The trees in the compound are striking. They have unmistakeably been standing there for decades. The work that’s been going inside the old building, set at the far end, pre-dates them — hand-written wall announcements on the sides make it clear. We are standing in front of Monegar Choultry that has sheltered and fed people since 1782. The choultry ran the first organised charity in Madras.
Historian S Muthiah, in his article in MetroPlus dated November 19, 2001, takes us to its origins . “When Madras was stricken by one of its worst-ever famines in 1781, the city’s first formal charity was set up by the Government and St Mary’s Church,” he writes. “A Famine Relief Committee was established in 1782 and the Committee rented a house for poor feeding just beyond the north wall of George Town — in present day Royapuram that was all fields, vegetable gardens and fruit groves then.”
He writes: “The house continued as a refuge for the poor and the sick even after conditions improved in 1784. It is around that time, it appears to have got its name. Monegar Choultry, perhaps by then being locally administered by the village headman (manugakkaran).” Nivedita Louis, city historian, tells us that in 1782, a village headman established a gruel centre in his garden in Royapuram. Soon after the Mysore War (1799), the centre became a choultry for the sick and those in need. In 1807, the Government and the Nawab of Arcot made substantial donations as more people began to seek solace under its roof. A hospital was constructed within the choultry in 1799 by John Underwood, an assistant surgeon. In 1801, the hospital was combined with the ‘Native Hospital and Poor Fund’ in the choultry. During the visit of the Raja of Venkatagiri, another choultry was built next to Monegar Choultry for feeding a hundred people and giving alms to another hundred every day. The charity thus started became permanent when the Raja invested ₹1 lakh in Government Securities on June 28, 1870, for its upkeep.
The Native Hospital was taken over by the Government in 1910 and was renamed Royapuram Hospital, later Stanley, while the choultry was shifted to the premises of the nearby Raja of Venkatagiri Choultry. For a long time, Stanley hospital was referred to as the ‘Kanjithotti hospital.’
Here’s a mystery: To the left of the choultry is a gate guarded by a carved stone beam standing on two stone pillars. “This was once the choultry superintendent’s house,” says Nivedita. It will be interesting to find out what the two winged creatures supporting the beam are.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Geeta Padmanabhan / October 08th, 2018
The East India Company was a huge importer of elephants and ships would use elaborate pulley systems to transport these animals.
Talk on elephants by author and historian Venkatesh Ramakrishnan Martin Louis
Chennai :
It seemed appropriate that there were Ganesha figurines and statues on shelves and tables at Airlift House in T Nagar, as the talk scheduled for the rainy evening was ‘The Giants of George Town’ by historian and author Venkatesh Ramakrishnan.
He explained that in Madras’ 500-year history that included the Portuguese settlement in Santhome, there was a steady flow of migrants and the elephants were no different. The city was a hub for the 5,000-kg animal with a constant inflow of herd from Coorg and Kongunaadu for the first 300 years.
The East India Company was a huge importer of elephants and ships would use elaborate pulley systems to transport these animals. “As Madras did not have a port for the first 150 years, boats would take the cargo and passengers to the ship from the shore. The elephants would be pushed off the boat and made to swim to the coast,” said Ramakrishnan.
Once a port was established, Madras began exporting elephants to various places, primarily the Andaman Islands. Fort St George has many references to the animals, with a gate in the L-shaped wall built to separate Black Town on Walltax Road called the Elephant Gate. The street opposite is called Elephants Gate Road. Following the British’s love for hunting, Madras was the first city to ban the hunting of elephants in the 18th Century.
The East India Company records show that elephants needed 600 pounds of grass daily. With the elephant, caretaker and grass-cutter costing `48 in total, double of what they cost in Bengal at the time. Ramakrishnan said an elephant in captivity was a metaphor for the control over India for the British, which explained the elephant motifs in records related to India from the EIC.
“Thirumullaivoyal has the first record of an elephant in Madras. A king was travelling on his elephant when it scratched its leg and a lingam was found where the blood flowed,” said Ramakrishnan, adding that the Madras Veterinary College is one of the few veterinary colleges in the world that offers a degree in elephant management.
