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Shalini Jaikaria<br />
It was thanks to Dada [Amitabha Bhattacharya] and Bandeep Singh, the professional<br />
photographers in our group, graciously sharing their expert tips on photography that<br />
made this residency all the more special for me.<br />
Then there was this old Maihar Palace that we visited. Though dilapidated, it was in the<br />
process of being renovated into a hotel and still held secrets of its former magnificence,<br />
reflected in small details like the decorative tiles, carved ceilings and broken, stained<br />
glass windows – all of which had innumerable tales to tell. I was fascinated by the tiles<br />
and have used them as a running border on one side of the scarf.<br />
tiles, maihar palace<br />
photo credit: amitabha<br />
bhattacharya<br />
One of the fondest memories I have of the residency is of the evening when the Maihar<br />
band came to play – a personal concert right there in the bungalow courtyard. All of us<br />
listening were seated on the edge of the courtyard with the lawn between the band and<br />
us, listening to the soulful music against the backdrop of the arches, roof and garden<br />
decorated with the flickering light of candles. Against this backdrop was the setting<br />
sun. The band’s performance was followed by our nightly session of spirits around<br />
a bonfire. This evening Sapna, Bhavana and Gopika took the mood forward singing<br />
songs from old Bollywood films.<br />
Towards the end of the residency we went on a safari to Bandhavgarh. We had to wake<br />
up really early, at the crack of dawn, on a cold December morning. This was really<br />
tough but high in anticipation of sighting a tiger, we bundled ourselves with blankets<br />
and hot water bottles and braved the chill. However, we were disappointed. Not only<br />
did we not see the much awaited tiger, we missed her by a whisker. My mood was<br />
sullen, inwardly questioning the unfairness of it all, when suddenly I decided to follow<br />
Bandeep and Dada on a photography excursion. And how the mood was transformed<br />
by the lotus garden, located close to our Tree-house resort!<br />
photo credit: amitabha<br />
bhattacharya<br />
Seeing Bandeep’s passion for the flower, I was tempted to follow him into the pond<br />
but hesitated. I was sceptical about what kind of photos one would get at high-noon,<br />
with the sun’s harsh light on the dark and dirty water. But, as Dada and Bandeep<br />
knowledgeably put it: “every light is great light…it opens up the possibility of seeing
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