Spelling Bees and chess are no longer the only avenues where Indian child prodigies shine. The coveted Wildlife Photographer of the Year award, held by London’s reputed Natural Histroy Museum, has a 9-year-old Indian girl amidst its list of winners. Shreyovi Mehta, a fifth-grade student from Delhi, is a runner-up for the award in its ‘10 Years and Under’ category. Her shot is a spellbinding vision of a couple of peafowl against a magical-looking beam of light, against a dark forest. Her skills are at par with almost any professional photographer.
How the astounding image was shot by Mehta
Mehta was on a family stroll when she spotted her subject, and wasted no time in getting her father’s camera and capturing the beautiful image. She seems to have a natural knack for photography, as her father is a professional photographer. Mehta took the photo at the Keoladev Forest Reserve in Bharatpur, Rajasthan.
Mehta secured her position after competing in a pool of 60,000 entries, from 117 countries. In a heartwarming thank-you note on Instagram, the young photographer urges more parents to let their daughters “explore their dreams.” “Because when you let us dream big, there’s no limit to what we can achieve!” she adds. Mehta is one among the many starlets who are making a mark across the world, and putting India on the map.
Mehta says she next wants to make it big by capturing the tiger in her photographs, so that it gets “recognition.” Her award-winning shot will get an 8 month-long exhibition at the Natural History Museum of London, which conducted the contest.
If your child is a prodigy, let them shine
Indian kids are adding stars to India’s global image in a variety of fields. Sports, science, arts – these kids are everywhere. Hemesh Chadalavada built a bracelet that tracks the health of the elderly at the age of 14. Advait Kolarkar is an 10-year-artist, whose paintings sell for tens of thousands of dollars. As of 2023, he had accumulated 300000 simply by selling his artwork. His story is an inspiration for more kids who have interests in art. Recently, 17-year-old archer Sheetal Devi had a stellar run at the Paralympics, and even held a world record briefly during the event.
These children are also proof that the support from parents is crucial for their kids’ choices, so that they thrive in them. Indian parenting has a strict focus on education as a child is in their formative years. Brilliance and ingenuity is also largely interpreted in academic terms. As a result, extra-curricular activities in which children might thrive are often ignored. Parents need to widen their horizons and take note of what their children excel at, irrespective of their return value.
