Hyderabad, Aug. 19 -- Today, August 19, as the world celebrates World Photography Day, it is worth remembering a remarkable Indian camera that once earned a reputation far beyond the country.

The Vageeswari, a handcrafted large format camera from Alappuzha, Kerala, is a fascinating story of Indian ingenuity, craftsmanship and determination.

A teenage inventor

The story began in 1942, when K. Karunakaran was just 16. His father, Kunju Kunju Bhagavathar, was a musician who also repaired musical instruments.

When photographer Padmanabhan Nair brought a foreign made camera with torn bellows to their workshop, Bhagavathar repaired it. Watching this closely, young Karunakaran wondered if a camera could be made in India.

Karunakaran studied...