Life Beyond Desire : Kurma Gramam : Suryamitra Chaganti
The documentary was photographed in Kurma Gramam, Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh, and documents the everyday life of a community that has chosen to live with basic necessities and in close harmony with nature.
The community lives without electricity, modern technology and regular transportation. They grow their own food and weave their own clothes. Their homes are built using mud and cow dung, and they avoid products such as shampoo, soap and toothpaste in an effort to minimise harm to nature.
Through these photographs, I have tried to document their way of life and the contrast between their existence and the modern pursuit of material desires, consumption and a constant desire for more.
The project is titled “Life Beyond Desire” because it reflects on the idea that a meaningful life may not necessarily depend on having more, but on understanding what is truly necessary.
Surya Mitra Chaganti is a photographer and BTech Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning student from Andhra Pradesh, India. His photography explores documentary, culture, lifestyle, street, and commercial subjects. He is interested in observing everyday life, human connections, and the relationship between people and their surroundings through honest and thoughtful images.
Reha Krishan
As, even the birds are caged to the sky.
An avid reader, cinephile, photography enthusiast and loves to dance. Finds the crossroads between art and the political fascinating. Bachelor and Masters in Political Science, from Lady Shri Ram College For Women, Delhi University. The lines of one of my favourite poets, Faiz Ahmad Faiz, “Kuch ishq kiya, kuch kaam kiya” trace my existence accurately.
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