Photographing royalty was his way of life but Deen Dayal  left a varied heritage of pictures pertaining to the common man - families, events, gatherings, religious, cultural, festive, all these were covered by him in varied contexts.

From a group of thugs in the studio to wrestlers on the street, from a flower bedecked bridegroom to a tribal woman with a child, the images conjure up a vivid picture of life in British India.

Character, costumes, jewellery, headgear - the remarkable emphasis strikes the viewer.