During World War II, train carriages were in great need for the British Empire, who took all unnecessary bogeys and engines for their warranty efforts. This led to elephants leading the entire shunting business in Madras. “You were also permitted to transport your elephant, for a princely sum of `400. Ticket prices then were between `1 and 10, which made this all the more exorbitant,” said Ramakrishnan, adding that this was mostly used by the rulers of princely states.
Elephants have also featured in many Kollywood films. For the 1948 film Chandralekha, produced and directed by SS Vasan at Gemini Studios, two circuses stayed at their studio in Kodambakkam. “It was a common sight then to see elephants being taken for a walk in Kodambakkam. People would come to the studio to see the elephants,” said Ramakrishnan.
Notable facts
The city was a hub for the 5,000-kg animal with a constant inflow of herd from Coorg and Kongunadu for the first 300 years. The East India Company was a huge importer of elephants and ships would use elaborate pulley systems to transport them.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Rochana Mohan / Express News Service / October 08th, 2018
A team of policemen unearthing a stone pillar from the guest house at Kasturi Estate in Chennai on Friday. | Photo Credit: S. R. Raghunathan
Idol Wing of police finds them buried under lawns at Poes Garden bungalow
Two stone pillars that are antiquities buried under the lawns of a bungalow in Third Street, Kasturi Estate in Poes Garden were unearthed by the Idol Wing of police on Friday evening.
The team was led by the wing’s chief, Inspector General of Police A.G.Ponn Manickavel. He claimed that more than 20 idols and artefacts were concealed on the premises and the find was connected to the investigation against businessman and art collector Ranvir Shah, from whose premises they had recently recovered over 244 idols, stone pillars and artefacts.
“Following credible information from the investigation into Mr. Shah’s connections, we followed up on this lead and searched the premises,” he told journalists.
The bungalow is a guest house of KCP Sugars and Industries Limited in which city-based entrepreneur Kiran Rao is the executive director and Mr. Shah, an independent director.
Ms. Rao was not present when the search was conducted. The police took away an employee for questioning. “It looks like the two seized pillars were buried in the garden about four days ago,” the IG said. They were unearthed using crowbars in an operation watched by the media.
Late last month, the Idol Wing searched the house of Mr. Shah at Srinagar Colony and they followed it up with searches in his farmhouses last Tuesday in two villages in Kancheepuram.
Idol Wing officers claim that most of them do not have the required documents, a claim Mr. Shah has denied in his anticipatory bail petition.
CCTV footage
The Idol Wing claims that even as it conducted the search on his premises, some idols were moved to other locations and it zeroed in on a commercial establishment on Whites Road, Royapettah, in which Ms. Rao had stakes and two other premises in Raja Annamalaipuram.
The Idol Wing also claimed to have recovered recent CCTV footage showing antiquities being carted away from one place to another, which led them to the Friday’s search. After nightfall, the police suspended their search operations at the bungalow. They will resume it on Saturday morning.
Shah seeks time
Mr. Shah did not appear before DSP Idol Wing in Guindy for the inquiry. Instead, his advocate K. Thangarasu appeared and sought time.
Mr. Thangarasu said, “Prior to the receipt of the said summons, Mr. Shah had embarked on a previously planned trip to north India to perform the afterlife rites for his father Ranjit R.Shah as part of the sacred “Shraadh” month rituals. As a result, he is unable to appear in front of the DSP Idol Wing and he will be returning early next week.”
The advocate requested the DSP to excuse Mr. Shah’s absence and stated that he would come early next week. Mr Shah is a law abiding citizen and will be cooperating with the law enforcement agencies, the advocate added.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Special Correspondent / Chennai – October 06th, 2018
How many men does it take to wind 2,200 clocks? A single, if slightly obsessed, one. Peek into Robert Kennedy’s collection of antiques
It’s like a dream, an abstract painting. Clocks are all but spilling out of Robert Kennedy’s compact two-room flat, when he opens the door to a rush of woody scent. On the back of the door, barely visible behind the weights of pendulums, is a poster that reads, “There is never a wrong time to do the right thing”. It’s a philosophy Robert lives by: he’s spent the majority of his 55-year-old life — in between vacations, during work trips, Sundays — roaming about in scrap shops hoping to finding a clock or two.
