KOCHI:For two-and-a-half years, K R Sunil would make several road journeys from Kodungalloor to Ponnani (a distance of 70 kms). There was always an adrenaline rush when he stepped into the ancient port town, which was a fertile ground of rich and vibrant stories.
“However, what historians have forgotten to preserve, is the rich civilisation that had put Ponnani on Kerala’s trade map,” says Sunil. His photos, which have been documented as ‘Vanishing worlds’, has been put up for display at the Aspinwall House, for the Kochi Muziris Biennale.
Though Sunil reached Ponnani with a camera, he never had any plans to photograph the people and their life. “I just wanted to interact with the population, which was dwindling in numbers. I went there as a person interested in the town’s history. What I found was a valuable work of art,” he says.
According to the sculptor-turned-photographer,it was the innocence of the people that impressed him the most. “It’s incredible, how despite modernisation and globalisation that swept Kerala off its feet, it has hardly made any impact on the people. There are roads and electricity, a few shops here and there. But, there are hardly any signs of modernism,” Sunil says.
One of the interesting people that he met was Abubacker, a man who gave away medicines for free. “He runs a small pharmacy on the first-floor of a two-storey building. There are hardly any indicators that it is a medicine shop. Many doctors, who learnt about his charity works, started sending him free medical samples,” says Sunil.
There were others too who inspired Sunil. “One was the village crook, Azeez, whom I met at a vegetable market. I learned from him that he had served jail for thefts and goondaism. He was telling me stories about his past and even invited me to his home. Sadly, I could not meet him again, as he was killed by a member of a gang,” Sunil says.
There are also photos which reveal how Ponnani has managed to retain several of its traditions. “The Muslim children are initiated to Vidhyarambham in a very different way. The Imam writes using a special ink on the child’s hand. Also, what intrigued me is that many of the old mosques have remained intact. There are mosques, which are still made up of straw, as well as Naalu Kettu mosques,” he added.