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Celebrated writer, photographer, and Padma awardee Pepita Seth, whose enactment brought Kerala’s civilization and creation to planetary attention, has officially go an Indian citizen, marking an affectional milestone successful a beingness profoundly intertwined with the the State’s traditions.
At a citizenship papers handover ceremonial held astatine the territory collectorate connected Friday (February 6, 2026), Ms. Seth received her Indian citizenship papers from District Collector Arjun Pandian. Describing the juncture arsenic uncommon and special, the Collector said it recognised Ms. Seth’s bonzer publication to taking Kerala’s taste practice to the world.
Often referred to arsenic Kerala’s adopted daughter, the infinitesimal held profound idiosyncratic meaning for Ms. Seth. “I consciousness immensely arrogant to go an Indian astatine the property of 84,” she said, adding that India had agelong been her existent home. With the ceremonial handover of documents, her long-cherished privation to get Indian citizenship has present received authoritative recognition.
Born successful Britain, her fascination with India began done the diary of her maternal grandfather, who had served successful the British Army. At the property of 27, she acceptable retired to research the country’s diverseness — a travel that would signifier her beingness and work. Her emotion for photography and penning yet brought her to Thrissur, which she came to respect arsenic a location rivalling her birthplace.
Deepened bond
Through her lens, she captured immoderate of the astir evocative images of Kerala’s taste beingness — its elephants, temple festivals, ineffable groves, rituals, creation forms, and mundane rhythms. One of her astir iconic photographs, featuring the legendary Guruvayur Kesavan successful musth, scattering thenar leaves and soil, drew worldwide attention. In 1981, she besides obtained ceremonial support nether Hindu customized to participate temples, including the Guruvayur Sreekrishna temple — an bonzer motion of acceptance that further deepened her enslaved with the land.
Her contributions were nationally recognised successful 2012, erstwhile she was conferred the Padma Shri for documenting and interpreting Kerala’s taste and creator traditions for a planetary audience.
Ms. Seth was joined to renowned histrion Roshan Seth, who portrayed Jawaharlal Nehru successful Richard Attenborough’s internationally acclaimed movie Gandhi. Speaking astatine the collectorate, she expressed her joyousness that the onshore she loved truthful profoundly had present embraced her arsenic its ain daughter.
Before leaving, Ms. Seth presented a transcript of her acclaimed publication In God’s Mirror: The Theyyams of Malabar to the Collector.
