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Vol. XXI No. 10 MUSINGS September 1-15, 2011

“With all the rains and the traffic and queues and all that, let’s just read the review of the play we are supposed to go to this evening in the paper tomorrow!” Recent random thoughts of some theatre-loving Signing for Chennai-ites Okay... the play begins at 7.30 Palace Heritage Act pm, so get there by 7.15. ETD from home is therefore 6.30 A Heritage Act was the pm…no, make that 6-ish, be- 1801 though the ruling family joint request by the coordi- cause of that bane of earnest Is it on its was permitted to use the palace nators of the Madras Week audiences – free seating. till 1855 when, on the pretext on behalf of the people of Over the last three shows, Ms Me- of liquidating the debts of the Chennai on the day of the First and her passive-aggressive Nawabs, the palace was ac- Madras Week press confer- friends have been hogging the last legs? quired by the Government in a ence, August 19, 2011. best seats, plus ‘keeping place’ sham auction. Since then, it has If passed, the Act will for hordes of their buddies. (By A Special Correspondent) ensure that not just the heri- As for yesterday – empty seats ga- been used by Government de- tage of Madras is protected, lore... so, of course, Mr. Eight- t has been touted the world was built as partments, of which the best- but that of the whole of the Footer-with-the-Poosnikai- Iover as the first example of the city residence of the known are the Revenue and State as well. Head has to choose the one the Indo-Saracenic style of ar- Nawabs of Arcot. Probably de- Public Works Departments. No sooner the banner before us. The latter also has its own inde- with a request to pass the And – Heaven preserve us from chitecture, a style for which signed by Paul Benfield, a Com- Madras became famous. And pany engineer turned building pendent wing fronting Chepauk Heritage Act was unfurled, foot-tappers, cough-ers and more than 40 signatures fidget-ers. yet, in the absence of any form contractor, it was the first in- Palace, built by Robert Fellowes filled the campaign sheets on Time to leave. of legislation to protect build- stance anywhere in the world of Chisholm. Tickets? the spot. ings of its kind, historic the Indo-Saracenic style. It also, (Continued on page 5) Check. Chepauk Palace is rapidly going more famously, marked the be- God, the traffic … thankfully, no dignitary movement, no sud- to seed and, unless something ginning of the takeover of the den mass protests, no break- fairly urgent is done about it, Carnatic by the British and, downs… this historic precinct is unlikely when it was nearing comple- MOVE, can’t you see the lights to survive long. That at least tion, it was evident to most that Will Metro hide our have … what are you honking was the impression I was left the days of the Nawabs’ rule at? with during a recent visit to the were numbered. Sure enough, Inching, inching ... Yay! heritage buildings? Arrived. premises. the Carnatic was annexed in Hey – ever heard of a queue? (By A Staff Reporter) Now – choosing seats. Too much in front looks presumptuous; ork on the Metro Rail- be in direct contravention of too much to the back seems Wway is progressing with- the recommendations of the overly humble ... out pause and in its relentless Padmanabhan Committee on They’re starting. wake it appears that several hoardings which stated that What the ...?!! I swear I put the heritage buildings are likely to nothing ought to come up in damn thing on ‘silent’. be affected. Some will have to Everyone’s glaring. front of heritage structures. (Why is my left arm hurting?) bear the brunt of digging, drill- The Heritage Conservation (Later)… ing and construction activity in Committee constituted by the Leave minutes before the end. No their vicinity and, later, suffer Government following a judge- intense-discussion-obscure- the vibrations bound to be ment of the High Court of Ma- analysis-and-how-did-you-like- caused by the continuous dras is already looking into the the-play-ing. movement of rolling stock. (Much Later) ... matter. It is learnt that a sub- (Note to self: Stay home; watch Now, the latest is that many of committee constituted to look TV ... and sing: This particular the buildings are likely to be into the designs of the stations world was never meant for one completely obscured by the has found that some of the as worrywart as you ... starry, Tree growth has a field day at Chepauk Palace with its broken windows and construction of stations that vents and entrance porches to starry evenings…) what fills in for them when they have vanished. will mask their facades. What is Ranjitha Ashok (More pictures on page 5) worse, such a construction will (Continued on page 2) CMYK 2 September 1-15, 2011 51 things MAD-rush for food! nother Mad-rush, oops the Chief, who is rather prone The long arm of the law, AMadras Week is draw- to look on such goings-on with MMM understands, is wary to do ing to a close. The celebra- a benevolent eye, was moved of any gatherings that exceed t. Mary’s Co-Cathedral on Armenian Street, which is today tions are now confined to the to reprimand one or two of the four in number. The process, Smore popular for the devotion to Saint Anthony by Catholics son et lumiere programmes more notorious ones. Each MMM is told, is not at all dif- and non-Catholics alike, and the Cathedral in San Thomé have that the Chief had evening this was repeated, with