Focus on Kodungallur
Padma Jayaraj
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Gopalakrishnan has captured its different facets.
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"In Kerala, we do not have a photo museum. Fifty years hence, considering the way we neglect and tamper with history today, what Gopalakrishnan has captured will remain a treasure trove," said the noted historian K.N. Panikkar. He was inaugurating an exhibition of photographs called `Historic Kodungallur,' which was held on the premises of the Lalithakala Akademi. Gopalakrishnan, Delhi-based photographer, who hails from Kottayam, is an amateur photographer who has focussed his lens on a wide variety of themes. His exhibitions have been held at many prestigious art galleries all over India.
Rich legacy
His exhibition in Thrissur focussed on the rich legacy of Kodungallor, which was once the capital of the Cheraman dynasty and an important port.
"I had to choose between Kodungallor and Alappuzha. Both were port cities. But I decided to focus on Kodungallor because it was here that Islam, Christanity and Judiasm first touched the shores of India. There is speculation that even Buddhism and Jainism had its share of followers in this place. Ships sailed from Kodungallor laden with spices meant for Rome. Its fascinating political, social and economic past mesmerised me."
Gopalakrishnan began his tryst with photography as a medium of artistic expression with his landscapes of Shimla. His exhibitions titled `Untouchable Freedom,' that turned the camera on the life of sweepers of Delhi was published by Oxford University Press. He won an award for his exhibition on the sand dunes of Rajasthan. His exploration into the tribal life of Bastar in Central India and the life of fishermen of South Indian document the changes that have taken places in these communities. `Women workers in Informal Economy' is a social document. Each of the 28 photographs in `Historic Kodungallur,' depict a facet of this ancient place. Each of the photos narrate a story - of communal amity and political intrigue, progress and tradition. Even today, this town is a testimony to the communal amity of those times. The photographer has highlighted this feature through pictures that depict the Kodungallor Bhagavthy Temple, Cheraman Juma Masjid and St Thomas Church. One photograph shows the central piece of the Cheraman Juma Masjid, a huge bell metal lamp that once held 21 wicks. In the past, the devout might have said their prayers in the light cast by this lamp. Two women distributing prasad in one of the temples on the premises of the Kodungallor Bhagavthy Temple, highlights the fact that this is, perhaps, one of the few temples in India where the women conduct poojas.
The shutterbug has not forgotten that Kodungallur was once a hotbed of political rivalry. A portrait of Godavarma Thampuran holding his sceptre points to its royal legacy while a neglected metal piece speaks of the rivalry between the Dutch and the Portuguese.
The house of the freedom fighter Janab Abdul Rehman Saheb is yet another link in Kodungallor's rich past. The walls of Puthan Kovilakam were mute witnesses to the heated debates and plans of Communist leaders such as A.K.G, P.K. Vasudevan Nair and P.T. Ponnus.
Gopalkrishnan has also portrayed the fact that Kodungalloor is a hub of literary activities.
For instance, the abode of Kunjikuttan Thampuran reminds viewers of his contribution to Malayalam literature. As Dr. Panikker said, "Recording the remnants of time is the job of a historian, here a photographer has done it."
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