LMW Ltd, Coimbatore organises the DJ Memorial Photography Contest (DJMPC) every year since 2012 to pay tribute to its past Chairman D.Jayavarthanavelu who had immense passion and love for photography, and to identify, recognise, and celebrate outstanding talent in the field.
The 15th edition of DJMPC welcomed entries on 3 different themes – Wild Portraits, Naturescapes, Aerial View. Entries started coming all around the world from May 1st till June 30th. Wild Portraits received 6000+ entries, Naturescapes 4500+ while Aerial View had 1000+ entries. They came from 37 countries.
A jury panel, comprised of distinguished photography experts including Emmy-Nominated Film-Maker and Conservation Storyteller Kalyan Varma (India); Award winning Wildlife Photographer Rahul Sachdev (India), and National Geographic Explorer & Conservation Photographer Anthony Ochieng Onyango (Kenya), was established to evaluate the submitted entries.
Veteran photographer K.Maruthachalam, served as the contest mentor, while seasoned Nature & Wildlife Photographer Vikram Sathyanathan assumed the role of contest administrator. The best entries were finalized, and the most awaited DJMPC 2026 Award Ceremony was held on Thursday at the iconic Kasthuri Srinivasan Art Gallery.
Sanjay Jayavarthanavelu, Chairman and Managing Director of LMW, honored the winners, runners-up and certificate of merit holders of all 3 categories by presenting them with certificates and cheques for total prize money Rs.12 lakhs.
In Naturescape, the photograph by Dinesh Bhat from Kasaragod called ‘Clay Apartments` shot at Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary in Karnataka won the First Prize.
In Wild Portraits, the photograph by Anirudh Kamakeri from Karnataka called ‘Early Morning Prayer’ shot at Dharwad , Karnataka won the First Prize.
In the Aerial View, the photograph by Sachin Bharali from Assam called `The Sleeping Family’ shot at Jorhat, Assam, India won the First Prize.
An exhibition showcasing the best photographs was inaugurated by Rajyalakshmi Jayavarthanavelu at Kasthuri Srinivasan Art Gallery.
The finest photographs are exhibited in the gallery for the public to admire. They will be on display from 31st to 5th of August 2026 between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
(A special feature is underway)
