New Delhi:
From India's first Olympic gold winning team in 1928 to the Asia Cup hockey title in 2003 - the 100 years of Indian hockey captured in frames were put on display, as the game's biggest extravaganza unfolds.
Coinciding with the Hockey World Cup, a unique photographic journey of the rich legacy of the game in India -- featuring feats of greats like Dhyanchand to the more recent Dhanraj Pillai -- were displayed recently, reviving the memories of India's achievements in the game.
A 'Salute to Indian Hockey,' a display of 24 rare pictures picked up from a reservoir of 5,000 photos by Sports Consultant Sunil Yash Kalra was unveiled by veteran Olympian Balbir Singh Senior.
"The aim is to salute Indian hockey, and to give our best wishes to the current Indian team as it competes in the World Cup in New Delhi," said Kalra, the curator.
The pictures capturing the 1928 hockey team's victory at the Olympics -- the first gold in a series of eight for India -- and the historic 1948 London Olympics, the first gold medal by a team from independent India were among the most memorable photographs seen at the exhibition.
The exhibition showcased a special segment on the Olympic gold medal clinched by the hockey team in 1948, and a picture of the unfurling of the Indian flag in London -- the first time the Indian flag was unfurled on British soil.
"Every Indian would like to see the glorious days of Indian hockey, when our team dominated the world, to return. This is just a way to give good wishes to our team as it competes in the World Cup," said Kalra, who is also compiling a book that will feature the 5,000 pictures he has collected of Indian hockey history and would be an anecdotal account.
Among the most endearing pictures are the frame of Prince Consort of the Netherlands, Baron Pierre DeCoubertin congratulating Indian captain Jaipal Singh on India's first Olympic gold, and the 1948 victorious Indian team posing with Jawaharlal Nehru in Delhi, among others.
Divided in two phases -- of domination and innovation -- the exhibition, organised by K Sera Sera, captured different eras in Indian hockey.
While 'domination' showcases eight decades of unparallelled success and triumph enjoyed by Indian hockey team as they garnered six Olympic gold medals in a row, 'Innovation' shows the journey of hockey post 1975, an era that witnessed both tumult and triumph.