Pepita Seth

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Pepita Seth
Born
Suffolk, England
Occupation(s)Writer, photographer
SpouseRoshan Seth (div. 2004)
AwardsPadma Shri

Pepita Seth is a British-born writer and photographer, known for her accounts of the temple arts and rituals of Kerala and her photographs of the widely celebrated captive elephant, Guruvayur Keshavan. The Government of India honoured her, in 2012, with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, for her services to the field of art and culture.[1][2]

Biography

"Oh, he was not an animal. I still remember the look he gave me as I positioned my camera… it was divine, as though he sensed that it was the beginning of my bond with the temple." says Pepitha Seth on Guruvayur Keshavan[3]

Guruvayoor Kesavan's Statue at Guruvayur.
Pepita Seth taking photograph

Pepita Seth was born in

British India. As was the custom during those days, Pepita, being a girl, did not have any formal education.[3] She, choosing a career in films, studied film editing and got opportunities to work under film directors like Ted Kotcheff and Stanley Donen. However, Pepita's life took a turn when she chanced upon the diary of her grandfather and decided to trace his trails with the British Army and document the movements and landed in Kolkata, in 1970.[3][4][5][6]

The journey from Kolkata ended in Guruvayur where she became fascinated by the temple arts and rituals of Kerala. For the next nine years, she visited Kerala several times and, in 1979, she found a home and settled in Guruvayur.[6][7] Though, at first, she was denied entry to the Guruvayur Temple, her persistence made the Guruvayur Devaswom Board to relent and she remains the only foreigner to be granted entry to the Temple.[4][8]

Pepita was married to the Indian born British actor Roshan Seth but was estranged from her husband in the late 80s. The couple formally divorced in 2004.[9]

Pepita Seth has extensively covered the rituals and temples of Kerala through her photographs. Her photographs of the elephant,

New York Times and the Guardian.[6] It is generally considered that Pepita's photographs of the rituals and temple arts of Kerala have helped promote the image of Kerala as a tourist destination.[6]

Pepita Seth lives in Guruvayur.[8]

Books and articles

Pepita's most recent boon In God's Mirror: The Theyyams of Malabar, documents the extraordinary 2,000 year-old ritual of worship, Theyyam, found only in India's south- western state of Kerala.

  • Pepita Seth (2023). In God's Mirror: The Theyyams of Malabar. London: Scala.
    ISBN 9781785514111
    .

Pepita Seth has authored two books on Kerala, with accounts and photographs.

Heaven on Earth: The Universe of Kerala’s Guruvayur Temple is a research study on the

poojas, in detail.[8]

The Divine Frenzy – Hindu Myths and Rituals of Kerala is an account of the spiritual and practical relationship of the people of Kerala with the deities. It attempts to depict, with text and images, the various rituals associated with Hinduism in Kerala.[10]

  • Pepita Seth (March 2001). The Divine Frenzy – Hindu Myths and Rituals of Kerala. United Kingdom: Westzone Publishing. p. 208.
    ISBN 978-1-903391-14-3
    .

Pepita Seth has written extensively about Kerala, its rituals and its elephants.[4][5][6] She is working on a book on Theyyam, a ritualistic dance form of Kerala.[8]

Pepita Seth has written a novel The Edge of Another World (2015) Published by The Speaking Tiger in English and soon to be translated to Malayalam and published by Poorna Publications.

Awards and recognitions

In recognition of her services to the fields of art and culture, the Government of India, in 2012, bestowed the civilian award of Padma Shri on her.[1][2]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Padma". Government of India. 25 January 2011. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  2. ^ a b "President confers Padma Awards". The India Awaaz.com. 23 March 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  3. ^ a b c Geetha Venkitaraman (10 February 2012). "Crowning glory". The Hindu. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  4. ^ a b c "Lila Interactions Article". Lila Interactions. 3 March 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  5. ^
    ISBN 9780144001071
    .
  6. ^ a b c d e "Marunadan Malayalee". Marunadan Malayalee.com. 29 January 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  7. ^ a b "From the Blurb". The Hindu. 7 December 2008. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
  8. ^ a b c d e "Heaven on Earth". The Hindu. 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
  9. ^ "Roshan Seth". Veethi.com. 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  10. ^ "The Divine Frenzy". Westzone. 2001. Retrieved 23 August 2014.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pepita_Seth&oldid=1208462474"