Chawla, an acclaimed photographer known for his unique portraits, captured approximately 10,000 images over three years, focusing on stray dogs on Goa’s beaches.

Until the pandemic lockdown of 2020, traveling was the only constant in contemporary photographer Rohit Chawla’s life. With the restrictions confining him to Goa, Chawla, like many others, had to adapt to a new routine. As the world came to a standstill, Chawla began walking 20 kilometers daily to maintain his fitness. Along the way, on the desolate Ashwem beach, he noticed a heartbreaking sight: stray dogs, abandoned and left to fend for themselves, trailed him along the empty shore.

The sight of these neglected dogs struck a deep chord with Chawla. The pandemic, which had left many people isolated and vulnerable, mirrored the helplessness he saw in the dogs. He felt compelled to capture their plight, feeling a kinship with their vulnerability. He started taking photographs of the dogs, using his camera to express his own internal turmoil, his scattered thoughts, and a deep sense of isolation that resonated with the animals’ own experience.

Over the next three years, Chawla would go on to document the dogs on Goa’s beaches, capturing nearly 10,000 images. These dogs, once invisible and abandoned, became the subjects of his work. His photographs are more than just a record of their survival; they represent the shared struggle for life and dignity amidst the pandemic’s chaos.

The images reflect the isolation and despair that Chawla himself was experiencing. As he attempted to create a frame for his feelings, he realized the photographs offered a powerful visual narrative not only of the dogs’ hardships but of his own emotional journey. The exhibition is a poignant reminder of the many creatures—both human and animal—who were forgotten during one of the most challenging periods in recent history.

“Thus, these images are the quietest, most introspective work I have ever done,” said Rohit Chawla, reflecting on the collection that forms his exhibition titled Rain Dogs. The exhibition, showcasing his powerful photographs of stray dogs in Goa, began on Wednesday at the Aguada Heritage Complex. The two-week-long exhibition offers visitors a poignant visual experience, where Chawla’s lens captures not just the animals’ struggle for survival but also conveys his own emotional reflections during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Through Rain Dogs, Chawla brings attention to the often-forgotten lives of stray animals and the eerie stillness of the beaches during a time of global crisis. The exhibition invites viewers into a space of introspection, offering a profound narrative of isolation, resilience, and empathy that resonates with the universal experience of facing hardship in silence.

Chawla, an acclaimed photographer known for his unconventional portraits, took about 10,000 photographs over three years of dogs on Goa’s beaches, from which he selected approximately 100 for his Rain Dogs exhibition. Reflecting on the challenging times, Chawla shared how the stray dogs, abandoned and forgotten, followed him during the pandemic, perhaps hoping he could provide something they desperately needed. “The tourists had fled, the beaches were no longer a moveable feast of leftovers. It broke my heart to see them so emaciated, their eyes large and dead with hunger,” Chawla recalled.

In his statement, Chawla highlighted the plight of these animals during the pandemic, pointing out that in the scramble for food, some humans hoarded more than they needed, leaving the homeless dogs in dire conditions. He expressed that the exhibition was not only a reflection of the emotional toll of the lockdown but also aimed at changing perceptions about stray or “indie” dogs. “We as a country have the largest number of street/stray dogs in the world. There are about 70,000 on the beaches of Goa,” he noted, urging people to acknowledge the challenges faced by these animals and consider how they can improve their treatment.

Chawla mentioned that the Rain Dogs exhibition will be traveling to different cities across India, with the hope that it will raise awareness and encourage people to rescue stray dogs. “If we did not have dogs in our lives, probably nothing in my life would have worked out—neither my jobs nor my marriage… I owe these dogs my whole life,” he expressed, emphasizing the deep emotional bond he shares with these animals.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor praised Chawla’s exhibition, describing the stunning and moving photographs as a powerful reminder of the deep connection between humans and dogs. “These photographs are a reminder that dogs are indeed poems with paws. Those paws can leave their imprint on the hardest human heart,” Tharoor said, underscoring the profound impact that these animals can have on people’s lives.

Historian William Dalrymple also praised Chawla’s exhibition, noting that the Covid lockdown led to numerous remarkable passion projects by artists and writers around the world. “However, none will provide more pleasure than Chawla’s wonderful new look at Goa during the pandemic and the relationship between man and dog on the beaches,” Dalrymple said. His words highlighted the unique emotional depth captured in Chawla’s photographs, emphasizing how the artist’s work offers a fresh perspective on both the human-animal bond and the challenges faced by stray dogs during a global crisis.

The exhibition will also be held at Gurugram’s Museo Camera Centre for the Photographic Arts starting January 26, with plans for additional locations in other cities. Alongside the exhibition, a coffee table book titled Rain Dogs (published by HarperCollins) featuring Chawla’s poignant photographs, will be launched at the Jaipur Literature Festival in February. The book promises to bring the striking images of stray dogs in Goa during the pandemic to a wider audience, further raising awareness about their plight.

COURTESY: Artisera

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