ficult and the staff is courte- conceptualised at the Free- the scene making MMM ous in the extreme. But those long been on my ‘must visit’ list and I strongly recommend them to masons’ Hall, but when the realise what it would have been who watch over law and or- visitors. Week (or is it Month) was in like in locations such as the der of our beloved city are Greater than the history, the heritage and the uniqueness of progress, you could scarcely Kanji Thotti in the great fam- unable to comprehend the places is the experience they offer. So, in connection with the make up your mind as to ine years of the 18th and 19th concept of a heritage walk. celebrations (www.themadrasday.in), a group of us where to go and what to see. Centuries in Madras. Consequently, such events have launched the ‘51 THINGS TO DO IN CHENNAI’ blog. The Man from Madras But there is always a higher are classified under Fasts/Pro- We are hoping that this ‘51 Things To Do’ list will try and sug- Musings hurried along from force that watches over us and tests/Processions. And the gest places, people, things and events that are truly Madras/ sport to sport as he believes came a day when the venue law looks askance at events of Chennai and offer the ‘experience’. So, instead of suggesting a visit the expression is, though was an establishment that was that variety. to the church atop St. Thomas’ Mount, we would recommend what with his loyalties being facing labour troubles. It was MMM is fairly certain that to this publication, he con- enjoying your visit by taking the one hundred plus steps to the top, too late for a change of venue most of the rules and regula- fined his attendance largely and it was decided to go ahead. tions that govern public gath- the views you should not miss, and the other little places around to the talks and walks the church. And no food was served. Not erings were created in the era organised by it. The Chief, even a drop of water. The free- when Gandhiji made bold to To ensure that this ‘51 Things To Do’ listing has a local flavour, on the other hand, MMM loaders came, saw and could challenge an alien regime. it is best enriched by people like you who know the city well. Lots was glad to see, was all over scarcely believe their eyes. And poring over the letter of people, especially young people, highly recommend visiting the the place, now enthusing the Their jaws dropped, their eyes that gives permission to con- Broken Bridge behind the Theosophical Society, a bridge which cadres, here shaking a hand, almost popped out and they duct heritage walk, he finds it once linked Uroor kuppam in Besant Nagar with Srinivasapuram there cocking a quizzical eye looked at each other with a couched in the same language in Pattinapakkam. The bridge collapsed many years ago. They say and somewhere else being wild surmise. The talk went on that belonged to that era as the life and soul of the party. the view and the experience at sunrise or at sunset is amazing. A walk on the Marina, well-stocked with sundal, bajji and raw mango slices dipped in salt and red chilli powder, is a must-do. I am sure you too can make a recommendation like that. Go to SHORT ’N’ SNAPPY www.51thingstodoinchennai.blogspot.com – and don’t stop with a line. Give us at least two paras! Tips and all. – (Courtesy: Times.) Vincent D’Souza Watching the Chief, MMM as scheduled, though you could well. Permission was granted realised, was to get an idea of hardly hear the speaker, the ali- with several conditions at- Churchill during the war mentary growls of the freeload- tached and one of these was Will the Metro years and, heaven knows, we ers’ innards almost drowning that “Toms Toms” would are on a war too, on the heri- what he was saying. But to not be beaten during the pro- tage front that is. MMM it was the best evening cession. It also categorically hide Elsewhere battles are be- of the week. Just watching the denied any right to the ing won by men going on disappointment on their faces organiser to play any musical fasts unto death, but at the and the silent enquiries they instruments. There had to be heritage buildings? Madras Week events it were making to each other en- free flow of traffic, it stipu- would appear to be a feast tirely through the language of lated, and the participants (Continued from page 1) there been a Heritage Act in unto the same end. MMM the eyebrows was entertain- could not gather on the main place with clear guidelines on alludes to the talks organised ment enough. thoroughfares. the stations would not only be what can be done and what is by Madras Musings at vari- But, of course, the next day While the tours went off visually intrusive but also be not permitted in the vicinity of ous locations with each of they were all back in action, at peacefully with all these dangerously close to the heri- heritage structures. In the ab- them being preceded by tea/ a different venue, and making rules adhered to, what tage structures in the vicinity. sence of such legislations, it is coffee and ‘light’ refresh- up for the privations they had MMM could not help think For instance, vents of the pro- all open to interpretation and, ments. Only the way some of suffered the previous day. All about was that practically the attendees swooped down this made one of the organisers every other procession, be it posed station near the Law Col- going by past experience, it is lege will be just two metres away on the food and piled it on sidle up to the