24/06/2025
Ambubachi 2025 – A Different Lens
As someone who lives and breathes street photography, I’ve always been drawn to the chaos and unpredictability of the streets. From the light to the people, the atmosphere to the sudden shifts in the scene—nothing is ever in our control. And that’s exactly what makes the street the best training ground for any photographer. It shapes you, tests you, and slowly turns you into a better shooter.
Ambubachi has always been one of those events I wait for. It’s raw, real, and overflowing with stories. I’ve been covering it for the last 5 to 7 years. But over time, it started feeling a little too familiar. The same crowd, same rituals, same visuals. As a photographer, the hunger to click was still alive—but I didn’t want to return with the same kind of frames.
This year, I tried something different.
Instead of running around the streets, I invited the streets in. I opened the doors of my studio and welcomed strangers—devotees, travelers, seekers—into a space of stillness. A place where I could take a moment, look into their eyes, and truly connect.
With controlled light and silence in the room, I captured portraits that felt raw and intimate—free from the noise that usually surrounds them during the festival.
And for the first time, I didn’t just take their photographs.
I took their names.
Their ages.
Where they had come from.
Where they were headed.
Because as street photographers, we so often capture faces, but never know the names. We collect stories without knowing the storytellers.
So this—this was a small step.
A quiet attempt to honour the people behind the pictures.
So that if someone ever asks me, “Who is this person?”
I don’t just say, “A stranger I clicked on the street.”
I say their name.
I tell you where they came from.
And maybe, just maybe, they won’t remain strangers anymore.
Here are a few frames from Ambubachi 2025.
Hope you feel what I felt.
Shot on Nikon Z5
Assisted by
♥️
