Renowned photographer and photojournalist Raghu Rai has passed away. He was 83. His family announced the news through official social media accounts.
Raghu Rai, often described as the “father of Indian photography” and “father of Indian photojournalism,” leaves behind a towering legacy. One of his most iconic images—capturing the haunting aftermath of the Bhopal gas tragedy, including the body of a child with half-open eyes—brought global attention to the disaster.
He documented several of India’s political leaders, including Indira Gandhi, and was also known for extensively photographing Mother Teresa. Long before she was canonized, Rai had published a book titled Saint Mother on her life and work.
Born in Jhang, Punjab (now in Pakistan), he took up photography professionally in 1962, beginning his career with The Statesman. Over the years, he authored more than 18 books, and his work was featured in leading international publications such as Time, Life, Geo, The New York Times, The Sunday Times, Newsweek, The Independent, and The New Yorker.
Rai covered the Bhopal gas disaster extensively and later produced a book and documentary on the tragedy titled Exposure: A Corporate Crime. He served three times on the jury of World Press Photo and twice on UNESCO’s international photography competition jury.
A member of the prestigious Magnum Photos collective, Rai traveled widely across India capturing its people and landscapes.
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