Chief and en- a funeral, wedding or politi- unlikely that the results would their plates, you could quire if the next year all light cal, breaks every one of these from the College building. Its be in favour of the heritage scarcely call it a ‘light’ re- refreshments ought to be re- rules. And so how is permis- height will also be around five structures. freshment. If there were stricted to just coffee and bis- sion granted? And if it is metres and, thus, it will mask a Bangalore, which is also a cakes, each of these freeload- cuits. The Chief replied that in granted under the same con- part of the building. Similar city that has no law for protect- ers took twenty of them and that case each man/woman ditions, how is it that the rep- concerns have been highlighted ing its heritage, has progressed if there were cups of coffee, (and here the female was dead- resentatives of the law stand with respect to the proposed a great deal on its Metro. There, they took five or, sometimes lier than the male) could take silently and watch all these station near the the heritage buildings have had six. Ditto with sandwiches, 50 biscuits or more. violations without taking any cutlets, puffs, etc. The hotel action? and Victoria Public Hall. An- to bear the brunt of the con- The Man from Madras other structure that is likely to staff was at its wit’s end at Musings is now at an age when structions and those that have several locations, for scarcely be affected is the Tamil Wesley survived are completely hidden even a glass of water is some- The Black Box did they bring in replenish- times a little difficult to digest. Church in Mannady. It is learnt behind monstrous stations and ments when it all vanished, oxwallahs of Madras was that the concerns of the sub- Watching these characters in elevated rail tracks. In many rather like the way it did in action and marvelling at their Bone of the subjects slated committee have been passed on places, sewer and stormwater the classic film Maya Bazaar. capacity to ingest like ostriches, for the Madras Week and it to the Metro Railway authori- drains have been put up very Watching them, MMM MMM feels that each of these was one of the best talks with ties who are studying ways and close to architecturally signifi- was convinced that they should be induced to donate the Chief in conversation means of overcoming the prob- cant buildings, marring their were all members of a secret his/her digestive tracts for medi- with two senior executives of lem. sect that believed in charging cal research, after they have British companies of the beauty forever. This must not past. These covenanted of- While it is good that the be allowed to happen in the ahead at food counters and eaten their last meal and called each individual’s rise in the it a day. ficers were always known as matter is being debated and dis- case of our city. boxwallahs. cussed without allowing the It is to be hoped that the cult depended on how much MAD-rush Week, MMM he or she could snatch, pile tends to feel, now seems more The title, however, piqued Metro Railway to bulldoze its Conservation Committee will the curiosity of several. The way through, what is of concern on his or her plate and how to imbibe food than knowledge. prove firm in its dealings with quickly he or she could eat Man from Madras Musings re- is that all this may end in a spirit the Metro. The Committee it. And considering that the ceived a call from a television of compromise with more give should also be pressing the Gov- same faces (or should MMM Policing Heritage Walks channel enquiring if it was than take on the part of the ernment for legislation to pro- say mouths) were repeating he Man from Madras about the television. MMM Heritage Conservation Com- tect heritage. This was, in fact, these acts, MMM’s theory of T Musings learns from an could not understand the mittee, composed as it is almost one of the mandates of the a cult or secret society could organiser of heritage walks that connection till the caller ex- entirely of Government ser- Committee that has rather con- not be too far wrong. it is now more or less manda- plained that it was after all known as the idiot box! vants or those from institutions veniently been given the go-by. Anorexics could be sent to tory to obtain police permission them for counselling. Even linked with government. This Can we hope for some positive before conducting such events. – MMM could have been avoided had action before it is too late? September 1-15, 2011 MADRAS MUSINGS 3

Sights and sound of Madras in the 1950s Missing bulwark or a young man in his late teens who came to Madras in the As the evening sun descended on the horizon scores of office Fearly fifties, the sights and sounds were frightening and embar- workers trudged along the beach road to reach home. This habit enior citizen morning walk- rassing. The closely built streets, long stretches of busy roads and helped them to save the one-way fare besides an improvement of Sers at Besant Nagar Beach the multitudes of crowds chattering in several languages were con- health in the evening breeze. On the beach, there were regular have a fund of information trast to me, haling as I did from a village in the deep south. Most listeners for the Corporation Band. Some others used to sit- waiting to be tapped. One of of the scenes in the streets and by-lanes were unusual and con- around a pole with a loud speaker broadcasting radio them, N. Chandrasekaran, Su- versations – though in Tamil – were unintelligible. It was much programmes. This encouraged one cine lyricist coin a song perintendent Engineer, Madras later that it dawned on me these were corruptions caused by the “Maayamaana kambu onnu manisan pola paaduthu” ( a magical Port Trust (Rtd.), supplied the confluence of migrants from various states into the city. pole sings like a human being). There were groups of urchins A clerical job in one of the trading establishments in a narrow gambling with cries of “Vai Raja Vai” and disappearing at the following: mere sight of a “Mama” (Police man). Sporadic rallies of mill The bulwark was built to street of George Town and living accommodation in a back-lane of were both unnerving to the novice. Dirty streets, workers or communist party workers shouting “Inqulab protect Fort St. George and pavements filled with whole families living there and desecrating Zindabad” terminated imperialism and capitalist exploitation. Black Town. The top stones the area, and sewage overflowing added to the scene of filth, mak- Another familiar character in the beach on Sundays was a used were of 2 to 3 ton weight, ing it difficult for one to reach his workplace. Buffaloes in large street artist known as tape Thangavelu. Tapping two pieces of laid over smaller rubble stones. numbers sullied the residential lanes as the owners of the animals wooden plates similar to chipla kattai, he used to sell strange po- The smaller bed stones would did not bother to clean them. Restaurants were heavily crowded tions and cures for scorpion bites, simultaneously singling politi- prevent under-scouring and at lunch time. It was a common sight as scores of hungry custom- cal songs, changing sides at every venue depending on the area’s sinking of the top stones. It ex- ers fixing lunch tokens on the tables even before the earlier political leanings. If one was in praise of Thevar tended up to Clive Battery. lunchers had finished eating and waiting till the tables were Muthuramalingam on any day, it was on Periyar the next day. The city’s sounds nay noises were also beyond one’s compre- Before the harbour was con- cleaned (half-heartedly). The hawkers of various trinkets jostled with the pedestrians in China Bazaar. The ubiquitous trams with hension. It was discomforting to hear people of all ages address- structed, cargo was handled us- their perennial clang-clanging all the way and black and yellow ing everyone else in singular. In the districts this was considered ing masula boats which went taxies speeding through the crowds presented a picture of chaos offensive. It took me a long time to understand shouts of out to the ships anchored in the and impending danger. sappadapayya, kuruvikal and mughumaavu as equivalents of sa- deep. Due to high waves, there The most intriguing sight of those days was the numerous lep- pota fruit, red oxide ball and powdered calcium used for decorat- used to be considerable loss of ers begging everywhere who threatened passers-by as if to touch ing house fronts. The product “Payoria tooth powder” made one cargo. them with their sore-ridden finger stumps. Occasionally one to wonder if it would clean the teeth or cause “Pyorrhea” a funny While dredging for Jawahar came across a sad scene of someone covered like a corpse and laid sound “ooooyi” denoted curd. Dock in the 1980s, a Dutch firm on the pavement, while several men and women wailed and de- Rahman a blind hawker of agarbathis solicitated custom with his call, “nooru bathi aaru anna” in China Bazaar, while a tooth- salvaged about a dozen copper manded money for the cremations. Someone later explained to me that it was all make-believe. Later, I found it true, for when less beggar woman played a noisy harmonium and sang raucously plates measuring 3-foot square all through the day in the Evening Bazaar bus stop. Bouts of and 1/2” thick. They bore wit- they had collected sufficient funds for meals and drinks, the scene wound up with the erstwhile corpse sprinted along with the fights and arguments brought forth nasty expletives bordering on ness to the sea being so near the others. vulgarity. The only decent words often heard were “kayalath” Fort St. George. The plates All the massive buildings along the first and second line beach (kaiyaal ahaathathu- useless) and “kasmalaam” (derived from the were handed over to the Mu- roads looked like ghosts as they were covered with thick layers of Sanskrit word “Kasmalam – filthy). These are now seldom heard seum. black soot emanating from the ships and coal wharfs. Streams of as other variants have come into use. Comedian Chandra Babu The Coromandel coast has a navy men and sailors of various nationalities could be seen wan- expertly used these words in his dialogue and “Cho” had a rich natural phenomenon called lit- dering aimlessly. They used to sell fancy goods and fragrances for repertoire for his portrayals. toral drift. This causes accretion a small profit. Emaciated rickshaw-pullers were everywhere, bar- These were the days when English was spoken and understood gaining with heavily-built northerners before accepting custom. with relative ease and all other Southern languages, particularly of moving sand on the south Telugu were predominant. The one instance coming to mind is side of any project or structure “Paathu pottu kudu sir!” was the oft-repeated refrain. But the frugal passenger would neither get down from the hackney nor that of a Police announcement outside the General