Visitors at a photography exhibition at Bhanja Bhavan in Rourkela.

The yearend festivities was doubly special for 26 amateur photographers whose works were displayed at Chitragatha, an exhibition by the Rourkela Photo Fever group on a variety of subjects at Bhanja Bhavan Complex.

"We have over 59 photographers in the group, three of them professionals, and we display our works once a year," said group founder Mukesh Singh.

"We hold small workshops followed by a practical session every week," said Singh.

Around 14 girls are also involved with the group. One of them, Jasmine Tanty, had her work displayed at the exhibition. "I developed an interest in photography in childhood and now, I have a few works here," she said.

A viewer said: "I love photography. Simply by looking at these displays, I have learnt how to choose a subject and catch the mood."

Singh said: "We have started this not to educate anyone but to create awareness about photography." He added that only 26 of their 59 lensmen were allowed to take part to create the spirit of competition.

Text by Rajesh Mohanty

Picture by Uttam Kumar Pal