We sit on the only two chairs in the room, with the faces of each of Robert’s 2,200 clocks staring down at us from the walls. “This one is French,” he says, pointing to an ornate golden brown one. “It was made by Constantine Ditoche, one of the finest clockmakers of France during Napoleon III’s reign.” Robert chanced upon this clock at the house of a Frenchman in Puducherry when he was 24. “He wouldn’t even let me touch it. But when I showed him my own budding collection, he was impressed. He gave that clock to me for ₹1,000,” he says. Today, the clock is worth lakhs.
Rich man’s hobby
Robert, who has been collecting watches since he was 17, is full of stories like these. “You point to any clock and I’ll tell you the story behind it. They’re like my babies.” His fascination began with his grandfather’s Ansonia clock, given to him by the British, that had a red hand for the date — unusual for that time. “My father would always tell me stories about how people would come to our house to see the clock,” he says.
Soon enough, young Robert, growing up in small town Nagercoil, took pride in his possession and wanted more of it. “I collect clocks because they feel alive to me. I can make them run.”
As if to prove his point, he takes me to a 1910 German clock and gives it a half-wind, turning the minute hand that chimes at every quarter. Robert sings in tune along with it, “1, 2, 3, 4…” counting the notes. “When the pendulums were first invented, they didn’t think of adding chimes. Like this one,” he says, pointing to a 280-year-old clock from London, his oldest. Other clocks in his collection include balance wheel marine clocks, weighted wall clocks and the grandfather of flip clocks — Plato clocks.
Antique collection need not be just a rich man’s hobby — Robert is a stellar example. “I found most of my clocks going through scrap and second-hand shops across India,” he says. “So I generally make blind purchases, led only by intuition. About 30% of the clocks I collect are actual scrap, but still, their parts may be of use,” says Robert, who has a network of clocksmiths and watchmakers at his disposal. “I have 300 more clocks in my garage that are in need of spare parts.”
But beyond adding lost parts, Robert doesn’t believe in revamping old clocks. “To me, their charm lies in the peeling paint on the dial. You shouldn’t repaint it, but protect it in the exact state you got it.”
Along his journey, he has stumbled upon many an old watch, coffee grinders, carriage lights, a working steam engine model and even a bicycle with a clock attached. As we move around the flat, he says, “I need more space for all this.”
Living with a hoarder
This is not where he lives: he bought this flat just to keep this collection. In his home a floor below, the sound of parakeets, not clocks, fill the air.
He narrates the bittersweet story of this second flat, “My marriage was almost headed towards a divorce because of these clocks.” Robert’s wife, Teeni, was the one who ended up taking care of the house, and the humongous collection naturally took up a lot of space and made living as well as cleaning difficult.
“I still remember, on our first bus ride home after our marriage, I boasted to her about my clock collection. She just asked me, ‘But why? What do you do with it?’ It’s a question I still don’t have an answer for.”
Eventually, things came to a head and Teeni demanded the collection be kept separately. “It’s not her fault, living with a hoarder can’t be easy, I understand. That’s when I got this flat, in 2007. I may not be the best husband,” he says, shrugging with a tinge of regret, “But I manage the show.”
Robert now wants to open a trust museum for his collection. “I don’t want to hand it over to my children, I want it to be open to the public. My collection is for my nation,” he underlines.
Robert has applied for a Guinness World Record, he can be reached at 9840689408. He will also be giving a talk at TEDxNapierBridge. The event will be held at Museum Theatre, Egmore, on September 16, at 2.30 pm. Tickets can be bought online at bit.ly/pleaseturnover for ₹999. Discount for students. Contact 9790715610 for details.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Society / by Sweta Akundi / September 12th, 2018
Gayathri Girish delved deep into Kanchipuram’s history to offer glimpses of its heritage, literature and music associated with the temple town
Gayathri Girish presented a concert recently, under the aegis of Music Forum, interspersed with information on the temple town of Kanchipuram. Through a multimedia presentation, she delved into its history and spoke about references in ancient literature at the Arkay Convention Centre. The programme was part of Music Forum’s Sangeetha Lakshana Lakshya series.
