Newindpress

Mangalore, Feb 7: With Mangalore being identified as a fast track city developing at a tremendous pace, the Mangalorean architectural tradition is being lost some where.

The development of imposing edifices are bringing about indiscriminate change and demolition of antique buildings having immense heritage value.

Wonder how the younger generation could even get a feel of those antique buildings. Here is Mangalore Heritage Programme, which was started in January 2007 as a non-profit, citizens initiative and envisaged with one goal in mind: ‘preserve the hastily disappearing past of this region for the appreciation and education of the present and future generations.’

The programme aims to preserve these structures through images, photographs, architectural drawings and written documentation of its history. These works would be exhibited and presented to the people with the intention of raising awareness and sensitising them to Mangalore’s rich history and culture.

It was first decided to be started as a small library of the history, heritage and culture of Mangalroe. This would help to create a heritage structures register, which will be a record of all important structures in the city based on their, historic importance, architectural and aesthetic beauty and their contribution to Mangalore’s identity.

The core group for the programme comprises of six members including two historians. The group is still in the preliminary stage of preparing tentative lists of buildings with historical importance in the region.

“The buildings can be commercial, religious or residential. We want people to support us by giving us information regarding any such buildings they know or have data of any kind on the same,” says programme in-charge Naina Fernandes.

Expecting more and more people’s participation and willingness to document their old heritage buildings, Naina says, it is the time, everyone should realise the worth of heritage buildings, some of which can be put on ‘red alert list’ as they have already been sold out to builders to put up new constructions.

The programme also hopes, where and if possible, to preserve and restore damaged heritage structures, and use these buildings for the exhibition of historical artefacts and presentation of heritage education programmes.

The group has seen a positive start with one person coming forth to document his heritage home at his own expenses and they who now wish more and more people to contact them at South Kanara/Mangalore Heritage Society, St Joseph’s Highland Compound, Lower Bendoor, Mangalore - 575002 or e-mail at mangaloreheritagesociety@gmail.com.