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A glimpse at tartan and the turban

Staff Reporter

Exhibition of photographs by Herman Rodrigues

One of the photos at the exhibition. — Photo: By special arrangement

PONDICHERRY: Migratory birds normally head for native climes after wintering in the south. But for Pakistanis and Indian, who have left their "vathan", Scotland has become home and they have adapted the Scottish customs to suit their needs.

An exhibition of photographs of people who have fallen in love with new cultures and yet have retained their own ways by Herman Rodrigues, a photographer, lecturer and restaurateur born in Jaipur and now settled in Edinburg, was held at Aurolec Cafeteria in Auroville recently.

"Both the cultures have taken in a lot from the others. When we see people so much enjoying the culture of their adopted country they have obviously been touched by the soul of that country. And if this happens without losing touch with their roots, then they will not feel aliens in their new environment," explains Anne of the British Pavilion Group in Auroville, who is part of a group of people, who organised the exhibition.

Herman Rodrigues's photos cover different facets of life -- the people, places, festivals and religion. Some of the photos that were on show in the exhibition included those of Sikh children sitting in their traditional dress and eating European food that includes bacon and baked beans; an old Scottish church that has been converted to a Hindu and Sikh temple; a mehandi ceremony and a groom sitting on a horse. The exhibition, titled "Tartan and the Turban", had 20 photos that were selected by Kitty Douglas - Hamilton, the curator of a museum in Scotland. "The influence of South Asian culture on the Scots is apparent in Herman's work," said Shraddhavan of Savitri Bhavan who was instrumental in bringing the exhibition to Auroville.

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