Hospital ad- and erosion on the north side. vising jay walkers to keep off the road. An earnest policeman Perhaps, , due to pay a paisa more. It was common knowledge that law enforces often hauled the rickshaw-pullers in under the Immoral Traffic translated such warning into chaste Tamil. Making fun of it, a this phenomenon, consequent Act as they acted as brokers of call girls and lured the lemmings senior citizen quipped “Here is a fit candidate for a Tamil Reader to the Harbour breakwaters, is to shady lodges. in the University”. And we the listeners had a hearty laugh. projecting into the sea and The hardware merchants of Mannady who hailed mostly from causing accretion on the south Kayalpatnam spoke a peculiar lingo (not their Thirunelveli S. Krishna side. To prevent erosion on the Tamil) sounding Arabic or Swahili though they swore it was New 81/2, Fourth Main Road north, the then Madras Gov- Urdu. Gandhi Nagar, Adyar, Chennai 20 ernment maintained the shore by dumping stones (similar to Though several kinds of the sibilant (so fittingly articu- have happened with the new name Correct answer the bulwark) for a length of 1¾ snakes find mention in the Bible, lated!), it is converted into boards for Patullo’s Road and n the issue dated August miles. This was made obligatory only two have been scientifically ‘snake’ in English. These philo- Conran Smith Road. The road 16th, the correct answer under the Madras Port Trust attested so far – Cerastes logical items betray cosmic as- named for Archibald Patullo has I for question No. 20 in the Act of 1905. Hasselquistii and Vipera palas- sociation with “primordial wa- become Patullas Road, while the Ramanan’s quiz is Raja Raja tinae. Some English versions of ters” too (Amos 9:3). A syn- one named to honour Commis- T.M. Raghunathan Cholan starring Sivaji the Bible have rendered a por- onymous Hebrew word sioner Smith has become Conron A 2/2 13th Cross Street Ganesan and a host of other tion of a different text (Isaiah saaraap, meaning flame- Smith Road! The Chennai Corpo- Besant Nagar leading stars. The film was 14:29) to mean cockatrice as coloured serpent, is perhaps re- ration certainly has its a’s and o’s Chennai 600 090 produced by G. Umapathy of well as basilisk. But they remain lated to sarbha of the pan-In- messed up. M/s Anand Theatre and not Snakes & the Bible mythical, though containing dian realm. The terms paab T.T. Srinivasaraghavan Maaveeran. r.B.Vijayaraghavan’s notes some cultic significance. (Toda), paambu (Tamil) and [email protected] D(MM, August 16th) on It appears that a Meso- its variant haavu (Kannada) T.S. Sivakumar snakes make interesting read- potamian seal impression dated seem to indicate a different * * * New No 6, 3rd Street ing. It has been rightly pointed to about 2000 BCE resembles cultural genesis for the hile the new signboards Padmanaba Nagar out that no such snake, like the what William Crooke and Dravidian etyma. The same is Windicating road names is a Adyar, Chennai 600 020 cockatrice or basilisk, is known Dr.Vijayaraghavan refer to as a applicable to the archaic Tamil welcome development, I am ap- to science. The reference to a “cock-headed snake”. Marija aravu. palled at the way road names have MADRAS MUSINGS Biblical text (Isaiah 11:8) Gimbutas, an authority on the Rev. Philip K Mulley been spelt. Maloney Road is spelt prompts me to say the follow- pantheon of Old Europe, has St. John’s Church as Melloni Road (Editor’s note: It ON THE WEB ing. The mention of ‘cockatrice’ archaeologically traced the pres- Mount Road, Coonoor really is Molony’s Road), and To reach out to as many read- in the Bible is exactly 400 years ence of a snake as a goddess to The Nilgiris 643 102 Pernpet (near the YMCA) I pre- ers as possible who share our old. What was then launched as 5000 BCE. She has also postu- A’s and O’s sume is meant to be Burnpet? How keen interest in Madras that is the Authorised Version (King lated the ambivalence of this many more names does our Corpo- Chennai, and in response to James Bible, 1611) is not au- representation. This is strikingly MM’s madam/mutt ration/Municipality want to dis- requests from many well-wish- thoritative any more in English. similar to what Dr. Vijaya- M dilemma (MM, August tort? As it is, taking out so-called ers – especially from outside The Hebrew word translated as raghavan notes as “born of the 1st) seems a tough one to re- caste indicators on road names has Chennai and abroad who “cockatrice” in the text actually egg of a cock (and ... not a hen).” solve! And what do we make brought its own distortions. It is receive their postal copies very means “a creature thrusting out The common name for snake of Sevalia? Now, we’ve all distressing, to say the least, to see late – for an online edition. the tongue” and, hence, in Hebrew is naahaas (phoneti- learnt to dot our i’s and cross such ridiculous spellings of road Madras Musings is now on the “cockatrice” has been rejected cally simplified). Its link to the our t’s, but not to chop our a’s names. web at www.madras in all critical and subsequent and change our o’s! Unfortu- musings.com Indo-Aryan counterpart ‘naga’ is C.K. Jaidev THE EDITOR translations of the Bible. obvious. With the addition of nately, this is what seems to [email protected] 4 MADRAS MUSINGS September 1-15, 2011 September 1-15, 2011 MADRAS MUSINGS 5 Where stood This was the splendour ... And this is what de Havilland’s that was Chepauk Palace... it is today... twin castlets?

