NAMASTE!

Telugu Naidus believe that their forefathers came from the Chittoor district in Railseema region of Andhra Pradesh. 

Naidu is believed to be an honorific title conferred upon those who have served in the king's army. According to the oral history, Naidu's in Kochi are the descendants of those who came as a part of the Tippu Sulthan's army and stayed back.

Naidu is a Telugu derivation of the Sanskrit Nayaka, meaning "protector" or "leader". The Nayaka title was conferred on individuals (usually warriors) who received land along with the title Nayaka as a part of the Nayankarapuvaram system for services rendered to the court during the Kakathiya dynasty. Nayaka was one among approximately 25 titles used by the Kakatiyas to create a new political infrastructure to undercut the authority of heredity regional elites.

The community members believe that their forefathers were initially from the Chittoor district in Railseema region of Andhra Pradesh. Their migration happened in the 18th century. Despite being a warrior clan, Naidu's, become successful traders in Kochi. 

PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION BY BIJU IBRAHIM: COMMUNITIES OF KOCHI

Places have souls and Mattancherry in the city of Kochi has a mystic one. Biju Ibrahim discovered this while documenting the lives of Kochi’s 38 communities through black and white pictures. Distinct in layers of identities – caste, faith, language, ethnicity and region – these communities have been welcomed over centuries and have, in turn, infused Mattancherry and Kochi with a rare and rich heritage. Historically, it has been home to Muslims, Christians, Jews and Hindus. The sea and port attracted sailors, traders from Arabia and Gujarat, preachers of Semitic faiths, colonisers such as the Dutch and Portuguese, political refugees and migrant labourers. A cross-section of India lives here in a radius of 5 kilometers. 

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AUTOR & PHOTOGRAPHER

BIJU IBRAHIM

He captures the essence of rustic geographies, the people who are now becoming archive of the earth, the mythic & mystery of spaces & places, alleys of now filled with the density of then or before.

ART ORGANISATION

URU ART HARBOUR

URU art harbour is a cultural hub situated at Kochi. URU seeks to be a space for collaboration and a continual hub for artistic, cultural, and intellectual exploration. Founded by Riyas Komu and Zoya Riyas.

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