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By:

Dr. Abhilash Dawre

19 March 2025 at 10:48:41 pm

A tiny scorpion, a giant achievement

Badlapur’s Sitaram Raul wins global photography honour Badlapur: A photograph capturing a scorpion digging into desert sand to create a shelter has earned Badlapur-based wildlife photographer Sitaram Dinkar Raul international recognition. Raul won the ‘Invertebrate Behaviour’ category at the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 competition, organised by London’s Natural History Museum. He was honoured at a ceremony in London on October 13, where he also delivered his...

A tiny scorpion, a giant achievement

Badlapur’s Sitaram Raul wins global photography honour Badlapur: A photograph capturing a scorpion digging into desert sand to create a shelter has earned Badlapur-based wildlife photographer Sitaram Dinkar Raul international recognition. Raul won the ‘Invertebrate Behaviour’ category at the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 competition, organised by London’s Natural History Museum. He was honoured at a ceremony in London on October 13, where he also delivered his acceptance speech in Marathi, taking his mother tongue to an international platform. The competition received more than 65,000 photographs from 121 countries. Raul’s achievement came through a photograph of a Buthacus species scorpion digging into the sand to create a shelter in the Rajasthan desert. Raul’s journey began in Badlapur in 2012, when his involvement in wildlife rescue operations gradually developed into a passion for photography. While rescuing wild animals and releasing them into their natural habitats, he felt the need to document these encounters through photographs. This prompted him to take up photography, which eventually became a dedicated pursuit. As his interest in wildlife photography grew, Raul began studying the work of established photographers to understand international photography techniques and the finer details of capturing an effective image. He focused on identifying mistakes in his own work and improving his skills through consistent practice. He had been following the Natural History Museum’s international competition for several years. After gaining confidence in his work over the preceding five years, he decided to participate. However, his primary objective was not simply to win an award, but to have his photographs displayed at the prestigious competition and viewed by people across the world. The photograph that brought Raul international recognition was captured during a visit to the Rajasthan desert, where he had gone to photograph the stars. While setting up his camera, he spotted a Buthacus species scorpion in the light of a torch. The scorpion was digging into the sand to create a shelter. Capturing the scorpion’s behaviour clearly proved challenging. Although his initial photographs were turning out well, they did not adequately convey the action he wanted to document. Raul then experimented with an off-camera flash, adjusted the direction of the light and tried different techniques. After several attempts, he successfully captured the moment when the scorpion was digging into the sand. The photograph eventually won him the international award. Raul also credits artist Suresh Bhosale with playing an important role in his artistic development. According to Raul, Bhosale taught him painting, which significantly benefited his fine-art photography. Studying painting helped him develop a different perspective when observing a scene, improve his observation skills and cultivate an interest in art history. He said these skills proved valuable in his photographic work. His experience with macro photography, the use of different types of flashes in forest settings and experimentation with lighting also contributed to his development. His journey reinforced the importance of combining technical skills with a thorough understanding of the subject and careful observation of wildlife behaviour. Raul expressed gratitude to his parents for their support and acknowledged the encouragement he received from his friends in Badlapur. He also described Bhosale as his mentor, crediting him with helping shape his artistic vision. Beyond the award-winning photograph, Raul’s decision to deliver his acceptance speech in Marathi became a distinctive moment in his journey. While studying previous award ceremonies, he observed that many photographers delivered their speeches in English. He decided that if he ever reached the international stage, he would give prominence to his own language. At the award ceremony in London, Raul fulfilled that intention by expressing his thoughts in Marathi. His decision allowed him to celebrate his achievement while preserving the identity and pride associated with his mother tongue. Raul’s success marks a significant milestone in a journey that began with wildlife rescue operations in Badlapur in 2012. What started as an effort to document wildlife encounters eventually led him to victory in an international photography competition. From observing a scorpion in the Rajasthan desert to receiving an honour in London, his journey reflects his dedication to wildlife photography, patience, artistic development and commitment to his craft. By choosing to speak in Marathi on the international stage, he also maintained a strong connection to his roots.