uring the years that the merit repetition. The kirk when DMadras Bulwark was being completed was (and is) magnifi- constructed (MM, August 1st) cent but the dome resulted in the English had begun moving poor acoustics. When ques- out of the Fort and the need tioned about this de Havilland arose for a church close to the blamed it all on the “voice of the Great Choultry Plain. Bishop reverend!” He went on to write Middleton, Bishop of India, An Account of St Andrews Church Burma and Ceylon, had thun- in 1821, which later was in- dered from Calcutta about the cluded in a more detailed paper ugliness of buildings being by him – Delineations and Descrip- erected as churches and so there tions of Public Edifices in and near was pressure to create something Madras (1826). classical. Designed by Chief En- According to the Rev A. View of the magnificent interior of St. Andrew’s Church, Madras, built by de Havilland. (Colour lithograph by gineer Col. James Caldwell and Westcott (Our Oldest Indian Mis- J.B. Maxwell after Gantz, 1825.) A garbage dump lying untended beside deteriorating walls. supervised by Major de sion, A Brief History of the This colourful character ap- castlet was subsequently demol- a central tower with three or four Havilland, St George’s Cathedral (Madras) Mission, Madras Dioc- pears to have retired to his na- ished when Addison’s got into smaller circular towers surround- was completed in 1816, the con- esan Press, 1897), de Havilland tive Guernsey in 1825. His father the retailing of cars and built ing the central tower and shar- secration being done by a much- was asked to take a look at the had died in 1821 and it was nec- their handsome showroom on ing common walls with it. By the pleased Middleton. de possibility of restoring St. essary for him to return and man- Mount Road. Today, that show- time of the British Library aqua- Chepauk Palace as seen c. 1900. (Courtesy: Vintage Vignettes.) Havilland’s reputation was Mathias’ Church in Vepery. He age the estates. Among his last room is one of the offices of tint, a compound wall had come made. No doubt, in order to be reported it to be beyond repair acts was to compile a compre- Amalgamations Limited, which up between the two castlets, close to this great project, he pur- and bids were invited for a new hensive report on what he felt acquired Addison’s in the 1940s. thereby indicating that the prop- chased land in Poodoopauk building. The quote of John Law, was wrong with the Madras Western Castlet appears to erty had been divided into two. (present day Pudupet abutting a graduate of the Male Orphan ... Is it now on its Corps of Engineers. Dated No- have survived much longer, Another garden house can be Mount Road) and built his resi- Asylum, was the lowest. Work vember 23, 1821, it also had sug- though its exact location is even seen in the distance, but without dence. This was an unusual con- began and de Havilland, greatly gestions for improving the qual- more difficult to identify. Con- knowing the coordinates from struction for it comprised what offended at losing the bid, waited ity of engineers and what en- sidering that most accounts say which the painting has been ex- was later described by Love as it was off Mount Road, it is very ecuted it is difficult to identify as last legs? two castellated circular towers, likely that Eastern Castlet was on to which building is that. And so standing on the opposite ends of Lost Landmarks of Madras Mount Road itself and Western the exact location of the two (Continued from page 1) work have come off. There are Palace, however, did get a fresh a vast garden. These became the Castlet to its rear. After they were castlets remains a mystery. unsightly grilles, ostensibly to coat of paint. But that can hardly Eastern and Western Castlets. The An occasional series by SRIRAM V. divided, it is probable, Western But if the space that answers Chepauk Palace’s long de- provide security to what is ironi- hide the obvious signs of stress. intervening garden would be put Castlet was accessed by a service to the description of where East- cline began in the 1950s when cally used as a free thoroughfare And, so, Chepauk Palace joins to good use by de Havilland Temporary storage facilities built along the palace walls till the church was completed in hancements in skill was needed lane from Mount Road. ern Castlet stood is indeed the the Government decided to connecting Wallajah and the rather long line of heritage when he was entrusted with his 1825, complete with a magnifi- for them to take up civil works. Western Castlet became West- present Addison showroom, build Ezhilagam to house many Kamaraj Roads! A family appears buildings in the city that are in next project – the building of St cent steeple. Then, in his capac- This led to fiery exchanges be- ern Castle in the 1920s. At then certain possibilities emerge. more of its departments. The to have made the rear portico its urgent need of some loving care. Andrew’s Kirk in 1816. de ity