I attended a photo exhibition on the Toto tribe and I can’t express the joy I felt. The photo exhibition is being conducted by Abhijit Alka Anil at Twistie’s, Hiranandani Meadows, Thane west.
Today is the last day so please do check it out.
I entered the cafe and looked up to see pictures, so many pictures. The man behind this amazing work actually left his job at the Times so he could chase his dreams. I’m sure most of you don’t know about this tribe. I myself was clueless about it.
The first line of Wikipedia goes like this,‘ The Toto is an isolated tribal group residing only in a small enclave called Totopara in the Alipurduar district of West Bengal, India’.
You will get a lot of information about this tribe on the net so why visit the exhibition? Let me tell you why.
This man is a living example of what a dreamer looks like. He is giving a voice to the tribe. He will tell you about the first graduate, their favorite drink, their traditional dress, their way of purifying the homes and so much more. He will tell you about the woman who set up a school here, about the man who is trying to prepare scripts of the language, and how he actually had to take so many risks so he could document all of this. Except for one posed picture, all others are candids. One picture shows the pain of a woman in labor, and he will personally tell you the stories behind these pictures. This man is not just a photographer but a storyteller. Google will tell you facts but not the emotions. I won’t tell you much about this tribe because I think only he can do that well.
It takes courage to chase your dreams and do something you really want to. He doesn’t just do photography but also takes classes.
He is going to publish a book and will be self-financing. Till now he has spent a lot on the travel, shooting, exhibition etc and is looking for a little help. His main source is crowdfunding. If you or someone you know can help him, please get in touch with him. You’ll be helping a dreamer achieve his dreams.
Do check out the exhibition and let me know if you liked it. I’m sure you will!
This piece is so heart warming. No words, just gratitude…
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