A staggering 189 photographers, 5,771 entries and 10 winners. These numbers defined the Indian segment of the 2023 Wiki Loves Monuments, one of the largest public photography competitions in the world.
The competition saw participation from 46 countries this year, with 189 people signing up from India itself. The jury, comprising photographers Biswarup Ganguly, Humayunn Niaz Ahmed Peerzaada, and Sugato Mukherjee, picked 10 winners who will compete against entries in the international category.
The photographs placed first and third were clicked by Sharvari Mehendale. Her winning photograph was of the Queen’s Cenotaph and the third place entry was of Zanana Kund Aur Galta Ji Ka Mandir, both in Jaipur. The second spot was secured by Harsh, for capturing Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi. The winning clicks also include representations of the Qutb Minar, Nahargarh Fort, Chitradurga Fort Temples, Mysore Palace, Crawford Hall, Subz Burz, and Isa Khan Niyazi’s Tomb. Besides qualifying for the next round, the prizes include gift vouchers worth Rs 62,000, t-shirts, SWAG materials and digital certificates.
These photographs of (top) Humayun’s Tomb and (above) Zanana Kund Aur Galta Ji Ka Mandir secured the second and third spot, respectively Wikimedia
Organised by Wikimedia, with West Bengal Wikimedians User Group helming the Indian edition, this annual photography competition was started in 2010 in the Netherlands. It is a part of the organisation’s efforts to maintain an active list of Indian monuments, encouraging readers and contributors of Wikimedia to take pictures of monuments.
The images, which have been uploaded using CC BY-SA 4.0 licence can be used in Wikimedia projects to promote open knowledge. Having amassed a collection of around 2 million photos over the years, it is recognised by Guinness Book of World Records as the largest photography competition in the world.
You can check out the winning photographs here (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Wiki_Loves_Monuments_2023_in_India/Winners).
You too can join Wikimedia Commons and share your photos here (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Wiki_Loves_Monuments_2023_in_India/Jury).