Kanchi that abounds with temples of Siva, Vishnu, Shakti and Skanda, is referred to as prithvi sthal. It is also known as Kamakottam, Devarajapuram and Shivajit Kshetram and has been widely mentioned in the agama sastras and Sangam literature. The town nurtured many scholars and saints such as Adi Sankara, Ramanuja, Thevara Nalvar, Upanishad Brahmam and Azhwars.
After this introduction, Gayathri moved to Kumara Kottam, the deity being Somaskandamurthy. The temple is located between the shrines of Ekambareswarar and Kamakshi. Gayathri presented Muthuswami Dikshitar’s ‘Chintaya makanda moolakandam’ in Bhairavi. “Tamizh Kanda Puranam was staged first at Kanda Kottam, where Lord Muruga imparted it to his devotee Kachyapasivachariar,” said Gayathri.
In Kama Kottam, Shakti exists in three forms — as a statue, Srichakram and Tapas Kamakshi. Gayathri brought out its significance through Dikshitar’s ‘Ekambranatham’ in Gamakakriya, a thevaram, a Mooka Kavi poem, Tyagaraja’s ‘Vinayakuni’ in Madhyamavati and Syama Sastri’s ‘Kanaka saila viharini’ in Punnagavarali. Her rendition of Oothukkadu Venkatakavi’s Kamakshi Navavarnam (‘Sadanandamayi’ in Hindolam) enhanced her presentation. A rare kriti ‘Sri Saraswati Hite’ in Manji was a pleasing addition.
Kriti on Varadaraja
Varadaraja Perumal, known by several names, was represented with the Tyagaraja kriti ‘Varadaraja ninne’. Gayathri said that the kriti was tuned in raga Swarabooshani but generally sung in Devamanohari. This was suffixed with verses from Vedanta Desikar’s ‘Adaikkalappaththu’ in ragamalika. ‘Varadarajam upasmahe’ in Saranga by Dikshitar was another choice.
Kailasanathar temple, known for its huge linga and beautiful sculptures, was the focus next. The kriti was Dikshitar’s ‘Kailasanathena’ in Khambodi. . Then came Thirumangai Azhwar’s pasuram on the gigantic Ulagalantha Perumal in raga Mohanam. Gayathri concluded her presentation with a Pattinathar song.
She was accompanied by Vishruthi and Mythreyi (vocal support), K. Ananthakrishnan (violin) and Kumbakonam Swaminathan (mridangam).
Chief guest Chithra Madhavan lauded Gayathri for packing the show with good music and interesting information.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Entertainment> Music / by G. Swaminathan / July 12th, 2018
It is time to reshape the role of the honorary consulates of Denmark in India and to build the business-to-business relationship between the two countries, Danish Ambassador to India, Peter Taksoe-Jensen said.
He was speaking at a reception marking the appointment of Vijay Sankar, Deputy Chairman, Sanmar Group, as the Honorary Consul General of the Royal Danish Consulate in Chennai.
Mr. Sankar will be in charge of operations for South India.
Mr. Taksoe-Jensen presented a citation from the Queen of Denmark to Mr. Sankar on the occasion.
The Danish Ambassador said with the relationship between India and Denmark improving now after nearly seven years, it was time to “board the train” to the market of 1.3 billion people.
Archiving records
The Danish Embassy and the Danish National Archives department hope to digitise almost 70 metres of Danish archival records that are in Tamil Nadu.
The embassy is hoping to get funding from private enterprises in Denmark for the venture.
Efforts would also be made to maintain the Governor’s House in Tranquebar by raising funds, the Ambassador said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Special Correspondent / Chennai – July 05th, 2018
It was only a few weeks ago (Miscellany, June 4) that I wrote of a building with a history, Dare Bungalow in the Pachaiyappa College campus, that was derelict and in need of restoration considering its history. Since then, I’ve heard of two other buildings, historic to me, that warrant attention too.
