On the northern fringes of Odisha’s Chilika Lake lies Mangalajodi, a wetland where water merges with the sky and the air trembles with th e rush of wings. Being one of the world’s most significant waterfowl habitats, the sprawling freshwater ecosystem plays host to nearly two lakh migratory birds every year, transforming the landscape into a living canvas of flight, colour and sound.
That enduring magic finds eloquent expression in Birds of Mangalajodi, a photographic volume launched in Hyderabad on Friday (April 23, 2026). Describing the book as far more than a collection of images, T. Srinivasa Reddy, Fellow of The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain, said: “Mangalajodi – A Photographic Journey into Avian Splendour is not merely a book; it is an immersive visual experience that draws the reader into the serene and vibrant world of wetland birdlife.”
Authored by 85-year-old Dr. Srinivasa Rao Somanchi—an avid photographer and former lecturer—along with his wife, late Dr. Seetha Khambhampati, who was also a lecturer and photographer, the book brings together striking photographs and insights that double as a bird lover’s guide to the resilient resident species of Mangalajodi. The volume stands as both documentation and tribute—to nature and to a shared life rooted in patient observation.
