The town’s famous ghats and temples are not the only landmarks in Palak Shah’s picture show

Understanding the topography and history of the place in which you reside is crucial. And for some who are nomads, taking pictures of people and locations may become a full-time career, as occurred with photographer Palak Shah of Mumbai.

With his picture show, Beyond Ghats and Temples: The Unnoticed Side of Kashi, on display at Underpass, Sector 17, one ventures into the “extraordinary.” Beyond the famous ghats and temples, he catches the hidden sides of this old city. It is an assortment of striking images depicting death, life, and otherworldly regions.

Photography is Palak’s passion, particularly the colorful subgenres of street and documentary photography. “Photography empowers me to capture a mundane yet beautiful moment in time that leaves multiple impressions on the viewer,” explains Palak.

At the age of seventeen, he began his career.

The photographs that are on display in this exhibition are just a few of the fascinating images from a broader story that is included in his book, Kashi, which Palak intends to publish shortly.

When asked whether one has to be religious to portray a city like Kashi or Ayodhya, Palak responds, “I didn’t visit temples or other sites of worship to take these pictures. Simultaneously, however, I couldn’t shake the concepts of spirituality, and I had conversations about life and death with the Aghoris and Doms. It’s not necessary to memorize anything in order to include it in your shot. In my capacity as an artist, I cannot understand differences in beliefs, religion, or many other topics.

Palak’s suggestion for prospective photographers is to move out of the old school of thinking. “Consider acquiring useful knowledge right away,” he suggests.