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Preserving a world-class legacy

Sunita Kohli, who won the Padmashree for her works in interior design, was in the city for an art show. She spoke to PRIYADARSSHINI SHARMA about the need to preserve Kerala's world-class heritage

PHOTO: H. VIBHU

THE ART OF DESIGN Romi Chopra and Sunita Kohli at the art show, `Water'

She has the unique distinction of popularising the Kerala `uruli' in North India to the extent of making it "ubiquitous". After interior designer Sunita Kohli used this humble cooking vessel to dress the interiors of the homes and offices in New Delhi, the `uruli,' today, has moved out from the kitchen to find a place of pride in the interiors of the Prime Minister's Office, the rooms in the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Hyderabad House and several other of her design projects.

Sunita Kohli whose work in interior design and restoration of heritage won her the Padmashree, is also a reputed author of books on art and architecture. She, along with Romi Chopra, project partner in the conceptualisation and design of the Rajiv Gandhi Memorial at Sriperumbudur, spoke on the use of water in art and architecture.

`Water,' the theme of the art show held at the Taj Malabar, she said, was an intrinsic part of our civilisation and of how they used this element in the conceptualisation of the memorial. "We are humbled to be a part of this memorial and proud too. Visitors to the site come away cleansed as it beckons forth into the future," she said.

Citing the story of Rajendra Chola I who carried the waters of the Ganga to his capital, Gangaikondacholapuram, she said it was only befitting that a 1,000 years later we should carry the waters of the rivers of India to the site of the memorial. And after sharing such interesting details she expressed her incertitude about the way heritage was being compromised in the city. "I have been to Kerala many, many times. But the talk of declaring the entire Fort Kochi area into a heritage zone has been on for far too long. It has not yet happened," she said visibly disturbed by the way things had gone. "You know a small Polish city like Krakow has 17 heritage sites to its credit and a country like ours, with so many archaeological wonders, has only 26 sites," she lamented. Commenting on the Mattancherry Palace she said, "There is an effort to keep things intact but the effort must be greater. Humid weather is not conducive to mural paintings so steps should be taken to counter that. Even small steps like closing the windows, to start with. These murals are world-class paintings. The lighting too is not right. The doors and windows of the palace have been painted by high gloss lacquer. This prevents the visitor from seeing the painting clearly. The government sees all this as a cost and not as an investment. But you know with heritage it is that once it is gone it is gone."

And it is this sense of finality hanging heavy on heritage properties and sites that had the heritage warriors repeat with urgency about the need to preserve, protect and conserve heritage in Kerala.

Tourist destination

"If the State has to remain as the number one tourist destination, heritage has to be preserved better. Why does corporate India not step in? Why is their no local citizen movement about preserving these heritage sites? The government alone cannot be held responsible?" the duo said.

And Jew Street with the famous synagogue, the ancient clock tower, the antique stores lining quaint streets all steeped in an air thick with the smell of spices was but a disappointment. "The Jew town is on its last gasp flooded with artefacts from Jodhpur!" said Ms. Kohli. Continuing on the tragedy of this beautiful heritage zone the two expressed their fears, "If all of heritage is to be found in a shop, if you put everything of the past with a price tag on it, in a shop, then you have forgotten its value. The value of heritage is intangible. A price tag is the tragedy and it is we fear most evident in Jew Town."

They also had a word of advice: "People have to police heritage. In South India, heritage is valued more as there is a sense of the sacred attached to it." And it is this sense of sanctity that would ensure the preservation of heritage, a heritage as rich as Kerala's.

Elitist art?

Big time art came down to Kochi. In fact, the very big and the very best names in art were on exhibit at the show, `Water,' held at Taj Malabar. In collaboration with Apparao Galleries, Chennai, and the Taj Group of Hotels, the city got to see an eclectic collection of 31 works. Avisek Sen, Sohan Qadri, Manish Nai, Maya Burman, Kumaresan, M. F. Husain, Manu Parekh, Dipti Pandey, Mahmud Husain, Shakti Burman, Alexis Kersey, George K, Ramkumar and S. H. Raza, were beautifully displayed on easels in the very tony settings of the hotel.

But did the city really get to see the works? Said artist Kaladharan, who was present at the show, "It was a small show with big names. It was undoubtedly a very good show but I wish it would be held in a more public place like the Akademi space or Fine Arts Hall. Being in a star hotel it becomes elitist, even though it was open to the public. Such art shows help in art education, in art promotion, in generally benefiting society, so it should be in a public space. Earlier, Kalapeetom had brought on show the sketches of Ganesh Pyne, in collaboration with Apparao Galleries, sometime in the early nineties. Such shows are very welcome."

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