INTACH Photo Exhibition on Mangalorean Catholic Heritage Homes Opens at Kodialguthu Centre
Mangaluru: A week-long photographic exhibition showcasing Mangalorean Catholic heritage homes opened at the Kodialguthu Centre for Art and Culture, Ballalbagh, on Saturday, October 4. Titled “Album of the Porches,” the exhibition is presented by the Mangaluru Chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and will remain open to the public until October 11, between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. It features photographic documentation of 27 traditional Catholic houses across the city, highlighting their architectural features, history, and cultural significance.
Ronald Gomes, President of the Catholic Association of South Kanara (CASK), inaugurated the exhibition in the presence of INTACH Mangalore Convener and Architect Subhas Basu, who guided the project, and eminent researcher Dr. Michael Lobo, who assisted with research on the community’s history and genealogy.
Addressing the gathering, Ronald Gomes said, “These homes are living monuments that embody our identity and collective memory. They must be valued as part of our cultural heritage, not dismissed as mere old buildings.”
Introducing the project, Subhas Basu observed, “Catholic homes are an important part of our heritage. Older generations have preserved them, but they now need the support of the younger generation to conserve them.”
Dr. Michael Lobo, who contributed research on the community’s history and genealogy, shared his personal experience of living in a 150-year-old ancestral home. “It makes me sad to recall the changes made to our family house in the past, but since the interiors were retained, some memories are still alive,” he said.
INTACH Life Member and Architect Sharvani Bhat, who coordinated the project as researcher, and Architect Murali Abbemane, who photographed the houses, were felicitated along with other contributors. An accompanying album-book is also planned to preserve this legacy for future generations.