Travographer- Dheeraj Katara

“The journey is my home” –  Muriel Rukeyser

Dheeraj Katara is a wildlife photographer and Travel Photographer who hails from the love city –  Agra. Dheeraj belongs to a noble family and had a childhood full of love and care for nature. So,  nature love was a part of informal education given at home from his parents. When he was young, he and his father used to go for nature walk.  He pursued his affection for nature and birds in formal education too and did post graduation in Biotech. Currently, he is working as a Research Scholar at NJIL & OMD, Agra.

The turning point came in his life when he met his friend in Delhi Mr. Atul Chauhan, who had left a lucrative job and had started photography. The feel of lenses and expressing his passion of wild life tempted him. This helped him make up his mind to choose wildlife photography as his profession. Finally, he had a way of expressing his affection for nature through photography. As it is said, “ Arise , Awake and Assert yourself till you find the  goal”. Dheeraj continued  to do so as well. His dedication towards his work is whole-hearted. His enthusiasm towards his passion can be seen in his photographs. His photographs have a deep sense depicting his love for travelling and nature.

After completing his post graduation in BioTech from Gwalior, he came back to Agra. The comeback to Agra found new horizons. The Yamuna waters, Jalma institute forest area and Taj nature walk kept him going and covering milestones. He initiated many productive works like conducting Wildlife photography competition in Agra, photography workshops, nature walks in collaboration with NGOs and other units, wildlife photography week etc. On his journey to discover nature, many good people supported him. He owes a huge respect for people like Mr. Manish Mittal (IFS, Agra), Mr. Lalit Rajora, Mr. Anzaar Nabi and Mr. Abhitanshu soni. They couldn’t let his zeal down and gave him unconditional support.

Recently, a nature walk for children was conducted under the supervision of Mr. Dheeraj by the NGO Journey to Roots society. During the walk, children were made aware about the flora and fauna. The walk was escorted by Mr. Gopal Singh, Mr. Ankush dave and Mr. Mukul Ji who enriched kids with their knowledge of wildlife. A competition was also organized in the end in which children participated excitedly. Agraites showed huge love for the nature walk. 

Apart from this, Dheeraj has bagged many achievements. He has won a second prize in ViewFinder with the theme “Mor Raipur”. He has also been the winner of a competition organized by JCI Raipur Youth Capital. His photograph of Champaranya  is exhibited at the Indian Habitat Centre, Delhi.

It is rightly said “Home is where the heart is!”. Dheeraj, although a native of Agra , has a passion of traveling specifically, Chattisgarh. For him, his heart resides in the air of valleys and lakes of the mesmerizing place. He shared his take on the local  food and local dance forms Dandami and Madia too. The places Chitrakote Waterfall, Kutumbsar caves, Fool Pahad waterfall and Teerathgarh etc. are the most inspiring places for him.

There is no looking back for this young and energetic man. He loves to explore places and travels a lot. He manages to balance his work and travel life. His love for travelling is unstoppable. You can even find him on Instagram by the name of Travographers. He is a solo traveler and travels 2-3 places in a month. It reminds me of the words of Paulo Coelho “ Travel is a matter of courage and not money.” He loves to go for birding quite often. Taj Nature walk, Agra is one of his favorite places. While birding, he ensures the peace and pace of birds which they love. 

Moreover, Dheeraj always carries a question in his mind “ Where to next?”  I strongly feel that he will fulfill all his dreams and go global. I salute the spirit and courage of DHEERAJ which inspires many.

Please visit the following links to know more about the adventures and travel places being explored by  Mr. Dheeraj Katara:

https://www.facebook.com/draj.kat

https://www.instagram.com/travographers