Curiously, the centenary of the oldest trade union in the country, the Madras Labour Union went unnoticed on April 27. Curious because not only does the Union still exist but also because it should have been an occasion —the birth of the trade union movement in India — that all other unions should have celebrated. But names like G Selvapathy Chetty, G Ramanujulu Naidu, BP Wadia and Thiru Vi Ka are forgotten for what they started. There has, however, long been a landmark memorial to this in the Selvapathy –Ramanujulu Buildingthat was inaugurated in 1931 as the headquarters of the MLU. Sadly, it is in a shambles today as found by an Indian heritage enthusiast from Germany, Dr K Subashini, who went looking for it in Perambur. How could such a historic building be allowed to have fallen into such a state? Sadder still are other such a buildings with historic backgrounds not on any Heritage List — or is that only for public structures?
Also unlikely listed is another building in such shape. Gandhi Kannadasan sends me a picture of the state the erstwhile home of Harry Crowe Buck, founder of the first Physical Education School in Asia, is in today. In fact, that institution itself should be celebrating its centenary in 2020.
Buck is to all intents and purposes the ‘Father of Sport’ in India. He was responsible for the introduction of basketball and volleyball, the encouragement of boxing and the beginning of the Indian Olympic Games, now the National Games.
Buck, of whom I’ve written before (March 13, 2017), and Sir Dorabjee Tata were the force behind the founding of the All India Olympic Association in 1924 and Buck trained the first-ever Indian athletic team to an Olympic Games, held that same year in Paris.
The YMCA school moved to its present site in Saidapet in 1928 and the ghost house of today was probably built about then as the Founder-Principal’s bungalow. In 1933 there came up Massey Hall, the College’s main building. Kannadasan tells me he is a regular walker in the grounds here (not all 65 acres of it!) and there was a time when the house was occupied by a member of the faculty. But why such occupancy stopped and the house Harry and ‘green-fingered’ Marie Buck so lovingly tended was allowed to fall into such disrepair he has no idea.
But here’s my challenge. Is there any heritage buff or heritage-interested organisation in the city willing to save the three houses, Dare Bungalow, Selvapathy–Ramanujulu Building and Harry Buck’s home, memorials to Indian Commerce, Labour, and Sport?
The chronicler of Madras that is Chennai tells stories of people, places, and events from the years gone by, and sometimes from today
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Society> History & Culture / by S. Muthiah / June 25th, 2018
The ‘Sati Dana Suramu’ is, on the face of it, a simple parody. But viewed in its context, Shahuji Bhonsle, we find, was making a comment on society itself
The Brihadeeswara Temple in Thanjavur, Shahuji Bhonsle’s capital. Photo: Alamy
In 1684, a 12-year-old Maratha boy was installed as ruler in Tamil Thanjavur, not long after the region’s older Nayaka dynasty came to an end. The event was emblematic of India in this bustling age, with Tamil Nadu alone attracting Afghan horsemen, Bundela Rajputs, Telugu warriors, and diverse other groups of adventurers. Our adolescent prince, Shahuji Bhonsle, however, came from a family that was of especial significance for the country. Ten years earlier, his half-uncle, the celebrated Shivaji, had crowned himself king of the Marathas, and theirs was a clan that would seek power over distant reaches of the subcontinent.
Shahuji too was a king worth his elaborate titles, but even as he tackled matters of state, he cultivated a reputation as a patron of the arts. Going out of his way to attract as many as 46 men of letters to his court, he conferred on them an endowed agraharam (settlement), named (with typical princely modesty) after himself.
Interestingly, Shahuji, who reigned till 1712, was also a poet—his Panchabhasha Vilasa Natakam reflects the plurality of influences around him, featuring Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Sanskrit, and even Hindi verses. He was obsessed with Shiva of the Thiruvarur temple, and many were the plays and songs composed with his blessings eulogizing this deity. Some credit him as the composer of the Thyagesa Kuravanji dance drama, centred on the adoration of the lord by a woman. The theme and story is more or less conventional here and fits into the larger tradition of Bhakti literature. What is perhaps more remarkable—and has been described by scholars as “a work of extreme, deliberately outrageous provocation”—is another play from his time: the Sati Dana Suramu (Take My Wife). While some suggest it might have been composed by one of his poets, the text itself names Shahuji its creator, adding casually that he composed it “to outlast the sun, moon, and stars”.
