1st Place winner
Elderly Kutia Kondh Woman
DESCRIPTION
While visiting a small Kutia village in central Odisha, India, I came across this elderly woman who was sitting on a bench in the shade from the bright sun. She seemed to have no issue with me photographing her, so I did. I smiled and thanked her for allowing me to take her photo and gave her a few rupees as a token of my appreciation. The Kutia tribe is a sub-group of the Kondh Ethnic Group. The Kutia are one of 75 ethnic groups in India that are described as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups in the Indian Constitution. The women have facial tattoos that are an integral part of their culture and form a connection to their tribe and to their ancestors and spirit gods in their afterlife.
AUTHOR
Ron Gesser developed a passion for travel since he took his first transatlantic flight when he was a young boy. Ever since then he has always traveled with a camera in hand, developing a passion to experience and make a connection with various cultures around the world. In recent years he has travelled to off the beaten path places such as the Chin Hills in Myanmar, the Omo Valley of Ethiopia, and Odisha and Chhattisgarh in India. He enjoys sharing his experiences of visiting unusual destinations and cultures through his photography. 