Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant has observed that the judiciary extends far beyond constitutional adjudication, courtroom advocacy, and the delivery of judgments, emphasising that members of the judicial fraternity, too, seek moments of introspection and solace through creative expression.
“The judiciary is more than judgments, courtrooms, and constitutional questions. Behind the rigours of law are lives that seek comfort in creative pursuits. Art and photography offer the judicial household its own sanctums of stillness and reflection,” the Chief Justice remarked while inaugurating Prakriti-Raga, a nature and landscape photography exhibition curated by Jhuma Datta, wife of Supreme Court judge Justice Dipankar Datta.
Envisioned as a lyrical tribute to the elemental beauty of the natural world, Prakriti-Raga presents a contemplative visual journey through landscapes marked by serenity, movement, rhythm, and spiritual vitality. Organised around the thematic moods of “Silence”, “Flow”, “Rhythm”, and “Energy”, the exhibition transcends conventional landscape photography and instead seeks to evoke emotional and meditative responses from the viewer.
A devotee of the Divine Mother, Jhuma Datta approaches photography with an almost spiritual sensibility, attempting to capture the sacred as it manifests through nature. Each frame appears imbued with a quiet transcendence, inviting the observer into moments of reflection and stillness.
The exhibition features more than sixty photographs curated not according to geographical categories but on the basis of the moods and emotional textures they embody.
The section titled “Silence” juxtaposes the austere calm of the Nubra Valley in Ladakh with the golden stillness of the desert dunes near Dubai — geographically distant landscapes united through an atmosphere of profound quietude.
“Flow” captures the perpetual motion and fluidity of life through striking oceanic imagery, pairing the pristine shores of Puri with the restless tides of Vagator Beach in Goa in an unexpectedly harmonious visual dialogue.
The thematic segment “Rhythm” traverses landscapes stretching from the Andaman Islands to remote Norwegian villages, chronicling the cyclical cadences and playful moods of nature across continents and climates.
Addressing those present at the inauguration, Datta observed that the exhibition emerged from years of attentively listening to nature’s unspoken language.
“I’ve always sensed that nature speaks, not in words, but in rhythm and presence. Each photograph is my way of freezing a moment that pulls us out of the rush and back into wonder,” she said.
What began in 2008 as a modest engagement with photography has, over time, evolved into a lifelong artistic pursuit. Datta has travelled extensively across the world in search of evocative landscapes and fleeting natural moments, often undertaking detailed preparatory research before embarking on her journeys with professional photography groups or family members.
Prakriti-Raga marks her sixth solo exhibition and showcases a curated collection of photographs captured over nearly fifteen years of artistic exploration as an itinerant photographer.
The inaugural event was attended by Supreme Court judges including Justice Vikram Nath and Justice N. V. Anjaria, former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, former judges of the Supreme Court and various High Courts, along with members of the legal and artistic fraternities.
The exhibition is being hosted at India Habitat Centre and will remain open to visitors until May 24.
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