When S R Sai Sanjay Prasath quit his corporate job in Qatar to return to his hometown Madurai after the pandemic in 2021, little did he know that his experiments with photography would fetch him a national award. From 11,000 shortlisted entries to the Mela Moments photography contest organised by the Union Ministry of Culture and the Lalit Kala Akademi, Delhi, two of Sanjay’s photographs were awarded the third prize and displayed as part of a larger exhibition at the National Gallery of Modern Art in Delhi this past fortnight. The prize winning photos selected under the theme, The Third Element, are from the annual Dasara Festival held at Kulasekarapattinam. It shows a man dressed as goddess Kali in the red glow of a flame against the backdrop of the blue sky. “The third element is about complementary colours, the moment and the composition,” says Sanjay who took the photograph during one of his many trips last year. The local Dasara festival is associated with a folklore about local residents invoking the local goddess to save themselves from the torture of a demon. Men dress like the goddess at this festival. Sanjay says he went to document the unique festival for his personal collection. His other prize winning photo was taken in front of the temple where another man dressed as the goddess was standing next to him holding flames in his hand and burning charcoal on his tongue. “There were 300 photographers around to capture the captivating moments that day. I usually step away and patiently allow others to click first. It helps me to work on my perspective with a totally different angle,” says Sanjay. In a crowd it is a challenge to get the right angle and proper lighting, he adds. Sanjay took many photos of the event with his Sony A 73 camera and on a friend’s suggestion sent five for the competition in January this year. “Last month I received a mail asking me to be in Delhi on February 29 to receive the prize,” he says. The Mela Moment contest, aimed at highlighting the country’s vibrant cultural heritage under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, attracted 300,000 participants from all over the country. Three prizes were given under five different themes and 60 best photographs were showcased at the NGMA exhibition, which concluded on March 14. “It was my happiest moment,” says Sai, who, invested in an expensive camera to creatively explore the landscape in and around Madurai. He says he started off as a wedding photographer after returning to India; but the bright colours of travel and culture turned out to be his calling. Last year the 34-year-old shutterbug went across Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and returned with some gorgeous frames of Theyyam. Pulikali and the dasara. The beautiful cultures he saw have now inspired him to focus on faith and religious festivities. “It is going to be my new project of passion,” he says.