A glimpse of Ahmedabad’s heritage through the lens of Pino Shah

by ASJAD NAZIR

HE MAY have been living in USA for more than 30 years, but Deval ‘Pino’ Shah never disconnected himself from his roots in Ahmedabad in India.

The Texas based world heritage photographer took more than 20,000 images of Ahmedabad and selected 950 of them for a fascinating new book. His book Ahmedabad: Glimpses of India’s First World Heritage City, written under his pen name Pino Shah, is a tribute to the city.

Eastern Eye caught up with Pino Shah to find out more about the book and Ahmedabad.

What inspired you to put this book together?

I was born in Ahmedabad and when UNESCO designated it as a World Heritage City in July 2017, I knew it was time to publish my photographs into a book.

What was the starting point for the book?

From October of 2009 to March of 2010, I had moved back to Ahmedabad after living in the US for 22 years. At that time, I started architectural photography and took pictures of the old city.

You took over 20,000 photos. How did you narrow down the images?

First, I decided on the outline for the book and asked myself, what did I want someone who had never visited Ahmedabad to know? What did I want to showcase about the old city? Heritage to me encompasses culture, tradition, including festivals, the way people dress, music, food, architecture, etc. So, I wanted to visually show the world Ahmedabad’s heritage. Then, it was a matter of finding photographs from my collection for the topics outlined and deciding which ones told a story. Finally, after looking at all the images, would a person want to visit Ahmedabad? This helped me select the images.

Is there one image that means the most to you?

There are several that speak to me. I love architecture, especially, historic architecture, but it is only people that make a structure meaningful. There is one of a man with a heavy heart praying – his body language and facial expressions say it all. It is a glimpse of an intimate conversation between the creator and his child.

What new thing did you learn about Ahmedabad?

I did not know how rich the architectural treasures dating back to 1400s were, though I grew up in the city.

Who are you hoping connects with the book?

The world, especially children and grandchildren of NRIs who have probably heard stories about the old city. Now, they can get a comprehensive overview of what a 600-year-old city is like. How folks still live in over 100-year-old houses.

What can we expect next from you?

I am headed to Ahmedabad for three weeks in February after a week in Abu Dhabi (working on updating my book on Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque). I have been debating

about doing a similar book on Mumbai, though it doesn’t have as many historic buildings. Perhaps, a similar book on historic architecture in Gujarat.

Another book that you like...

The Bible.

What inspires you?

I share a very close relationship with the almighty. I recognise the talents he has bestowed upon me. That is what inspires me to work on such projects almost single-handedly. In the last three years, I have been blessed to have published six books on historic architecture. Something like that only happens when blessings are in abundance, not solely due to talent.

www.artbypino.com & Facebook: @artbypino