Ahmedabad:
For those bitten by the travel bug, poet Robert Frost’s famous exhortation on taking the path less travelled by, is a gospel. ‘Zoomed World’, the latest exhibition at Herwitts Gallery near Amdavad ni Gufa, instead of being limited to a display of photographs, is also a storytelling by four travellers.
The common thread that ties these Amdavadis – who met through CouchSurfing, a social media network meant for travellers – is the passion for travel photography. Be it Ramky’s shots of Ha Long Bay in Vietnam, Amit Shah’s picture of the Trojan Horse or Nishith Shah’s rare captures of the landscape of Turkey, the pictures tickle the wanderlust in you! The little notes written below each photograph add another dimension for the viewer. One is briefly transported to that little moment when Rahul Sanghvi reminisced about his grandmother’s stories when he saw the bamboo tree house tucked away in the high branches of Coorg – capturing the very essence of travelling.
Only Nishith is a professional photographer, Amit and Rahul are bizmen, while Ramky is a pharma professional. Collectively having travelled to more than 30 countries, the four have used CouchSurfing to traverse the globe. “Being hosted by local members, we got to see off-beat circuits and new perspectives,” says Ramky. “Today, CouchSurfing has become a crucible where cultures melt.”
With around 5.6 millions users in 246 countries, this social network is transforming and innovating travelling. In India the community is most active in Ahmedabad. “In January we organized Uttarayan festival and hosted more than 70 international travellers in the city,” says Rahul, who is also the ambassador of the body in Ahmedabad.
This the first time that members from CouchSurfing have got together to exhibit images from their various travels. “The hope is to inspire more to people to travel, connect with the fraternity and share their stories,” adds Rahul. The exhibition will be on display from June 19 to 24.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> City> Ahmedabad / by Nisha Nair, TNN / June 20th, 2012
