BHUBANESWAR: ‘Majestic Mara’, a photo and film exhibition based on the wildlife of Maasai Mara National Reserve, an area of preserved savannah wilderness in southwestern Kenya, entered its second day at Lalit Kala Akademi Sunday.
Interacting with Orissa POST, wildlife photographer Ashis Dhir said, “I, along with Puri Gajapati Dibya Singh Deb, Dilip Dhir Samant and Amarjyoti went to Maasai Mara to shoot for the exhibition. While the first series of pictures is based on five tiger brothers, the second segment is of Zebras. The third series is based on the lifestyle of lions. The guides helped us in capturing these amazing beasts.”
The expo also featured the lifestyle of members of the Maasai tribe. They were depicted as guardians of the natural settings of the reserve. Mara is a river as well as the name of the grass at the region. More than 2.5 million wild animals migrate to the region every year.
More than 60 pictures on the aforementioned themes were displayed at the site. A docu film was also screened at the event. More than 400 students from KIIT International School, Sivananda Boys School and KISS viewed the screenings. Apurva Lakra, a student of KISS, said, “The movie is a spectacular one where we get to see the activities of wild animals. I am thrilled to witness the exhibition as well.”
Authored by Gajapati Dibyasingh Deb, who is also an ardent wildlife enthusiast, a special book titled ‘Majestic Mara’ is also available at the exhibition. The seventy-minute movie screened at the event was filmed by Deb.
One of the guides who assisted the team in the venture Jonathan said, “It was a great experience for all of us to be together during the tour of Masai Mara. In fact, these wild animals are not dangerous at all. At times, they come near our homes to take away livestock, but they haven’t harmed us. The word ‘Mara’ means spotted in Maa Language of the Maasai people. Maasai Mara is a national reserve ranked among the top destinations for wildlife enthusiasts.”