A Very Efficient German Engineering Demonstration

Writer: Waleed Hussain
Waleed Hussain
Jun 21
3 min read

For 90 minutes at the FIFA World Cup 2026, Germany did what Germany does best: they turned football into a carefully designed industrial process. The assembly line started on time, the machines were well oiled, quality control was ruthless, and unfortunately for Curaçao, they were the unfortunate product being tested.


The final score read Germany 7, Curaçao 1, though the numbers alone do not tell the full story. Somewhere in the stadium, a scoreboard operator probably checked twice to make sure he was updating a football match and not a cricket score.


The evening began with optimism for Curaçao. The Caribbean nation marched onto the pitch carrying the dreams of an island, a fighting spirit, and perhaps a tiny prayer that Germany might have a bad day. They got their wish for approximately three minutes. After that, Germany remembered they were Germany.


The opening goal arrived like a German train—fast, precise, and unfortunately impossible to stop. A series of quick passes sliced through the Curaçao defence with the elegance of a surgeon performing a routine operation. The defenders looked around, wondering whether they had misplaced the German forwards or whether the Germans had discovered a secret passage through space and time.


At 1–0, Curaçao still believed. At 2–0, they still hoped. At 3–0, the goalkeeper began reconsidering his career choices. By 4–0, he was probably searching the rulebook to see if a team could legally request a timeout, a substitute goalkeeper, or a small miracle.


Germany’s midfield controlled the match with the calmness of people filling out tax forms. No unnecessary drama, no panic, no emotional speeches. Just pass, move, receive, score, repeat. If German football had a user manual, this match would have been Chapter One.


The German forwards, meanwhile, treated every attack like a Black Friday sale: everything had to go. Every loose ball, every gap in the defence, every half-chance was immediately claimed before anyone else could get there.


Yet to Curaçao’s credit, they refused to disappear entirely. Football is a cruel game, but it occasionally offers small moments of kindness. Against the run of play, Curaçao launched a brave attack and found the back of the net.


The stadium erupted.


The Curaçao players celebrated as if they had won the World Cup itself—and honestly, who could blame them? When you are facing a football giant and your opponent is scoring goals like they are collecting supermarket loyalty points, even one goal feels like a trophy.


For a brief moment, the score was 4–1. A comeback? A miracle? A new chapter in football history?


Germany listened politely to those ideas and responded by scoring three more goals.


It was the football equivalent of someone saying, “I think I have a chance,” and Germany replying, “That is a wonderful opinion. Unfortunately, we have a schedule to maintain.”


The fifth goal arrived with the cold efficiency of a company email that begins with “As discussed earlier.” The sixth was almost rude in its simplicity, and the seventh felt less like a goal and more like Germany signing their name at the bottom of a completed project.


By the final whistle, Curaçao’s defenders looked like tourists who had accidentally signed up for an advanced physics exam. They had arrived expecting a challenge and left having learned several painful lessons about movement, positioning, and why giving Germany too much space is a terrible life decision.


The German manager will be delighted with the performance. Seven goals, total dominance, and a statement victory to announce that Germany had arrived at the World Cup with serious intentions. Their passing was sharp, their movement was intelligent, and their finishing was as clinical as a doctor with a perfect attendance record.


However, the result also carried a warning for Germany. Bigger tests await. The World Cup has a habit of allowing teams to look like superheroes in the group stage before introducing them to another superhero with a stronger cape.


For Curaçao, there is no shame in the defeat. The scoreboard may suggest a disaster, but their journey to the World Cup is already a remarkable achievement. They scored on one of football’s traditional giants, they never stopped fighting, and they gave their supporters a moment they will remember long after the seven German goals have been forgotten.


(The writer is a senior journalist based in Mumbai.)

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