This unique heritage village in Mangalore houses over 26 original structures of architectural grandeur, relocated from ruins all over Karnataka.

Amidst the humdrum of our daily lives, pursuing the conservation of ancient & contemporary art forms has been the work of a few. Mr. Shenoy, through Hasta Shilpa has succeeded in his attempt to recreate the past and bring alive the subtleties of disparate cultures which have shaped our country’s identity today. Funded by the State Govt of Karnataka, and the Norwegian, Finnish & Netherlands Governments, the heritage centre today is visited by some of the most eminent critics, contemporary artists & the corporate world, thus creating a vibrant ecosystem which furthers the cause of art.

Mr. Vijayanath Shenoy, now a septuagenarian, is a retired officer from Syndicate Bank. Back in the 70’s, Mr. Shenoy was building his own house and went around looking for designs from ancestral homes across Karnataka. He found these timeless pieces facing ruthless destruction at the hands of their owners as they made way for modern homes and high-rises. Several factors had contributed to the decline in interest of the general public in the upkeep of their ancestral property:
• Coming of age of the nuclear family system: A good number of the old ancestral homes were built to accommodate large joint families. Industrialized urban centers resulted in migration, causing nuclear families to take shape.
• Land reforms act: The land reforms movement resulted in fragmentation of the land, change in ownership of land from owners to tenants. Tenants often did not share the same attachment to ancestral property and were driven by commercial interests.
• Alternate channels of commerce: Around the 17th century, trade flourished around sea ports of Udupi, Mangalore, Hungarcutta. Thus, prosperous trading centers such as “Buntsalaya” of the Adigas blossomed in the region. With the advent of roads and other modes of transport, the importance of ports diminished, making these buildings redundant.

Re-creating the past

God, they say, lies in the detail. And, there is no less a compelling example than Hasta Shilpa to prove it. Mr. Shenoy has painstakingly recreated several buildings with enormous research to bring alive the past. It vividly showcases the influence of culture, localization, rulers, socio-economic status and religious practices. Mr. Shenoy has put in a lot of effort to familiarize himself with the families who owned the buildings, spending days with them to understand the regal stories embedded in their creation. Most of the buildings have been recreated “as-is” with precise engineering measurements through a process called “Documentation”.
Spread over 6 acres of land in Manipal, each restored house has a story to tell.

The Buntsalaya, for example, was a building used for trading in port towns such as Udupi. The prosperity of the trading community (belonging to the Adiga lineage) is very visible in the richness of the wooden artifacts. Measuring equipment of the yesteryears coupled with navigation devices used by the visiting traders help showcase the commercial activity of the days of yore. The Deccan Nawabi house reminds us of the regal & majestic lifestyle of the Nawabs. The façade of the house has curvaceous windows and colorful Belgian glass. The tiles adorning the floor have been influenced by the Germans.

Other captivating creations at the Hasta Shilpa include the Durbar Hall of the Marathas, Mangalore Christian house, a house from the days of the Vijaynagar empire and the house of a Brahmin joint family from Kerala. Going beyond just the structural aspects of the building, Mr. Shenoy has researched and sourced several objects which showcase the lifestyle of the inhabitants of the house. In addition to these, the Hasta Shilpa also houses several art galleries. The Ravi Varma paintings and lithographs are an exquisite collection too, replete with instruments, inks and machinery from Germany used by him. The gallery for contemporary art encourages present day artists.

History is life preserved– through music, culture, lifestyle, art, design and society long after it ceases to exist. Projects like Hasta Shilpa offer us invaluable glimpses into the past which might otherwise get relegated to a few paragraphs and pictures in textbooks. Amidst stiff opposition from destroyers looking to replace a rich past with their visions of steel futures, Mr Shenoy, over the last 20 years, has gone through several struggles to save some of these priceless creations.

Contacts:

Hasta Shilpa Trust
50, Anantnagar, Manipal - 576104
Karnataka - India
Ph: + 91 9845229701
Fax: +91 820 2575910
Email: hastashilpa@sify.com
Web: www.indianheritagevillage.com