Hyderabad: The Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FTCCI) declared the winners of the Telangana photography contest “Telangana Through the Lens – 2026”. The Tourism Committee organised the open contest to showcase Telangana’s diverse and lesser-explored tourism potential.
The contest carried the theme “Explore, Experience and Exhibit the Spirit of Telangana Tourism”. It invited photography enthusiasts from different backgrounds to capture Telangana’s tourism appeal through their lenses.
The response to the Telangana photography contest was substantial. The organisers received more than 1,400 submissions from 554 photographers across the State.
FTCCI organised the contest to mark World Photography Day.
Photographers were encouraged to look beyond familiar destinations and discover Telangana’s hidden tourism gems.
Shravan Thadanla, a photographer associated with S1 Studios, won the first prize. Mahimala Kyadhar Reddy secured the second prize, while H. Satish won the third prize.
Shravan runs S1 Studio in Ramappa Village in Mulugu District. His winning photograph featured Cheriyal Painting, a traditional folk art form native to Telangana.
The source described Cheriyal scroll painting as a critically endangered folk art form. It is currently facing the threat of extinction, according to the contest announcement.
The seven consolation prizes were awarded to Kishore Das, Kathroju Yadagiri, Vonteddu Nageswara Rao, Basheer, Tula Narendar, Aavula Srinivasulu and Veeragoni Rajinikanth Goud.
Their photographs presented different aspects of Telangana’s tourism landscape. The entries highlighted the State’s visual diversity and the role of photography in documenting lesser-known attractions.
The contest also aimed to encourage photographers to explore locations outside Telangana’s established tourist circuit. FTCCI said participants should focus on places and experiences that deserved greater visibility.
The jury included Yachendra Satyaprasad, H. Satish and K.N. Hari (Narahari K.). Satyaprasad is a landscape photographer and served as President of the Telangana Photographic Society for several years.
H. Satish was identified as a former Chief News Photo Journalist associated with The Hindu. K.N. Hari is a photojournalist associated with the Telugu daily newspaper Nava Telangana.
The announcement also identified K.N. Hari as the general secretary of the Telangana State Photo Journalists Association (TSPJA). The jury assessed the entries and selected the winners from the submitted photographs.
Telangana photography contest highlights hidden tourism gems
The Telangana photography contest offered cash prizes to the top-ranked entries. The first prize carried ₹15,000, while the second prize carried ₹10,000.
The third prize was ₹7,500. In addition, the announcement stated that five consolation prizes of ₹1,500 each would be presented.
However, the winners section of the announcement listed seven consolation prize recipients. The source therefore contains a difference between the number of consolation winners listed and the later prize details.
The cash prizes will be presented during a function scheduled for 28th September at FTCCI, Red Hills. The event will formally recognise the photographers selected through the contest.
FTCCI particularly encouraged photographers to move beyond Telangana’s familiar tourist destinations. The organisers sought photographs of hidden gems, unexplored locations and lesser-known heritage sites.
The contest also welcomed images of distinctive cultural practices and rural experiences. Picturesque landscapes and other tourism attractions were also included among the subjects photographers were encouraged to document.
Through the initiative, FTCCI sought to use photography as a tool for discovering new tourism possibilities. The organisers also aimed to promote these attractions by bringing them into wider public view.
The winning entries reflected the broad range of subjects that can represent Telangana’s tourism identity. Shravan’s Cheriyal Painting photograph, in particular, connected tourism with the State’s traditional cultural heritage.
Meanwhile, the other selected photographs brought different facets of Telangana into focus. Together, the entries demonstrated how photographers can document places, traditions and experiences beyond widely recognised destinations.
The contest was open to photography enthusiasts from all walks of life.
Its participation figures showed the scale of interest generated by the initiative, with more than 1,400 submissions from 554 photographers.
The World Photography Day connection also gave the contest a broader photography-focused purpose. FTCCI used the occasion to encourage participants to explore Telangana through visual storytelling.
The organisers’ emphasis remained on discovery and documentation. They urged photographers to identify tourism attractions that may not receive the same attention as established destinations.
By focusing on lesser-known locations, cultural practices and rural experiences, the initiative sought to expand the range of tourism stories associated with Telangana. Photography provided the medium for presenting those stories to a wider audience.
The Telangana photography contest winners will receive their awards at the FTCCI function on 28th September. The event will bring together the selected photographers and the organisation behind the initiative.
The contest announcement positioned photography as more than a creative pursuit. It presented photographs as a way to discover, document and promote Telangana’s tourism resources.