Preserving Mangaluru’s Catholic architectural legacy

Mangaluru: The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) Mangaluru Chapter will launch Album of the Porches, a week-long photographic exhibition documenting the distinctive architecture of Mangalorean Catholic homes. The event opens on October 4, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. at Kodialguthu Centre for Art and Culture, Mangaluru, with Ronald Gomes, President of the Catholic Association of South Kanara, presiding. It will run until October 11, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., offering a glimpse into a fading cultural legacy.

Mangalorean Catholic houses, with their Mangalore tile roofs, welcoming verandas, and intimate prayer altars, fuse European and South Indian architectural styles. INTACH’s project, led by architect Subhas Basu, with photographer Murali Abbemane and researcher Sharvani Bhat, documented 27 such homes. Experts like Dr. Michael Lobo and Harriet Vidyasagar provided historical context, unearthing stories of faith and family. Highlights include Ferndale, linked to Father Muller Hospital’s Dr. Lawrence Fernandes, and Camelot, home of genealogist Dr. Michael Lobo.

Some homes remain vibrant family spaces, while others are abandoned or demolished, underscoring the urgency of preservation amid rapid urbanization. The exhibition, capturing both interiors and exteriors, also features other Christian heritage homes shaped by colonial influences.INTACH plans to release an album-book to immortalize these narratives.

“These houses are repositories of culture, at risk of being erased,” Basu noted, emphasizing the project’s role in heritage conservation. As India grapples with balancing development and tradition, this initiative stands as a model for safeguarding regional identities. The exhibition invites all to reflect on the architectural gems that define Mangaluru’s cultural tapestry, urging timely action to protect them for future generations.