Mangalore: Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage's (INTACH) Mangaluru Chapter is showcasing the unique historical contributions of the Saraswat Brahmin community to Mangaluru through a photo exhibition in the city. Titled 'Tracing the Roots', the exhibition will contain over fifty photographs capturing buildings and localities in Mangalore which were built by the Saraswat Brahmin community. The photographs will be on display at Kodial Guthu (West), in Ballalbagh in the city from November 23 till November 30. The exhibition will also show small snippets of the oral history which preserves the memories of the migration of this community from Goa to the coast of Karnataka.
The photographs have been clicked by Deekshith Pai, an alumnus of Nitte Institute of Communication, and was part of his final semester Bachelors degree project. Deekshith is currently pursuing MA at Azim Premji University, Bengaluru. "The Saraswat Brahmin community's migration, and establishment in Mangaluru has been narrated from generation to generation to keep the history alive, which is why I wanted to show this through a combination of photographs, recorded history, and snippets of conversation which is oral history," said Deekshith. "Major milestones in Mangaluru's history including some of the oldest printing presses, mechanised oil mills, hotels, and cinema theatres were built by the Saraswat Brahmin community, which we have attempted to preserve through photographs," said Nemiraj Shetty, a curator of this exhibition, and founding member, INTACH, Mangaluru Chapter.
The exhibition will be inaugurated on November 22, at 5 pm, in Kodial Guthu (West), Ballalbagh, by Dr. Kasturi Mohan Pai, noted doctor and historian of the city, and also by Dr. Subhas Basu, convenor INTACH, Mangaluru. Entry to the opening ceremony is open to all.