Internationally acclaimed photographer, Punjabi writer and poet Harbhajan Singh Bajwa died in Batala on Saturday at the age of around 85. He left behind a vast visual record of Punjab’s literary, cultural and social life.A disciple of celebrated painter Sobha Singh, Bajwa travelled to Andretta (HP) to learn painting from the master. The association left a lasting impression on him and eventually led him towards photography. He later established his studio in Batala.For Harbhajan Singh Bajwa, a camera was more than a device to capture an image. It was a means of preserving people, places and moments that he perhaps knew would otherwise disappear from collective memoryBajwa’s photographs carried the imprint of a generation of Punjabi writers, artists, intellectuals and public figures. Working as a photo reporter for several leading newspapers and magazines, he recorded not merely events but the people who shaped Punjab’s cultural landscape.His archive included photographs and slides that today carry an importance beyond their original purpose. Understanding their value, Bajwa donated his photographs, slides and other historical images to Punjabi Sath Lambra. He also handed over his personal library to Baba Aya Singh Riarki College, Tugalwala, in Gurdaspur.The college has since created a dedicated Harbhajan Singh Bajwa Wing in its library, a fitting extension of the photographer’s own instinct to preserve rather than possess.Bajwa was not confined to the world behind the camera. He wrote poetry in Punjabi and published three collections, Sukke Kakhhan Thalle Agg, Maut Ik Aas Di and Trel Di Ik Boond. His literary work reflected the same sensitivity towards ordinary lives and the passage of time that marked his photography.His contribution was formally recognised in 2024 when the Uttam Singh Nijjar Foundation honoured him for his lifetime achievements at Baba Aya Singh Riarki College on April 14. On the occasion, the college also released a photo volume of his work, edited by Dr Naresh Kumar and Gagandeep Singh Virk.The volume brought together rare photographs of some of the most significant names associated with Punjabi literature and culture, including Gurbakhsh Singh Preetlari, Prof Sahib Singh, artist Sobha Singh, Dr Mahinder Singh Randhawa, Sant Singh Sekhon, Prof Mohan Singh, Sujan Singh and Kartar Singh Duggal, among others.Principal Swaran Singh Virk of Baba Aya Singh Riarki College recalled that Bajwa had personally handed over his library and collection of magazines to the institution.Gurbhajan Singh Gill, chairman of the Punjabi Lok Virasat Akademi, said Bajwa had made an important contribution by documenting personalities and moments from Punjab’s literary and cultural history. The publication of books based on his photographs, he said, had helped safeguard this visual heritage for future generations.Ravinder Singh Ravi, who documented his journey, said, “In an age when photographs are made and forgotten in an instant, Bajwa spent a lifetime making sure that Punjab’s faces, stories and cultural memory would not be so easily lost.”