Tezpur: Assam is mourning the loss of internationally acclaimed photographer and Bishnu Prasad Rabha Award laureate Nalini Kanta Baruah, who passed away at his residence in Barahalia, Tezpur, on Tuesday evening. He was 95. Baruah’s death has cast a deep pall of gloom across the cultural, media and artistic circles of the state, marking the end of an extraordinary creative journey that spanned nearly eight decades. His last rites were performed with full state honours at the Harjarapar crematorium, where a large number of admirers, fellow artists, journalists and district administration officials gathered to pay their final respects.
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Earlier in the day, a public tribute programme was organised at Church Field in Tezpur, drawing art lovers and well-wishers who came to bid farewell to the legendary photographer whose work left an indelible mark on Indian photography. Born on April 22, 1931, Nalini Kanta Baruah was much more than a photographer. Fondly revered as a “shutter guru”, he viewed photography as a powerful blend of visual art, emotion and social expression. At a time when photography was largely treated as mere documentation, Baruah transformed it into a bold artistic medium, often introspective and thought-provoking.
He is widely regarded as one of the earliest photographers in India—and possibly the first from the Northeast—to experiment with nude photography in a public and artistic context, breaking conventions and expanding the boundaries of creative expression. His legacy continues to inspire generations of photographers and artists across the region and beyond.
