Padma Shri Awardee Pepita Seth becomes Indian citizen at 80
THRISSUR [Maha Media]: For Pepita Seth, Kerala was never just a place she photographed, it was a world she lived, learned and loved. On Wednesday, that lifelong bond found formal recognition when the Padma Shri awardee officially became an Indian citizen. At a ceremony held at the Thrissur Collectorate, she received her Indian citizenship documents from District Collector Arjun Pandyan, after formally renouncing her British nationality.
“I am so happy that the land I love so intently has accepted me as its daughter. Now, I do not have to go back,” Pepita said, calling it a moment of pride.
At 80, the photographer, writer and cultural researcher, who has spent over four decades documenting Kerala’s rituals, elephants, sacred groves and temple festivals has finally made official what her life’s work meant - Kerala is home.
Born in Suffolk, London, Pepita’s connection with India began unexpectedly. As a young woman, she stumbled upon her grandfather’s diary entries from 1857, which he had written during his service as a British soldier. The pages ignited a curiosity about India, compelling her to travel here at the age of 27.
Her journey eventually led her to Kerala, where temple festivals, ritual performances and the presence of elephants drew her in completely. Thrissur, often called Kerala’s cultural capital, became the centre of her life and work.
Over the years, Pepita soaked herself in documenting Theyyam traditions of North Kerala, temple rituals and the Marumakkathayam matrilineal system, earning respect as one of the few outsiders who truly understood the spiritual and cultural fabric of the region.
Pepita Seth is among the very few foreigners to receive permission, in 1981, to closely study the rituals of the Guruvayur Temple and enter its premises following Hindu customs.
One of her most iconic photographs, capturing Guruvayur Kesavan in musth, throwing mud and palm leaves, gained international recognition. Her years of research culminated in a book “Heaven on Earth: The Universe of Kerala’s Guruvayur Temple,” that received widespread acclaim and rave reviews. It is, even today, considered a definitive work on the temple’s spiritual ecosystem.
Pepita is considered not only a documentarian but a scholar who has internalised Kerala’s ethos with humility and respect.
