Series description
This series explores the intimate world of Indian-administered Kashmir’s pigeon keepers, where, as the photographer explains, ‘care for these gentle birds becomes an act of hope and quiet resistance.’ Captured across Srinagar’s rooftops, shrines, and markets, the images reveal how, in times of uncertainty, people find peace in the simple rhythm of feeding, training, and watching their pigeons soar. Gulzar notes, ‘it’s a story of love, patience, and the enduring spirit of a place that refuses to lose its soul.’
Kotar’baaz
Pigeons soar above Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir, seen from a hilltop overlooking the city. In the neighbourhoods below, generations of residents nurture this age-old rooftop tradition. For many, pigeon keeping is more than a pastime, it shows resilience and is a living expression of Kashmir’s enduring cultural identity.
© Aakash Gulzar, India, Shortlist, Student Competition, Together, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
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Bilal Ahmad stands on his rooftop bird farm in Downtown Srinagar, watching his pigeons return home. Once known for unrest, the area has seen a revival of this peaceful tradition. For Ahmad, who has raised over 3,000 pigeons for more than a decade, caring for them offers calm and purpose amid uncertainty.
© Aakash Gulzar, India, Shortlist, Student Competition, Together, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
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Owais, 23, cares for over a thousand pigeons in Srinagar, working more than 100 kilometres from his home. Employed by a local businessman, he spends his days feeding and tending to the prized birds. Despite the long hours, he says, ‘I’ve grown attached to them. I can’t imagine doing anything else.’
© Aakash Gulzar, India, Shortlist, Student Competition, Together, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
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Faizan Parvez, 13, digs a small grave for a pigeon that died after being electrocuted by a wire in Bandipora, Indian-administered Kashmir. In Kashmir, pigeon keepers often treat their birds with profound care and affection, mourning their loss with the tenderness reserved for a loved one.
© Aakash Gulzar, India, Shortlist, Student Competition, Together, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
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Inaam, 24, sits in a restaurant in Srinagar. Once devoted to his flock of more than 40 pigeons, he stopped after his favourite red-headed bird was killed by a cat, a loss that left him heartbroken. Raising pigeons had helped him find peace during difficult times. To honor their memory, he later got a tattoo of a pigeon on his arm, a lasting tribute to the birds that once gave him solace.
© Aakash Gulzar, India, Shortlist, Student Competition, Together, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
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A cat walks toward the Makhdoom Sahib shrine in Srinagar The shrine is home to countless pigeons, lovingly fed by visitors each day. Yet the cat’s quiet presence is a reminder of the constant danger these gentle birds face, even in a place where they are cherished and protected by the community.
© Aakash Gulzar, India, Shortlist, Student Competition, Together, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Kotar’baaz
Visitors gather near the Dargah Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar, often pausing to photograph the pigeons that move freely through the courtyard. Across the city’s mosques and shrines, the birds share space with worshippers in quiet ease.
© Aakash Gulzar, India, Shortlist, Student Competition, Together, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards