Visitors going through the photographs of Yajneshwara Acharya, aka Yajna, at a week-long exhibition at the Kodialguthu Centre for Art and Culture, Ballalbagh, in Mangaluru on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The Mangaluru Chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach) and the Art Kanara Trust inaugurated a week-long retrospective photography exhibition titled ‘Mangalore, Back Then…Through the eyes of Yajna’ at Kodialguthu Centre for Art and Culture, Ballalbagh, on Saturday.
Photojournalist Yajneshwara Acharya, aka, Yajna speaking at the inauguration of the exhibition.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The exhibition offers a rare glimpse into Mangaluru’s urban and rural life between the 1970s and 2000s, as captured through the lens of veteran photojournalist Yajneshwara Acharya, fondly known as Yajna. A revered figure in the region’s visual history, Yajna’s evocative black-and-white photographs capture everyday scenes and significant moments with a painterly sensibility, reflecting the transformation of Tulunadu over the decades.
Intach co-convener Nemiraj Shetty noted the exhibition is part of the Mangalore Art and Archival Project initiated by Art Kanara Trust, which seeks to preserve and present rare archival images of the Tulunadu region.
A photograph taken by Yajneshwara Acharya, aka Yajna, of the elections at the Government College (now University College) was showcased at the exhibition.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Speaking a the inaugural session Intach convener Subhas Chandra Basu said,”We felt it was important to document these rare images from Yajna’s archives. More importantly, Yajna was keen to revisit the same locations and photograph them anew. Two young photographers were invited to accompany him, so they could observe a veteran at work and carry forward his visual legacy,” he explained.
A photograph taken by Yajneshwara Acharya, aka Yajna, of the Hampanakatte.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Alongside archival works, the exhibition also features images from this recent photographic journey undertaken by Yajna with architect-photographer Murali Abbemane and writer-photographer Deekshith R. Pai.
A photograph taken by Yajneshwara Acharya, aka Yajna, of the ancient Mangaladevi Temple.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Appreciating the organisers for their efforts, Mr. Yajna said, “I’m thankful to the Intach team for bringing this project to life. I have enough material to curate four more exhibitions on different themes. It’s deeply satisfying to see people engaging with these photographs and finding a connection.”
The exhibition is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. till July 26.
Published – July 21, 2025 08:43 pm IST
