“I’m Kavali Chandrakanth, an electrical engineer and photographer based in Hyderabad. I contribute to Telugu Wikipedia, work as a Google Local Guide, and spend most of my time documenting places across Telangana that often go unnoticed. I’m also part of Kotha Telangana Charitra Brundam, and earlier this year, I put up my first major photo exhibition Mapography at the State Art Gallery.

I come from Peddamunagalachedu in Addakal Mandal, Mahbubnagar district. During my school days at the local government school, teachers encouraged me to explore beyond textbooks. Years later, when the school building had become unsafe, I documented its poor condition through photographs and shared them with local leaders. Those images helped draw attention, and with the support of the Addakal ZPTC, Nallamaddi Raja Shekar Reddy Garu, a new ₹35-lakh school building with seven classrooms was constructed.

At the inauguration, I even hosted a small photo exhibition titled Pragathi Pathamlo Peddamunagalachedu, focused on my village’s development journey.

Alongside this, I’ve geo-tagged all 14 villages in Addakal Mandal, and I regularly upload photos of old temples, historical sites, and cultural places to Google Maps, Wikimedia, and Telugu Wikipedia so they remain accessible to anyone searching online.

I’ve always relied on smartphones for photography. One of my earliest recognitions came when a photo I clicked at Ananthagiri Hills was featured among Google Local Guides’ Top 10 Photos from Hyderabad. Since then, I’ve added 23,000 photos and 4,016 videos to Google Maps, marked nearly 300 new places, and crossed 439 million views. But more than numbers, it’s about knowing that someone might discover a place through one of my photos.

Festivals too are an important part of my journey. Every year, I visit the Khairatabad Ganesh, one of Hyderabad’s most iconic Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations.

It is known for its towering idol, one of the tallest in India, but what makes it truly special is the spirit of community it creates. People from all walks of life come together, and for me, capturing its grandeur and devotion has been a tradition for many years.

Today, I continue to balance my work as an engineer at JLL with my passion for photography. Whether it is documenting cultural heritage, mapping forgotten sites, or festivals like the Khairatabad Ganesh, I’ve always believed in starting with what I have and continuing with what I love.”