The Sati Dana Suramu is a hugely entertaining parody of social conventions. The setting is the Vishnu temple in Mannargudi, where a Brahmin (“Morobhatlu the Magnificent”) arrives with his disciple for a festival. What upsets this pilgrimage—and, by extension, the correct order of things—is the Brahmin’s infatuation with a woman he unexpectedly encounters. Not only is his pupil scandalized (“My teacher has gone crazy”), but the woman comes from the other end of society—she is an untouchable. When the student warns his guru to protect his reputation, the teacher retorts that greater men had succumbed to lust and survived. When the disciple reminds him that the female is a demon, the older man responds, “She’s no demon, she’s a woman.” Frustrated, when the pupil appeals that he focus on the “Vedas and Puranas and Sastras” which promise eternal bliss, the Brahmin sniffs that he has “no use for insipid, eternal bliss”.
Soon, the Brahmin approaches the woman, declaring, “Your charm has reduced me to ashes.” The lady is polite but reminds him of the rules of caste and tradition. “We eat beef, we drink liquor…. Don’t talk to me.” Morobhatlu does not care. “We drink cow’s milk,” he replies, “but you eat the whole cow. You must be more pure,” he exclaims. Clearly startled, the lady decides to lecture him on the impermanence of desire, the permanence of dharma and other pious philosophical principles, hoping this would make him go away. She also warns Morobhatlu that she is married, and that it would be best for everyone involved if he stopped “this incoherent prattle”.
But the man remains immovable. “We Brahmins have made up all the rules, and invented religion. There is no better dharma than satisfying a Brahmin’s need,” he giggles. Perhaps, he adds, she could look upon the act as simple charity. “Give me your loins,” he coyly suggests, “like offering (a Brahmin) land.”
In the end, the woman’s husband arrives, and, after an initial attempt to beat up his wife’s high-born stalker, he demands, “Haven’t you read the Sastras?” Irony, in fact, is writ across the entire composition, where the low-born out-Brahmin the Brahmin—and so is great comic effect. When the woman’s husband reminds Morobhatlu about the godly path, the Brahmin responds: “Final freedom is that state of no pain, no pleasure, no qualities, nothing—or so some idiot said. But when a ravishing young woman…is free from her clothes—that’s freedom for me.” At long last, then, the husband agrees to present his wife to the Brahmin, only for the latter to belatedly heed his pupil’s voice (“Have a little detachment; think of the subtle meaning of Vedic words”). In the course of events that follow, the husband is upset, the wife is bewildered, and finally Shiva arrives and liberates everybody from this hilarious, singular quandary.
The Sati Dana Suramu is, on the face of it, a simple parody. But viewed in its context, Shahuji, we find, was making a comment on society itself. As the scholar Sanjay Subrahmanyam notes, “the play was written…for public performance” at a major festival, which meant its irreverence was consumed by large numbers of pilgrims and locals. Not only does it combine on one stage Brahmins and untouchables, it also cleverly exalts Shiva (Shahuji’s preferred deity), who swoops in to save the day at a site associated with Vishnu. Questions are raised on ethics and morality, on lust and the role of women. But the larger point Shahuji wished to make—and make with much mirth and laughter—was that asking questions and turning some tables was not such a bad idea. As this Maratha prince in Tamil country asks us at the end of this Sanskrit-Telugu production: “You, who have seen this play, decide for yourselves and tell us: Who, among these four, is the best?”
Medium Rare is a column on society, politics and history. Manu S. Pillai is the author of The Ivory Throne (2015) and Rebel Sultans (2018). He tweets at @UnamPillai
source: http://www.livemint.com / Live Mint / Home> Leisure> Medium Rare / by Manu S. Pillai / June 16th, 2018
Pavithra Srinivasan showcases the charm of the city’s heritage structures in her miniature sketches
Those set of stairs definitely belong to a palace. Wait a minute…is that at the Madras High Court? The ornate red-pink wall looks strangely familiar; we’ve seen it somewhere…it’s the Government Museum Complex! At Madras Miniatures, an art show by columnist, author, and translator Pavithra Srinivasan, the city’s heritage structures are given a whole new perspective. They are the result of Srinivasan’s travels through the city, specifically North Chennai . “That’s where everything happened,” she says, referring to how the city grew.
