Bhalchandra Dattatray Mondhe Biography 
Bhalchandra Dattatray Mondhe is a professional photographer, sculptor and painter from Madhya Pradesh. In 2016 he was honoured with Padma Shri by government of India for his overall contributions towards the field of photography. He has authored two books, including Birds of Sirpur. Both the books are related to birds. He co-founded The Nature Volunteers Club with two others, in aim of reviving the Sirpur Lake. Mondhe's exhibition titled 50 Years of Rare Art Journey was also featured at Rangdarshini Gallery, Bharat Bhavan in Bhopal.
Bhalchandra Mondhe was born on 15 March 1944 in Madhya Pradesh. His first encounter with photography happened when he was 17 years old. Though initially it was a hobby, when he reached youth it became his passion. In his opinion he uses camera to encapsulate his vision. He graduated from Dusseldorf Academy of Fine Arts in Germany to pursue his passion. He also developed an interest in sculpting in the early 1990s. He has conducted art exhibitions in different cities across the country.
In the 1990s Mondhe used to regularly visit the Sirpur lake to take photographs in the mornings. Once he witnessed the chopping of a tree which resulted in a heated argument with slum dwellers. Very soon he decided to protect the lake and its surroundings and co-founded The Nature Volunteers Club with ornithologist Kaustubh Rishi and journalist Abhilash Khandekar. The trio worked towards restoring the beauty of lake and succeeded in this effort. Seeing their tireless efforts Madhya Pradesh government also got involved and improved the infrastructure supporting the lake. Mondhe and his friends documented their work and published as a book titled Birds of Sirpur.
Published: December 29, 2018
Updated: December 29, 2018
