Punjab through his lens

Divya Sharma

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 14

At the age of 62, Baljit Singh is keen on showcasing heritage of the state through his camera. It was 25 years ago when he held his first exhibition and his enthusiasm hasn’t recorded any diminution.

Singh held his ‘132 Punjab Darshan’ photo exhibition at Indian Academy of Fine Arts from December 10 to 13 in memory of his wife, Principal Sonia Singh.

Punjab Darshan is a photo exhibition of historic monuments and important places among others of the state. His respect towards Punjab, passion for photography, combined with love for monuments, gave birth to Punjab Darshan in 1993 on a cycle. “At the age of 36, I decided to visit known places, including monuments, across the state to click them. I managed to showcase 47 pictures in my first exhibition. Suitable text is always accompanied with a picture,” says Baljit Singh, who runs Phonetics Academy in Amritsar. He has also been a private tourist guide for 20 years in the holy city for the tourists. His collection includes the ancestral house of Shaheed Udham Singh, Sheesh Mahal, Patiala, pictures of famous Ram Gardens in Amritsar, Baradari in Faridkot, Khalsa College, Sultanpur Lodhi among others reflecting life and cultural of the state.

Monuments witness countless lenses, but it is the projection which holds importance, he says. He keeps on adding to his collection, upgrading it time to time. “The projection of monuments is important. There is a need to highlight the historical places and buildings” he says. When asked what has kept him going for the last 25 years, he attributes it to motivation the people give. “The appreciation of people keeps me going forward. People, also children, should be aware of the monuments and history,” he adds.