Ladakh, the stark, lunar landscape of the trans-Himalayan desert region of India is known for it’s raw beauty and adds to the other-worldliness of the region. According to scientific research and local tales, it was believed that Ladakh was submerged underwater before the continental collisions that gave birth to the Himalayas 50 million years ago. However, today, the region faces the detrimental impacts of uncontrolled development and climate change, resulting in a drastic decline in glaciers and snowfall, triggering a severe water crisis.

 

“Invisible Waters” is a photographic study of the self-formed landscape of Ladakh and preserving the topographical echoes of its submerged history before it is touched by the unregulated development happening in the region which is eroding its precious ecosystem in the wake of progress. The photo series observes the batholith geological respirations of the region that show evidence of once-existing water beds. By juxtaposing these remnants with the region’s omnipresent, god-like sunlight, the series seeks to visually articulate the absence of once-abundant water bodies.