwards. Fighting at Kasur was intense, with a large [Continue Reading]
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An old man sits on a bench during his morning walk along the Marine Drive, Bombay (1952)
A stunning image of a man pausing for a contemplative break during his walk along Marine Drive in the early, quiet hours of the typically bustling, post-colonial city of Bombay. Year Source 1952 Dinodia Photos via Alamy Photos Source Caption: Old man sitting on bench, early morning, Marine Drive, Chowpatty, Bombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, Asia, [Continue Reading]
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Naveen Patnaik at the Metropolitan Club in New York City celebrating a book release (1985)
Indian political elites before the 90s certainly carried an aristocratic aura, as can be seen by this image. It is a far cry from how regional dynasts present themselves nowadays. Whether this is good or not is certainly a question that merits deeper discussion. This persona of Patnaik is far from the one we are [Continue Reading]
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ISRO launching an early Nike-Apache Sounding Rocket from Thumba, Kerala (1964-67)
A stunning photo of ISRO’s foundational achievements. The rocket appears to be the Nike-Apache, based on the similarity to other similar images. The date and location is derived from this source (which is an extremely interesting website on it’s own). The Nike Apache was an American two-stage sounding rocket, which served as the vehicle of [Continue Reading]
