20-05-2025
Interview with Leica photographer, Laxmi, on her incredible photo exhibition that showcases photos of three major festivals in India
Leica Singapore presents one of the most captivating photo exhibitions ever, featuring three major festivals in India, photographed by Laxmi using Leica cameras. The pictures speak for themselves; they are colourful, they evoke emotions, and more than anything, they are thought-provoking, making you wonder how these photos were achieved and the blood and bruises that went into creating them.
We had the privilege to speak with the photographer Laxmi, about her pictures, and the meaning behind them. Laxmi Kaul, photo courtesy Leica Singapore.
NYLON: What is this exhibition about?
LAXMI: Utsav is my love story with India — with its sacred festivals, its deep-rooted traditions, and the people who live them fully. For over a decade, I've immersed myself in documenting three of India's most powerful spiritual festivals: the Kumbh Mela, Holi, and Theyyam. Each one is different in sound, rhythm, and energy — but they're all anchored by one thing: undying faith. If there is no undying faith, there will be no festivals.
The photos in this exhibition are basically an amalgamation of three very major festivals that are held; one being the Kumbh Mela, which comes once every 12 years. Then there's Holi — a festival of colours, which happens every year. And Theyyam is another festival down south. The other two are up north in India. The Leica Gallery at Leica South Beach Quarter, featuring Utsav – India in Celebration, a photo exhibition by Laxmi. Photo courtesy Leica Singapore.
Each festival is very different in its own way. But the one anchoring point for all the festivals is basically faith. And faith, to me, is a very deep subject. Everybody has their own faith, and everybody likes to follow their own faith in their own way. Faith manifests in different ways, so these are just manifestations of faith in different ways; one with colour and dance, one with taking a dip in the holy rivers and believing that you will get purified and you will be closer to salvation in the journey of your spiritual life… Photo by Laxmi, used with permission.
N: What made you want to photograph all these festivals?
L: This wasn't a pre-planned project. I didn't start with a roadmap or even a destination. I followed instinct, emotion, and curiosity. What began as something deeply personal — a need to witness, to understand — quickly became something far bigger than me. Photo by Laxmi, used with permission.
I photographed the mass pilgrimage of the Kumbh Mela, where millions gather to bathe in sacred rivers. I stood in the explosion of colour and chaos that is Holi. And I was drawn to the trance rituals of Theyyam in the south, where men transform into deities through ancient performance. But more than the spectacle, what moved me was the quiet in-between moments; I didn't want to just photograph the chaos — I wanted to find tenderness within it. I searched for the stolen glances, the sacred silences, the rituals happening quietly behind the noise. The truth of these festivals lives in those moments. Photo by Laxmi, used with permission.
At the heart of every image I made is faith. Faith in something larger, something unseen — and deeply felt. Photo by Laxmi, used with permission.
If there is no faith in people, That belief is still important; it's very relevant. Photo by Laxmi, used with permission.
And if you're not going to hold on to our past, what are we going to show our kids and what are we leaving for them? We're leaving only technology and social media, and that's about it. What about our roots? What about our culture, whether it's Indian, Chinese, Thai, be it anywhere in the world; even Christian or Muslim — what are we leaving for them? I want to leave something. I want to leave a footprint behind for people to know that, okay, maybe 50 years down the line, there's no more Holi celebrated; but look, these are the pictures. This is how it used to be. This is my documentation. This is my love. This is the oxygen that flows through my veins.
N: How long did it take you to shoot all the photos in this exhibition?
L: This exhibition was shot over a decade starting in 2013. Photo by Laxmi, used with permission.
N: What were some of the challenges that you faced while shooting these pictures?
These spaces were not easy to navigate, especially as a woman. Often, I was the only female photographer in intensely male-dominated environments. I was met with suspicion, resistance, and in some moments, outright hostility. I felt violated. I cried. I broke down. But I stayed. I had to. If I walked away, what message would that send to the women coming after me? Photo by Laxmi, used with permission. Photo by Laxmi, used with permission. Photo by Laxmi, used with permission. Photo by Laxmi, used with permission.
N: What gear did you use to create these photos?
L: My Leica cameras were more than tools. They were companions — extensions of my presence. Whether it was the weatherproof SL during Holi, the intimacy of the M10 with my favourite 50mm lens, or the agility of the Q and Q3 — I shot openly, vulnerably. I never shielded the gear — or myself. I leaned in.
For Holi, I used the Leica SL a lot because it's all weatherproof. I also used the Leica M10. I was wearing a raincoat, and I would open the zip and quickly take the M10 out and take a picture and put it back in, just to conceal it.
Portraiture has always been the soul of my work. I gravitate to the 50mm because I crave connection — eye to eye, human to human. When the space got tighter and the crowds closed in, I adapted. I went wide. I moved quickly. But always with intention, and always from the heart. Photo by Laxmi, used with permission.
But because it's Holi and it's such a large scape, I did shoot with the 28mm lens a lot. [Compared to the M], the SL, of course, is a bit more lenient. I had the 24-70 lens so it gave me a little bit more breathing space so I could be a little further away from the line of fire, and the men getting upset about a woman being there. I could move away and zoom in and use the 70 and shoot. The Leica Gallery at Leica South Beach Quarter, featuring Utsav – India in Celebration, a photo exhibition by Laxmi. Photo courtesy Leica Singapore.
I don't go to take photographs. I go to feel. My camera is not just how I see — it's how I listen.
The photostories in this exhibition, Utsav, have been unfolding since 2013. This is not just a collection of images. It's a testimony — of identity, of belief, of survival. These traditions are fading, slipping through our fingers. If we don't preserve them, what are we leaving behind? Algorithms? Filters? Noise? Where are the roots?
These images are my offering. My proof that this existed. That it mattered.
They are not perfect pictures. They are lived truths — of devotion, surrender, resilience. This is the story of faith. The story of people. And through it, I found not just their soul, but my own.
Laxmi Kaul's Photo Exhibition, Utsav – India in Celebration runs from 16 May to 30 July 2025 at Leica South Beach Quarter (located at 36 Beach Rd, #01-01 South Beach Quarter, Singapore 189766).
