Exhibition offers a glimpse into lifestyle in Kerala

CHENNAI: As part of their museum management internship at DakshinaChitra, a group of nine interns are currently organising an exhibition titled Kerala: A Multi-Cultural and Multi-Religious People. The exhibition has been researched by the interns and curated by BO Sailesh, with a focus on showcasing the people and communities of Kerala through the museum’s collection.

Kashyapi Rane, one of the interns, explains that each batch of interns curates an exhibition every year, typically with temporary installations. However, this year, Dr. Deborah Thiagarajan had the wish to renovate the Koothattukulam House, a heritage house representing the living styles of people from Kerala.

For the first time, the interns are curating a permanent exhibition. “We have revamped the permanent exhibition in one of the houses built inside the museum. We redid the Koothattukulam House using objects from the museum’s collection,” says Kashyapi.

The House was closed for almost two and a half months for the revamp process, during which all of the interns had the opportunity to learn about the various communities of Kerala under the guidance of Dr. Deborah.

“There are many interesting items on display that are commonly used by the people of Kerala. Among them are the Aranmula Kannadi, a traditional metal mirror; palm leaf umbrellas, which are used to provide shade from the sun and rain; traditional oil lamps; and spouted water vessels, which are used for pouring water during religious ceremonies, among others,” she adds.

According to a message shared by Deborah, trade played a significant role in introducing Kerala to the world, and as different countries traded with Kerala, new ideas and social changes were brought in.

“This resulted in Kerala having a unique religious equation of Hindus, Christians, and Muslims who have coexisted in harmony for centuries. However, it is worth noting that Kerala had a structured social hierarchy in the early 1800s based on caste status and ritual purity, which was an unusual feature,” Deborah says.