The WildSojourns Nature Awards and Festival 2024, a prominent event organized by the Chinu Datta Gupta Memorial Foundation was held at the KCC.

The purpose of this magnificent environmental festival, which was the first of its type in Eastern India, was to honor the beauty of the natural world and its fauna.

The three-day event featured a wide range of events, such as talk shows, courses on wildlife filming, screenings of wildlife films, and lectures on wildlife conservation. Another noteworthy feature was an international photo exhibition that featured breathtaking images of wildlife and the natural world. The grand finale featured an award ceremony honoring the world’s top wildlife photographers, recognizing exceptional skill and commitment to the field.

The festival sought to increase awareness of environmental protection, strengthen the link between people and wildlife, and highlight the value of animal conservation.

The event saw the presence of world-renowned wildlife photographers such as Thomas Vijayan, Shivanga Mehta, Anish Andheria, Sagar Gosavi, Hira Punjabi, Ripan Biswas, Ramachandiran Govindaraj, Balaji Loganathan, Yashodhan Bhatia, Kallol Mukherjee, Kiran Poonacha, Puskar Basu and many others.

The festival was formally inaugurated by the Chief Guest, Sri Debal Ray, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) of West Bengal, and Sri Ashok Roy Chowdhury, Trustee of the Chinu Datta Gupta Memorial Foundation.

Over 20,000 photographs were submitted from 57 countries for this competition. They have awarded a total of around 16 lakh rupees across various categories.

In addition to highlighting the diversity and beauty of nature, the WildSojourns Nature Awards and Festival 2024 emphasized the critical nature of conservation efforts and encouraged spectators to take an active role in preserving the planet’s priceless species and ecosystems.

Priyanka Dutta