In an age when smartphones and DSLRs have turned everyone into a self-proclaimed photographer, we often forget the names of those who pioneered the art of photography in our region, people who captured history not for social media likes, but for legacy.
One such name—now lost in the haze of time, is Devi Ram Das. Fondly remembered by the older generation of Guwahatians, he was not just a photographer, but a cultural icon in the mid-1900s. Yet today, very few know his name, let alone his story.
A Journey That Began on a Bicycle
Born on 1st August 1900, Devi Ram Das hailed from Barpetiapara, Panbazar, right at the corner of Danish Road and Dr. JC Das Road. Inspired, perhaps, by the now-vanished Ruby Art House studio, he took up photography at the young age of 17.
In those days, Assam didn’t even have shops selling cameras, so Das made the long journey to Kolkata to buy his first still photo camera. What followed was a lifelong passion that would document Guwahati’s evolving face, its people, its movements, and its milestones.
With his trademark golf cap, a box camera hanging from his neck, and his ample belly serving as a makeshift tripod, he was a familiar figure cycling through the streets of Guwahati. Known affectionately as “Devi Petla”, he became an integral part of the city’s visual memory.
Capturing history, one Frame at a time
Devi Ram Das wasn’t just a photographer; he was a witness to history.
- In 1946, when the football match between Maharana Club and Friends’ Union brought the city to a standstill at Judges Field, it was Das who got the most attention, his presence almost as exciting as the game itself.
- He captured the only photograph of Shaheed Ranjit Borpujari after he was tragically shot dead in 1969 at the Cotton College hostel, a haunting frame that remains part of Assam’s turbulent political memory.
- Most remarkably, Das was the only civilian photographer to click pictures of Lord Mountbatten and Lady Edwina at Uzanbazar Ghat during the twilight of the British Raj. He proudly posted those photos back to London and was honoured with an appreciation letter and an invitation from the last British Viceroy himself.
For years, Das carried that letter with him, ready to show anyone who asked. For him, it wasn’t just paper; it was proof of how far his humble lens had taken him.
The Artist beyond the Camera
Few know that Devi Ram Das was also a gifted actor. His contributions to Assamese cinema include roles in historic and mythological classics like:
- Bhakta Prahlad
- Maniram Dewan
- Lachit Borphukan
- Loti Ghoti
.
A legacy fading in silence
Devi Ram Das was not just a man with a camera. He was a historian with a lens, a cultural chronicler, and an artist with vision. His story reminds us that behind every historic photograph is someone who chose to see the world differently – long before we ever thought to hashtag it.
Leave a comment