Book Feature

“Great things are done when men and mountains meet; this is not done by jostling in the street.”

Magnum Opus by Ashok Dilwali

If you are the type of person who prefers mountains over beaches and has an insatiable love for the majestic Himalayas, this is the tome for you.

For those of you who follow the world of photography like white on rice, Ashok Dilwali does not need any introduction. For others who are not as enlightened, Ashok is a renowned Indian photographer who was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award, on February 2019, by the Government of India, for his contribution to photography.

He has published 25 titles so far and his 26th publication, Magnum Opus, is

a compilation of his favourite images, centred around the theme of Himalayan ranges and nature, his favourite subjects. His journey into photography began at the ripe age of eight when his father, late B. K. Dilwali (who happened to be a photographer himself) gifted him a Baby Brownie Camera. Being the son of a photographer, Ashok spent a lot of his leisure time in his father’s studio. Adhering to his father’s wishes, he completed his education but Chartered Accountancy could never hold a candle to his love for photography. Thus began his advent in professional photography and over the years he made several landscape and commercial photography. A pioneer of moonlight photography, Ashok accredits his success to his father who consistently guided and inspired him to become better at his art. In the Introduction of the book, Ashok mentions that his father shared invaluable advice with him throughout his life, the most important of which was that one must never become complacent about one’s work as it is bound to put an end to their learning curve.

He dedicates this book to his family members and speaks of his longstanding fascination with the Himalayan mountain ranges.

In Magnum Opus, Ashok groups his photographs into different categories like Mountains-Peaks-Valleys, BellsChortens-Prayer Flags, Faces-LifePeople and so on. His subjects range fauna. His pictures have an immediate calming effect and the serenity in your photographs. Among the numerous photographs in this visual odyssey, you will see a saint meditating on the calm banks of the raging Gangotri, a cloud imitating a feather in the Rohtang Pass and a young Ibex overlooking the old mountains in Spiti. There is also a hint of humour portrayed in a few of his photographs, perhaps reminding us to laugh more.

The book has been published and copyrighted by Ashok Dilwali, designed by Ravi Kant Sharma and printed by Thomson Press India Ltd., New Delhi. It is now available at a price of INR 5000.|