Rajasthan Express: A journey through the land of sand and palaces

Rajasthan: the blazing Thar desert, turquoise lakes and pools, numerous havelis, mahals and qillas, a mesmerising blend of Mughal and Rajput architectural trends, piercing eyes and exotic dark faces that are partly veiled, colour coordinated cities, vibrant hues of bandhni (tie-dye), the ghoomar dancers swirling to rustic tunes of dholak or sarangi…It's a land of enchantment; can't get better than this for an enthusiastic photographer.
North South University Photography Club (NSUPC), opting for Rajasthan for its annual international field trip, has produced some spectacular images. Twenty-seven young photographers left for the largest Indian state on August 28, 2007 and returned to Dhaka on September 12.
The group visited Jaipur, Pushkar, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and a remote area in the desert state called Ghanerao. They even stopped at Delhi for three hours on the way back. The group that included Miran, Sushan, Shurid, Trisha, Shanna, Sarwer, Shuvo, Evan, Rakhi, Dipto, Ashmeed, Mahidul, Wajda, Tahsin, Tanzir, Asif, Taufique, Milton, Faeik, Sajol, Bablu, Roni, Rakib, Prottoy, Kawser and Lubab, had the opportunity of staying at a palace in Ghanerao. There they met the local Raja. Camel rides -- not-so-comfortable but fun nevertheless -- added to the excitement. The cheerful group returned home with an insatiable craving for more of Rajasthan.
Their visions shared through photographs, were on display at a five-day exhibition, held at the ground floor of GMQ Tower. The exhibition ended yesterday.
Certain images are familiar -- like the one that shows an ornate windowsill and pigeons in Jodhpur AKA 'the blue city', by Wajda Akhter.
Ashmeed Hossain has framed a view of the stunning Jaisalmer Fort -- the golden yellow sandstone shimmering in the desert sun. This vision inspired Satyajit Ray to make the film Sonar Kella. Located on Trikuta Hill in Jaisalmer, this magnificent fort was built by Raja Jaisal in 1156 AD and is one of the oldest existing forts in Rajasthan.
A photo captioned Imperial Waterworks, by Toufique Hossain, shows a triangular pool surrounded by steps and walls rising to the heavens -- a breathtaking view, seemingly shot from the top. Untold stories may find some Raja or Rani spending countless hours bathing in the pool, looking at the stars.
But perhaps the most remarkable images are of the everyday people of Rajasthan. They are the essence of the land, the women in dazzling ghagra-cholis, sarees and the men sporting turbans, using the traditional bandhni. Camels walk on by, the dying sun in the background, the sand glistening. The traditions and magic of 'the land of sand and palaces' never fail to fascinate the outsider.