Village Vibe photo competition and exhibition

“My ideal village will contain intelligent human beings. Men and women will be free and able to hold their own against anyone in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of India was rooted in her villages – of vibrant people living with freedom, dignity and self-reliance. Yet, as our nation has grown, urban influencers seem disconnected from the joy, love and aspirations found in our villages.

Village Square 2.0 – launched last month – wants to change that.

Changing the narrative

We want to change the narrative of deprivation and desolation. We want to showcase all aspects of rural life in India – the good, the hard and the vibrant.

And we wanted you to be a part of it. That’s why we launched our first photography competition with the same name as our new strand – “Village Vibe” – for those with a passion for building a fresh narrative of rural India.

We asked for artful, insightful and even quirky photos of vibrant rural life. And, boy, did we get them!

Over 2,500 photos of astoundingly good quality came pouring in for the six categories listed below.

See the finalists’ photos here.

Categories of the Village Vibe photo competition

Her Life – Village life pivots around women. While a lot of drudgery falls on their shoulders, village women are often at the forefront of change. The entries show them in all their guises – at the helm of their families and their communities, at work and at leisure.

A Hard Day’s Work – Does rural India work from 9 to 5? They till the fields and what else? The photos show how rural men and women survive and thrive in our jugaad nation.

Healthy Living – The pandemic has changed how we look at health, nutrition and fitness in our homes. How does rural India strive to build better health? The photo entries showcase this aspect.

Eco-friendly – Rural India is stepping up to build climate-friendly, sustainable solutions. The photographs tell a story of building a better environment together in rural India.

Joyful Learning – Learning is about nurturing curiosity. The pictures capture moments from villages where learning might be tough but joyous too, where the learners are delighted to be expanding their knowledge – whether it’s basic literacy or computing skills and everything in between.

Art, Culture & Festivals – We all love a great party! The lens of the photographers reflect the colours, customs and culture of India.

Panel of judges

We have an esteemed panel of judges who will select three winners in each category: Saumya Khandelwal, a highly acclaimed photojournalist; Virendra Shekhawat and Nilayjyoti Talukdar, two leading photographers with a keen eye, from the Delhi Photography Club; Pia Heikkila, an international journalist based in India; Manish Kumar, the chief creative officer at Iridium Interactive; and Ashok Kumar, the director of farm prosperity at Transform Rural India, one of India’s leading NGOs.

But we also want you, our readers, to be a part of the changing narrative. So we opened up voting to the public for five days last week as we wanted to know which photos YOU liked best!

High tea and photo exhibit at Delhi’s Habitat Centre

The winners of the People’s Choice awards and the Judge’s Awards will be announced at the launch of our Village Vibe photo exhibition on November 19 (till December 5) at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi.

If you’re in Delhi – do drop in for high tea and find out first hand who won this exciting competition!

The photos of the winners will remain on display as part of a two-week long exhibition in the courtyard of the India Habitat Centre. So even if you can not make it to our high tea, do drop by to see the vibe in the Village Square.

Lyndee Prickitt is the director of Village Square.