Diti Kotecha: Shekhawati

I occasionally, usually by accident, come across work of such fresh creativity and imagination that it figuratively stops me in my tracks.

To me, the work of Diti Kotecha, a photographer based in Mumbai who describes herself as a documentary and travel photographer, graphic designer, cat lover and collector of knick-knacks, qualifies as one of those "stop-in-the-tracks". Her website is not gallery extensive, but it's one that I encourage you to visit and look around.

My favorite multimedia gallery (unfortunately limited in number of images) is the one Diti titles "antique remains". Her images were made in the Shekhawati region of Rajasthan, and some are of the wonderful havelis in the small town of Mandawa.

The ruling clan in the area were the Marwaris, who built large mansions in Shekhawati and Marwar, which were called havelis. Artists were commissioned to paint the buildings with frescoes depicting Hindu lore and current events of the time. Unfortunately, and despite the havelis being on the tourist circuit, most are largely dilapidated, and some even abandoned.

Diti's blog Yesterday Was Dramatic, Today's OK is also an interesting insight in her photographic style. I'd wager that Diti will go far in her chosen career.