Satish Ira wins top photography prize in Karnataka

Satish Ira, a senior photographer from Mangaluru, has won first prize in a photography contest held by the Karnataka Media Academy in Hubballi. His winning photograph captured the Sankranti festival near Mysuru. The contest took place on Sunday, and the prizes were distributed by Labour and District In-charge Minister Santosh Lad. The event was part of the Focus on News competition and workshop at Indira Glass House. Prakash Kandakur from Koppal secured second place with his photo titled "Neeranarasuttha," which shows the hardships of people facing drought. Bharat Kandakur, also from Koppal, won third place with his image "Tungabhadreya Rodane," highlighting water pollution. The top three photographers received cash prizes of ₹35,000, ₹25,000, and ₹15,000 respectively. Judges for the competition included senior photographer S. Thippeswamy and journalist Imran Qureshi, along with K. Bhagyaprakash from The Hindu. Several other photographers received commendations for their work.