Raja Deen Dayal: Prince of Photographers

by Narendra Luther

This is the story of Deen Dayal, the greatest photographer of India whose genius was acknowledged worldwide. It is also the history of photography, its arrival in India, the work done by the British and Indian photographers, and its application in the documentation of various aspects of administration.

On the human side, it gives a glimpse of the fabulous life-style of the nabobs of the East India company, and the sahibs of the British Empire. The latter’s fascination for documenting the exotic sights of India helped the new medium become popular. These two aspects of the treatment of the subject together serve to place the work of the great photographer in a wider historical and social context.

Deen dayal rose to the pinnacle of his calling at the height of the glory of the British Empire. With no formal training in photography, and with primitive equipment, Deen Dayal, by a combination of talent, acute artistic sensibility, prodigious industry and rare business acumen went on to secure a royal warrant from the Queen Empress of India, and her successor. At home, he was the only one from the tribe of “picture-makers” to enter the charmed circle of the titled nobility of the largest princely state of India. nearly a century after his death Deen Dayal remains the undisputed master of his craft.

The author has researched widely and made extensive use of oral history references. Through some rare pictures, and archival documents never seen before, the book documents some details of the personal life of Deen Dayal, his rise to fame, his triumphs, his tragedies, and the beginning of the decline of the house that he had established.

About the Author:

Narendra Luther is an authority on the history and culture of Hyderabad. His works include a commissioned biography of the founder of Hyderabad, a history of Hyderabad entitled Memoirs of a City, and a novel, Beyond the Full Circle. He has also written a large number of stories, articles and essays on a variety of topics. He has won several awards for his works, which have been translated into a number of Indian and foreign languages.

His columns include the popular weekly 'Between You & Me' for the A.P. edition of India's national daily, 'The Hindu'. He scripted India's first full-length animation bi-lingual film on the legend of Bhagmati, and scripted and co-produced a documentary on the rocks of hyderabad, which won two 'Golden Aster' awards at the Japan International Festival of Heritage Films held at Osaka in 1999.