‘Wings Over Concrete’: Hyderabad origin photographer Raghuvamsh Chavali documents bird life around Charminar

Canadian photographer Raghuvamsh Chavali captures birds flying around Hyderabad’s Charminar in his series ‘Wings Over Concrete’. The award-winning project highlights urban bird life and offers a fresh perspective on the historic monument by focusing on movement in the sky above it.

HYDERABAD: For Canadian photographer of Hyderabad origin, Raghuvamsh Chavali, it was a different kind of experience and a ‘new chapter’ in his long-term series ‘Wings Over Concrete Around Old City’ of Hyderabad.

“Charminar has seen generations of people. It has witnessed buying, selling, celebrations, protests, prayers, emergencies, chaos, and quiet mornings. Moreover, it has also seen thousands of birds,” said the photographer who won the ‘Best Author Award’ in October last year at the URBAN Animals 2025 International Photography Competition in Italy for his project ‘Wings Over Concrete.’

---

“If people of many generations have grown up seeing Charminar, these birds have built their homes in it. They rest in its corners, nest in its gaps, and return to it every day. We rarely think about that. For us, it is a monument. For them, it is shelter,” Raghuvamsh said.

“While standing there, I found myself looking up more than looking ahead. Flocks of pigeons around the monument, black kites soaring above, would suddenly rise together, circle the minarets, and then settle again. Each time they lifted, the sky changed for a few seconds. The monument stayed still, but the air above it kept moving. No two flights were the same. Even when they move as a group, each bird flies in its own unique way,” he explained.

“This is how the Hyderabad chapter of ‘Wings Over Concrete’ came together. Nothing was staged. I did not feed or disturb the birds. I simply waited and observed. I watched their rhythm, anticipated their movement, and kept my camera ready. Often, I shoot multiple videos and extract many frames before one pattern feels right. In some images, I combined frames taken within seconds to show the natural flow of movement, without altering the reality of the moment,” Raghuvamsh said.

“My motivation was to present a familiar place in a unique way. Instead of focusing only on the majestic structure, people, streets and symmetry, I focused on movement and life above it. The message is simple. Even in places we think we know well, there are stories we overlook. Sometimes, we just need to look up,” he concluded.