India’s veteran photojournalist Raghu Rai passes away, cremation to be held at Lodhi cremation ground

New Delhi:India’s famous photographer and globally respected photojournalist Raghu Rai passed away on Sunday. He breathed his last at the age of 83. His family confirmed the sad news through their official Instagram handle.

According to family members, his last rites will be performed today at 4 pm at Lodhi crematorium in Delhi. There has been a wave of mourning in the world of photography and journalism due to his demise.

Raghu Rai was considered the ‘father’ of Indian photography.

Raghu Rai was called the ‘father’ of Indian photography and photojournalism. His career spanned more than five decades, in which he captured many important events of the country and the world on his camera.

His photographs are not just photographs, but are considered living documents of history. For his contribution, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Shri award in 1971.

The picture of Bhopal gas tragedy shook the world

Raghu Rai’s most talked about photographs include the one after the Bhopal gas tragedy, in which the lifeless body of an innocent child is visible. This single photo drew the entire world’s attention to this horrific incident and sparked a global debate about corporate responsibility.

Lives of Indira Gandhi and Mother Teresa captured on camera

Raghu Rai captured special moments of the lives of many prominent personalities of India on his camera. He worked with former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for a long time and recorded many important moments of her life.

Apart from this, his photography on Mother Teresa was also very popular. Even before he was declared a saint, he had published a book on him named ‘Saint Mother’.

From beginning of career to international recognition

Born in 1942 in Jhang (now Pakistan) in undivided India, Raghu Rai took up photography as his profession in 1962. He started his career with ‘The Statesman’ and later remained associated with ‘India Today’ for a long time.

He was among the first Indian members of the world’s prestigious photography organization ‘Magnum Photos’. In his lifetime he wrote more than 18 books and left an indelible mark in the field of photography.