The exhibition features 61 of Srinivasan’s miniatures, most of them in black, done with micron pens. The author sketched them to be incorporated in a book on historical fiction for young adults that she’s working on. “I’m planning to bring it out soon,” she says, walking us around Madras Literary Society where the exhibtion is showing.
Most of the heritage structures that Srinivasan has chosen are part of our everyday lives. The Agurchand Mansion on Anna Salai, Wallajah Mosque in Triplicane, the Central Railway Station, the Moore Market, statues of King George V and Thomas Munro… We drive past them regularly, but they take on a special quality in the framed form. Srinivasan is a lover of the city and it shows. She has also sketched scenes that are intrinsic to the Chennai landscape — a soan papdi seller on the Marina, a lady painting pots on Kodambakkam High Road, an ornate chariot used at weddings parked near Victoria Public Hall, a fisher woman grinning by baskets overflowing with dried fish. A sketch of a sample of zardozi work that Triplicane is famous for, also finds pride of place, along with newer structures such as the Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Speciality Hospital on Anna Salai, Broken Bridge, the compound wall of Stella Maris College on Cathedral Road which the students have painted in bright colours, and a view of the Chennai Harbour with its cranes and containers. Srinivasan has captioned her sketches with a little bit of information about the place.
Srinivasan was a resident of Velachery and Valasaravakkam, and now lives a quiet life in a farm in Tiruvannamali. A change, she feels, has made her love for Chennai even stronger. For, we long for what is far away.
Madras Miniatures is on till June 16, 11 am to 4 pm (except Friday) at Madras Literary Society, College Road.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Akila Kannadasan / June 13th, 2018
One of the projects taken up by the Triple O Studio
Any mention of Chennai’s architectural marvels instantly brings to mind large, red public structures built in the Indo-Saracenic architectural style. But, there is more to the city’s architectural history in its residential areas.
Madras Inherited, an initiative of a group of architects and volunteers, aims to unravel these hidden architectural gems through heritage walks and document the fast disappearing residential structures in the city.
Spearheaded by Triple O Studio, an architectural firm, Madras Inherited will focus on small residential buildings across the city that have gone unnoticed unlike public heritage structures. While Chennai has some of the finest Indo-Saracenic structures, it is also a confluence of many intriguing architectural styles that the group will research and map through a series of walks.
Tahaer Zoyab, architect and co-founder of Madras Inherited, said a project to document the old houses of Mylapore came as an eye-opener to the vanishing heritage in the city. “The character of the interior lanes is fast changing and we wanted to share the stories with people before residential buildings disappear and also document the rich legacy,” he said.
The team has so far documented architectural designs of about 50 houses in Mylapore. “We have traces of Neoclassical, Gothic and Art Deco styles in structures across the city. We can still find traditional vernacular architecture in some of the Agraharam houses of Mylapore, Tiruvanmiyur and Triplicane,” he said.
Classic example
George Town, one of the older settlements in the city, presents a classic example of a confluence of different styles. Dare House in Parrys Corner, for instance, is designed in the Art Deco style in which there is an emphasis on vertical lines and the distinct design of a ‘sunburst jaali’ for ventilation, Mr. Zoyab pointed out.
Such intricate details imbibed in residential and private building architecture will be documented and shared with heritage enthusiasts in the city. Madras Inherited will focus on cultural tourism and heritage education and management through a series of interactive events like photo walks in historical areas. The initiative will be launched on June 16 with a walk through the lanes of Royapettah, where participants will get to decode the architectural history of the area. The walk that starts at 6.30 a.m. will cost adults Rs. 700 and students Rs. 450. Participants get to take home a bag of custom-made souvenirs, ranging from coasters to bookmarks.
The locality has a range of styles from Agraharam houses, traces of Gothic design and Islamic-style houses. The proceeds from these walks will be used to fund the mapping and documentation of city’s heritage structures. There are plans to expand to areas like Periamet, Vepery and George Town after September. For details on the walk, send an e-mail to mail@madrasinherited.in or contact +91-8939135048.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Tamil Nadu / by K. Lakshmi / Chennai – June 15th, 2018
