At a time when cities are changing fast, a gathering in Fort Kochi will urge us to remember our roots. At David Hall, VERU 2026 will bring together individuals who believe heritage is not something to be remembered occasionally, but something to be understood, discussed and protected.
Veru, to be held on May 2 and 3, is an initiative by Dharinni, a registered charitable trust working in research, facilitation and advocacy. The word ‘Veru’ means root — the part that anchors a plant to the soil. For the organisers, it represents deeper connections between land, people and ways of living. The event was conceptualised and named by the organisation’s project lead, Lois Christy John and marketing head Joseph J Kottukappalli.
The two-day gathering brings together researchers, artists, historians, residents and cultural practitioners through walks, talks, screenings, performances and conversations. It is not just a conventional event, but more of a meeting place for those who care about preservation, ecology and lived histories.
“Engagement with regional heritage is often scattered. There is also very little financial support for this sector,” says Gisny George, founder of Dharinni and team lead of Veru 2026. “We felt there was a need to create a larger network of practitioners who could come together and explore the possibility of collective impact,” she adds.
Originally from Kottayam and an architect by profession, Gisny began Dharinni with a group of young architects and members of the civil fraternity who shared an interest in heritage. Over the past year, she has been working full-time on the initiative.
The idea for Veru grew when Dharinni hosted a smaller in-house exhibition last year at Eraviperoor in Pathanamthitta, the organisation’s main research base. That experience led to a larger question — why not create a wider platform that can bring together a larger network of practitioners? The organisers now hope to hold Veru once every two years as a recurring event.
The schedule reflects that purpose. One of the notable sessions on day 1 is a birdwatching session at Puthuvypeen, organised with the Cochin Natural History Society, which explores the birdlife of the coastal landscape. The rest of the day will see discussions and cultural programmes. Storyteller Kalyani Gopakumar will bring her expertise to children in a special exhibition run-through designed for them.
A talk on Kochi’s Islamic heritage will be led by Thoufeek Zakriya, this will be followed by a Qawwali performance by Kefi and Salman Zanga. Veru also includes documentary screenings on Balaramapuram handlooms on both days.
The second day will begin with ‘Yatra - The Walk’, where participants move through Fort Kochi and Mattancherry, observing streets, shrines, water edges, shopfronts, sounds and everyday life. Later, an interesting discussion on ‘Everyday as Heritage’ by former mayor K J Sohan, along with heritage researchers Santhosh Tom, Johann K and Jose Dominic, will be held, with each speaker sharing their regional perspectives.
Pallikonam Rajeev will lead a session on built heritage, slow tourism and the regional heritage of Manimala river valley. The evening will come to a close with a showcase and talk on Padayani by O Arun Kumar.
Throughout the two-day fest, photo exhibitions on the regional heritage of Kerala will be held, with Salam Olottayil showcasing his work based on the ‘Sufi Paths of Ponani’ and Mohammed Shihad with ‘Theyyam: Why are cameras getting banned?’
At its heart, Veru is trying to be a reminder that culture cannot survive without nature beneath it, without rivers, coastlines, trees, birds and the landscapes that shaped communities over time. And what makes it stand apart is how it treats heritage — not as something nostalgic, but as significant and present.