as Chief Engineer of the Presi- tween him and Col. R.B. Otto, around this time, Lady As you walk to the rear, down new edifice completely cut off home and when I walked by, an Given its importance, it will Havilland decided that the new dency, he inspected the building the then Quarter Master Gen- Willingdon (then First Lady of the lane running beside Addison, the Palace from public view, at old man among the squatters hopefully charge ahead of others structure would be circular in and declared that the steeple was eral of the Madras Army. Ulti- Madras) founded the South In- and which is rather grandiosely least from Beach Road, a view came up and demanded that the in the queue. plan and topped with a dome. a security risk, for guns could be mately, however, de Havilland’s dian Nursing Association whose referred to as TNEB Avenue, that many early writers on the building be soon demolished and But, in the absence of a Heri- In order to closely study the trained on the Fort from its pin- suggestions were acted upon. In members were trained Anglo-In- you come to a vast compound city claimed was the one which rebuilt with modern amenities! tage Act, are we likely to see any native technique of dome build- nacle! Fully aware that the kirk’s Guernsey, he built/rebuilt dian and European nurses, al- that now houses the Electricity showed the buildings at their A yard on the side is filled with action? Or, is the Government ing, he had a team build a dome steeple was just as high he de- (sources differ on this) Havilland most all of them working at the Board offices. Old-timers recall best. But a worse blow was to fol- discarded furniture, all of it waiting for the buildings to in the garden of his house, just as clared that, unlike the St. Hall in the classical style. He en- Lady Willingdon Nursing Home. an old bungalow with a low in the 1980s when the Agri- awaiting an uncertain fate. weaken? Then it will be very easy the arch had been built in Mathias steeple, the former tered public life and was elected The nursing home functioned pedimented portico supported by culture Department offices were There are also vast rubbish tips to get a certificate from one of its . Having observed them “yielded no facility for the Justice of the Royal Court. He from 1931 at Western Castle and columns standing here, which built, despite protests, on the in the courtyards. own departments to the effect closely, he gained confidence mounting of mortars and howit- died at the age of 90 in 1866. He remained there till it shifted in was demolished to make way for Wallajah Road side of the Pal- Inside, it would be no exag- that the building is “unfit for and went ahead with the con- zers.” His word was taken and clearly did not lose touch with 1951 to Pycroft’s Garden Road. the TNEB’s ghastly creations. ace. This meant that the Palace geration to state that the various habitation” and the rest of the struction of the kirk. The story the St. Mathias steeple was de- Madras for, in 1836, he warmly In the 1990s, this facility became Was this where the Lady could only be seen and accessed department files are holding on procedure will follow – another of the foundations of the kirk molished at great expense and supported Col. Arthur Cotton in a branch of the Sankara Willingdon Nursing Home was from the rear. And to add to the the roof. There are towers made of new Government-built mon- needing terracotta wells to sup- replaced with a diminutive tower his scheme for building a break- Nethralaya. The Nursing Asso- housed? If so, this garden house damage, an aerial corridor was office files and there are steel cup- strosity with more offices and port them (again a native tech- which, according to Westcott, water off Madras, the first of the ciation merged with the Lady must have been a successor to built connecting the old Palace boards which serve as walls and piles of files, built over another nique that de Havilland bor- was a lasting testimony to de many projects that ultimately Ampthill Nurses Institute Western Castlet, for its descrip- to the new building, for which a which are dragged about the old graveyard of history. rowed) is too well-known to Havilland’s spite. culminated in the Madras (founded in 1904) in 1998 and tion in no way matches what is gaping hole had to be made in flooring – leaving permanent A permanent toilet block. Harbour in the early 1900s. formed the nucleus of the shown in the British Library pic- the historic walls. But all this scratch marks. Parts of the roof A big ‘Thank You’ to 25 of you What of de Havilland’s resi- Chennai Willingdon Corporate ture. The name of the older fades into insignificance in the collapsed a few years ago owing to dence in Madras? It is very likely Foundation, focussing on public building must have been carried face of the wanton neglect of the prolonged neglect of the wooden We publish below the list of donors who have, between 16.07.11 and 15.08.11, that he sold his property before service programmes. forward