Art, Artists, Photographers of Garhwal- Kumaun
Himalayan Photographer
Chandramohan Jakhmola : Finest Photographer of Himalayan Nature
Bhishma Kukreti
Chandramohan Jakhmola had been visiting Jaspur village , Malla Dhangu from Delhi for forty five years regularly for taking photographs of geographical beauty of Garhwal . Chandramohan Jakhmola is obsessed with geographical beauty of Himalaya and catches the beauty, Georgenes in his camera. In Dhangu, Dabralsyun patti (Pauri Garhwal), Chandramohan means a camera in his hand and that is the identity of famous photographer of Garhwal.
Chandramohan jakhmola was born on 30 August 1950 in village, Jaspur, Malla Dhangu, Gangasalan, Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand.
His father Mahannad Jakhmola was posted in central government department in Delhi and he left village for his schooling with his mother Bhanumati Devi (her mother’s place is Masogi, Dabralsyun) in his early age .
Chandramohan Jakhmola developed a hobby of photographing after watching a slide show of a photo-journalist and his father bought Yashika Mat for him, Chandramohan used to visit his village in summer vacation and used to take photographs of his villagers while they were working. His interest was on human activities and nature. Many villagers were surprised by his behaviours taking photographs of stones, tree, waterfalls, water ditches, hills, water mills, grass land etc (it was said, hyan yu chnadrmohna pathrun , naulu, gdnu photok klai leendu?)
Chandrmohan Jakhmola passed graduation in Arts and Photography from Delhi College of Arts.
He joined central government in Delhi for his earning but his interest was always in photography. Chandramohan Jakhmola might have taken more than 10000 (Ten thousand ) photographs .
Jakhmola’s remarkable work will always be remembered the photographic work in Nanda jat Jatra in 1988. C M Jakhmola traveled 300 Kilometer from Nauti ti back Nauti to capture the finer insight of Nanda Jatra. Captain Shurbeer Singh Panwar (the historian, the heritage protector and member of royal family Tihri Riyasat) inspired Jakhmola to travel Nanda Jatra and capturing the Nanda jatra travel.
Jakhmola also capture the insight of Badrinath, kedarnath Yatra. He traveled beyong Gangotri , Chaybasa etc to capture the secrete beauty of Gangotri region. Bhagirathi valley, Alaknanda valley, Ganga from Singtali to Rishikesh. is available in his collection of photographs in his Delhi residence. Chandramohan says that most exciting memeories are his visit to Tungnath shrines and taking snaps there.
If we study the photographs of Chandramohan from 1970 till date , we may find clear changes took place in the arena of society, geography, culture, religious worshipping, forests, agriculture, agriculture land, horticulture, marriage ceremonies, Gharat, jandaru, Kutan-pisan, doodh pijan , grassland, markets, buying habits of people of Jaspur, Gweel, Bareth, Silogi, Masogi or malla Dhangu and Dabralsyun areas as he has been capturing human and geographical changes of the area every year.
Jakhmola exhibited his photographs in group exhibitions. Chandramohan did participated in more than twenty slide shows at various places.
His slides were also shown in Mosco ( Apna Utsav)
Natural History Museum Delhi has preserved his hundred of photographs.
Dharmayug, Saptahik Hindustan, Nav Bharat times, Dainik Hindustan Rashtiy sahara and Nestime Hyderabd or many regional periodicals published the photographs of Chandramohan Jakhmola.
Jakhmola also participated in competition organized by National geography organization.
President Shankar Dayal Sharma awarded him for Presidential Award for his dedicated work in photography.
The photography experts as Dr Sarswat, S Paul praised his works apart from prais from Dr Govind Chatak and many more.
Chandramohan Jakhmola resides in Delhi.
Copyright @ Bhishma Kukreti , bckukreti@gmail.com