Mangaluru: The Mangaluru chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) will host a week-long photo exhibition titled ‘Album of the Porches’, celebrating and documenting the traditional Mangalorean Catholic houses that define the region’s architectural and cultural heritage.
The exhibition will be inaugurated on Saturday at 5.30 p.m. at the Kodialguthu Centre for Art and Culture, Ballalbagh, in the presence of Ronald Gomes, president of the Catholic Association of South Kanara (CASK). The event will remain open to the public until October 11, between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., offering a rare glimpse into the domestic spaces that have long shaped Mangaluru’s identity.
Celebrating Mangaluru’s heritage homes
Mangaluru’s traditional Catholic homes are known for their unique blend of European and South Indian design sensibilities—from their inviting verandahs and private family altars to the distinctive Mangaluru tiles that crown their roofs. Each house embodies not just architectural aesthetics but also stories of faith, migration, and family continuity.
The INTACH project has documented 27 such homes across the city, each chosen for its architectural detail, historical lineage, and cultural resonance, said the organisers. The aim, they noted, is to preserve visual and historical records of a heritage that is increasingly threatened by rapid urbanisation.
The team behind the project
The initiative was led by architect and INTACH Mangaluru convener Subhas Basu, with photographer Murali Abbemane and researcher Sharvani Bhat as key contributors. The project also received valuable insights from Harriet Vidyasagar, Michael Lobo, Nayana Fernandes, and Vincent D’Souza, who helped contextualise the cultural and genealogical aspects of the homes.
“Many of these houses represent a living legacy of craftsmanship and faith,” said Basu. “Through this exhibition, we want to honour not only the architecture but also the people and memories that continue to inhabit these spaces.”
Notable homes featured in the exhibition
Among the featured homes are Ferndale, linked to Lawrence Fernandes, a noted contributor to Fr Muller Hospital; Nandigudda House, belonging to Derek and Patsy Lobo, tracing a long family lineage in the region; and Camelot, home of researcher and genealogist Michael Lobo. Each house carries personal histories interwoven with the community’s evolution.
Some of the homes were photographed both internally and externally, while others were documented only from the outside due to access restrictions. According to Basu, several of the houses remain occupied by descendants of the original families, while others are abandoned, sold, or demolished—a testament to the transformation sweeping across Mangaluru’s older neighbourhoods.
Preserving cultural memory through documentation
The exhibition is part of a larger INTACH effort to document Mangaluru’s vanishing built heritage, particularly homes that reflect the coastal city’s hybrid cultural influences—from Portuguese and Goan to local Tulu and Konkani traditions.
Basu said that INTACH plans to publish an accompanying album-book titled Album of the Porches to permanently record the photographs and research for posterity. “At a time when rapid urban development is erasing much of our shared architectural history, this project stands as both documentation and preservation,” he added.
Cultural continuity through awareness
Experts say that such exhibitions are crucial in encouraging communities to value heritage homes as living symbols of identity rather than mere relics of the past. By bringing together photography, research, and storytelling, INTACH Mangaluru hopes to raise awareness and inspire conservation efforts at the local level.
The ‘Album of the Porches’ exhibition promises to be a visual journey into Mangaluru’s past, evoking nostalgia and reflection while reminding viewers of the delicate balance between progress and preservation.