Divine Makeover – Tamil cultural photo a winner of 2014 National Geographic Traveller Photography Contest

A photographer from Chennai, Tamil Nadu who started his photography journey only in 2008 has snapped an international award winning photograph.

Divine Makeover (pictured above) by Mahesh Balasubramanian has already recieved third prize at the Paris based PX3 2014 (Prix De La Photographie Paris) and recently was announced as a Merit Prize winner at the 2014 National Geographic Traveller Photography Contest.

The photo was taken during the Mayana Soora Thiruvizha festival, which takes place every March in the small village of Kaveripattinam, in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, the day after Maha Shivarathiri  (the great night of Shiva). The festival is devoted to Angalamman, a fierce guardian deity worshipped widely in Southern India.

To view more photos by Mahesh, please visit his website www.maheshb.com

Chosen from more that 18,000 entries, the winning photographs include a dramatic storm cloud in the US to the ‘end of the world’ in Ecuador. Here are the other winning entries by photographers from around the world.

The Independence Day While on storm-chasing expeditions in the Tornado Alley in the US I have encountered many photogenic supercell storms. This photograph was taken while we were approaching the storm near Julesburg, Colorado, on 28 May 2013. Photograph and caption: Marko Korošec / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

First Time [Mea Shearim. Jerusalem, Israel] Newly married, Aaron and Rivkeh after the wedding ceremony are to stay together for the very first time, alone. Their marriage was arranged by families. The 18-year-olds met only once to confirm their choice. Photograph and caption: Agnieszka Traczewska / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Third Place – Diver in Magic Kingdom Green Lake (Grüner See) is located in Tragöss, Austria. In spring, snowmelt raises its level 10 metres. This phenomenon lasts only a few weeks, covering the hiking trails, meadows, trees. The result is a magical diving landscape. Photograph and caption: Marc Henauer / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Foggy Small Town [Ä?eský Krumlov, Czech Republic ] This photo was captured from the castle on the edge of the small town and is the perfect viewpoint for the panorama of the almost intact historical town. The fog and mist suffused and gave the town a sense of mystery. Photograph and caption: Duowen Chen / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Ladies in Waiting While exploring Borough Market in London, I was delighted to come across four lovely young women dressed in vintage white dresses, eating ice-cream as the local shopkeeper looked on. Photograph and caption: Susie Stern / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

A Well-Earned Rest in the Sahara This photo, of Moussa Macher, a Touareg guide, was taken at the summit of Tin-Merzouga, the largest dune in the Tadrat region of the Sahara desert in southern Algeria. Photograph and caption: Evan Cole / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Khotso Peace at Devil’s Knuckles [Sehlabathebe National Park, Lesotho] On arrival at Jonathan’s Lodge our horses celebrated liberation from their heavy burdens. How could I not take advantage of these magnificent creatures rejoicing in the afternoon’s glow. Photograph and caption: Byron Inggs / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Light Source A young monk finds a perfect light source to read his book inside of his pagoda in Old Bagan, Burma. Photograph and caption: Marcelo Castro / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

End of the World This photo, taken at the ‘end of the world’ swing in Banos, Ecuador, captures a man on the swing overlooking an erupting Mt Tungurahua. Photograph and caption: Sean Hacker Teper / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest