A long-maned white horse stands on a forested hill, almost spectral in the fog. There is no horn jutting out of its forehead, but there’s a mythical glow to the creature nonetheless.
Look at Kirti Kumari’s photograph long enough, however, and the horse’s lustre begins to pale. The eye wanders in between the leafy, slender-barked trees, becoming fixated instead on the sunlight frosted in the mist.
The setting as a whole is imbued with a fantastical hue as Kumari skilfully manipulates light and colour to communicate the otherworldliness of this place and, in other photographs in the series, the mystical relationship its inhabitants have with the land.
The series, titled Ek Din Raat Ko (One Day at Night), won the runner-up prize at Vantage Point Sharjah and documents some of the Jaunsari people’s daily rituals.
Insulated in the north-west area of Uttarkhand for centuries, the community had formed unique tribal beliefs in their "land of magical spells".
The Jaunsari, Kumari said, provided an alternative way of seeing and living within the environment.
“Most of their beliefs are wrapped around nature,” she said, during the opening of Vantage Point Sharjah. “They have stories of spirits in the forest, and these gods and goddesses who possess people.”
The photography project had started as part of Kumari’s graduation studies. The artist had been looking into pre-modern ways of life as a way of grappling with contemporary questions of sustainability and progress when she came across the Jaunsari people. Soon, she felt so drawn towards them that she began living with them.
“I spent a lot of time with the community,” she said. “I just wanted to be there, document and archive these stories. It seems like a fictional narrative, but actually all of this was happening there.”
One Day At Night chronicles the rituals, folklore and belief systems of the Jaunsari. The photographs are almost exclusively centred on women.
“The women in the community also practice polygamy, which is not common in India,” she said.
One photograph shows a woman meditatively submerged in a natural pool of water. The image would not be striking if she were not fully dressed. Another shows a woman's profile. The slender barks of the forest trees are out of focus behind her and give the feeling that there is no end to these woods. Again, the muted colours of the photograph evoke a dreamlike quality.
Kumari's image was selected as a runner-up from works by 66 artists. The photographer who won the first-place prize was Md Fazla Rabbi Fatiq, while the three other runners-up were Hady Barry, Morteza Niknahad and Neec Nonso.
Vantage Point Sharjah is now celebrating its 10th year. The annual event is running until December 11 at the Sharjah Art Foundation’s Al Hamriyah Studios.
The open call invited works that showcase visual storytelling and the art form's ability to capture social realities from many perspectives. The foundation said it received more than 450 applications.
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Cricket World Cup League 2 Fixtures
Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)
Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy
Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy
Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy
Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia
'Moonshot'
Director: Chris Winterbauer
Stars: Lana Condor and Cole Sprouse
Rating: 3/5
THE DRAFT
The final phase of player recruitment for the T10 League has taken place, with UAE and Indian players being drafted to each of the eight teams.
Bengal Tigers
UAE players: Chirag Suri, Mohammed Usman
Indian: Zaheer Khan
Karachians
UAE players: Ahmed Raza, Ghulam Shabber
Indian: Pravin Tambe
Kerala Kings
UAE players: Mohammed Naveed, Abdul Shakoor
Indian: RS Sodhi
Maratha Arabians
UAE players: Zahoor Khan, Amir Hayat
Indian: S Badrinath
Northern Warriors
UAE players: Imran Haider, Rahul Bhatia
Indian: Amitoze Singh
Pakhtoons
UAE players: Hafiz Kaleem, Sheer Walli
Indian: RP Singh
Punjabi Legends
UAE players: Shaiman Anwar, Sandy Singh
Indian: Praveen Kumar
Rajputs
UAE players: Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed
Indian: Munaf Patel
RESULT
Esperance de Tunis 1 Guadalajara 1
(Esperance won 6-5 on penalties)
Esperance: Belaili 38’
Guadalajara: Sandoval 5’
Bio
Born in Dibba, Sharjah in 1972.
He is the eldest among 11 brothers and sisters.
He was educated in Sharjah schools and is a graduate of UAE University in Al Ain.
He has written poetry for 30 years and has had work published in local newspapers.
He likes all kinds of adventure movies that relate to his work.
His dream is a safe and preserved environment for all humankind.
His favourite book is The Quran, and 'Maze of Innovation and Creativity', written by his brother.
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')
Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')
Last-16
France 4
Griezmann (13' pen), Pavard (57'), Mbappe (64', 68')
Argentina 3
Di Maria (41'), Mercado (48'), Aguero (90 3')
The biog
Mission to Seafarers is one of the largest port-based welfare operators in the world.
It provided services to around 200 ports across 50 countries.
They also provide port chaplains to help them deliver professional welfare services.
Friday's schedule in Madrid
Men's quarter-finals
Novak Djokivic (1) v Marin Cilic (9) from 2pm UAE time
Roger Federer (4) v Dominic Thiem (5) from 7pm
Stefanos Tsitsipas (8) v Alexander Zverev (3) from 9.30pm
Stan Wawrinka v Rafael Nadal (2) from 11.30pm
Women's semi-finals
Belinda Bencic v Simona Halep (3) from 4.30pm
Sloane Stephens (8) v Kiki Bertens (7) from 10pm
Scoreline:
Barcelona 2
Suarez 85', Messi 86'
Atletico Madrid 0
Red card: Diego Costa 28' (Atletico)
