Assam: Tezpur’s Shivani Tibrewal wins award at Wiki Loves Folklore 2025

OUR CORRESPONDENT

TEZPUR: In a landmark achievement for the North East, 52-year-old entrepreneur and amateur photographer Shivani Tibrewal from Tezpur in Sonitpur district, has become the first person from the region to receive the Noteworthy Contribution Award at the prestigious Wiki Loves Folklore 2025, one of the world’s largest cultural photography contests.

Organized by the Wikimedia community and launched in 2019, Wiki Loves Folklore is dedicated to celebrating and documenting the world’s intangible cultural heritage, spanning categories such as festivals, folk art, traditional clothing, oral traditions, and performing arts.

Her award-winning photograph, titled Golden Reverence, captures the breathtaking spectacle of the Bhandara festival in Jejuri, Pune, a scene where devotees envelop Lord Khandoba in clouds of golden turmeric powder. The image was praised for its cultural depth, technical finesse, and compelling storytelling.

The 2025 edition of Wiki Loves Folklore drew 1,912 participants from 142 countries, generating 85,715 new media files on Wikimedia Commons. Winners were judged on cultural value, originality, and narrative strength. Shivani received a $50 gift coupon, a certificate, and an official contest T-shirt as part of the honour.

A self-taught photographer, Shivani began her journey during the Covid-19 lockdown, turning to the camera as a creative escape. Her work blends candid human emotion with rich cultural settings, often illuminated by natural light for authenticity. A passionate traveller and writer, her photo essays have appeared in leading Assamese and national publications.

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