A photo exhibition showcasing 60 pictures of India captured by the Egyptian photographer Khaled Gawdat has been held in Cairo as part of the mega annual cultural festival India by the Nile.
The exhibition titled “Indian Images: People and Places” was opened by India’s Ambassador to Egypt Sanjay Bhattacharyya at el-Sawy Cultural Center in Zamalek.
“The basic theme of the exhibition was to depict people, expressions and different places, particularly Kerala. But we also have some pictures of Taj Mahal which the artist found to be the most significant building that the man created, Mr Bhattacharyya said.
The photographs depict every day life in India, landscapes, tourist places, cultural performances, peoples’ faces, and colourful costumes.
The Ambassador said: “Two years ago we had an exhibition by Haran Kumar who was a street child but was adopted and grew to became a very accomplished photographer.
“Last year we were very lucky to have an exhibition by Ashraf Talaat, who is a very highly recognised photographer. And this year we have Dr Khaled Gawdat and I think the same story continues. India is the land of so many different stories. I hope this inspires many more Egyptians to go to India and find their own story,” he said.
Originally a professor of surgery at Ain Shams University, Gawdat has great passion for photography and takes around 100,000 pictures every year.
“I’ve visited India three times and it is a heaven for photographers with its people, colours, landscapes, tea farms, lakes and cultural heritage,” said Gawdat, who last travelled to India in 2017. “When I visit India, I feel I am at home. Egyptians and Indians have great similarities; even the colour of our skin is similar.”
Watani International
18 March 2018