The Magic of Mangalajodi

The Magic of Mangalajodi is an amazing coffee table book, showcasing some of the finest art forms of bird photography from the lens of wildlife photographer Avinash Khemka.

- Avinash Khemka

Not only Khemka’s stunning imagery teaches us about the nuances of bird, landscape, people and creative photography using the play of natural light, but the book also plays a vital role in creating awareness about the abundance and importance of natural habitats & its inhabitants in Mangalajodi, inducts and inspires the future generations into the ethical orbit of green citizenry and also teaches us a lot on giving back to nature in qualitative and quantitative terms.

At your first glance, the mesmerizing photographs of the book will instigate you to flip through every page till you reach the back cover. I did the same when I had the book first in my hands. But then, I started reading it again, right from the beginning, page by page, imbibing every word in the text superbly written by renowned photographer and narrator, Panchami Manoo Ukil. This then turned into a journey. A virtual journey through the rich biodiversity, the ecosystem, the geography, the seasons, the history, the culture, the people… everything about this magical place, Mangalajodi.

He book starts with an inspiring message from Naveen Patnaik, the Chief Minister of Odisha.

“Embedded in the bloodstream of every Odia are two distinct cults, the cult of Lord Jagannath and the cult Chilika” … that’s how the narration starts. The book presents to you great insights of the history of Odisha and Chilika, a very unique habitat combining marine, fresh water as well as brackish ecosystems. The lake is a Ramsar site since 1981. “Chilika is much more than a lake and a lagoon, it’s an organic being that sustains life and livelihoods” says the author.