and applied to the later palace, which has caused untold beams that held the roof on. The added to the support Chennai Heritage and its voice, Madras Musings, have he left in 1825, though it is un- But what happened to West- structure as well. damage to it. offices in these sections have been already received. We thank all of them for their support for the causes Chennai clear as to who purchased it from ern Castlet/Castle is a mystery. What is interesting is that this As offices proliferated inside shifted but nothing has been done Heritage espouses. – Chennai Heritage him. By 1887, when Queen Was it demolished? What is even lane still houses a couple of the Palace, toilets have been to repair the damage and these Rs.50: N.Ganesan, B.Ganesh, LR.Srinivasa Murthy Victoria’s Golden Jubilee was more intriguing is that not a heritage buildings. There is the built any-which-way-you-please. portions remain as they are, add- Rs.100: B. Bhaskar Acharya, Keshao G Hazari, TC.Krishna, V.Varadarajan, celebrated, Eastern Castlet was single photograph of either TNEB Club, which must clearly There are water tanks on the ing to the wear and tear. R.Lakshmanan, CK.Vijayraghavan, Padmini Sarathy, P.Prabhakaran Nair, Calibre home to Addison’s Press. In his castlet has survived. There is, be at least 100 years old. And roof, which seep and add to the It is quite evident that the Educational Foundation Narrative of the Celebrations of the however, an early aquatint in the adjacent to this, in a separate damage. Maintenance is shoddy Palace is crying for restoration Rs.200: S. Bulchand Sushila, Dr.Selavaraj Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria British Library that shows how compound, stands an old bunga- and if this is denied or even de- Rs. 300: R.Venkatesan and posters are pasted all along in the Presidency of Madras, the two structures looked in de low now occupied by a senior the walls of the buildings, at least layed, we may not have the Rs.400: Challa Soma Sundaram; S. Mahendran, Dr.Christopher Roy, Captain Charles Lawson (Madras, 1887) Havilland’s time. Love was army officer. But were they also buildings with us for long. A few KSV.Sharma, KS.Dhatha Threyan up to the height that human mentions that Addison’s had clearly not entirely accurate once part of de Havilland’s hands can reach. Trees are now years ago, a restoration project Rs.500: Mahalakshmi Gourishankar, Vijayalakshmi Bhaskar placed a large flag on the Eastern when he described them as two property? If only stones could growing on the walls and several was announced but it is not clear New buildings that have come up to completely shut out the Temporary van shelters and corrugated iron sun- Rs.900: K.Sangameshwar Castlet. It would appear that this circular towers. Each comprised speak. Rs.1000: K.Sangameshwar, M.Gomathi, Dr.Prithika Chary chunks of ornamental plaster- as to what became of it. The palace. Note the tangle of wires. shades for windows. Note the state of the walls. 6 MADRAS MUSINGS September 1-15, 2011

FROM THE MADRAS WEEK BLOGS

(Current Affairs questions are from the period August 1st to Walking children through 15th. Questions 11 to 20 per- tain to Chennai and .) 1. Which country’s engineers did history Pakistan allow, according to US officials, to photograph the re- e South Indians don’t know how to mains of a hi-tech helicopter used “Wblow our trumpet,” declares Kavita in the Osama bin Laden raid. Rau, adding, “We are very passive. We are 2. Name the popular star of Hindi sitting on a goldmine of heritage, yet do noth- films known for his Yahoo! Cry, ing about it.” Four other women in the room who passed away recently. (Hint: nod vehemently; they know what she is talk- His first name was once ing about and they are all doing something Shamsher.) about it – not by blowing trumpets but by 3. Which agency’s recent down- talking about Madras’s rich history to school grading of the credit rating of the students. U.S. led to panic in the global The five women – apart from Kavita, there markets? are Nandini Arun, Shama Prasanna, Lakshmi 4. Astronomers discovered Kishore and Sundari Sidhartha – are now ‘TrES-2b’ recently. What is its claim to fame? leading heritage walks in certain pockets of the city, bringing to life for children ageing PATHFINDERS (left to right) Shama Prasanna, Nandini Arun, Sundari Sidhartha, Lakshmi Kishore 5. What was the ‘single’ paying buildings that Chennaiites whiz past every and Kavita Rau with Sushi Natraj (second from right) of Chennai Heritage. (Photograph: R. tribute to India released by A.R. Ravindran.) Rahman and his group morning and evening without sparing much thought for their historical Sriram, the women say, Chennai. The walks gave us a ‘SuperHeavy’ recently? from the lighthouse to the War value. opened their eyes to their city chance to learn about our own 6. Which cyber-giant bought Memorial, Kavita, Lakshmi and They were roped in by Sushi during the dry runs. “Imagine, heritage.” Motorola’s Mobility business for a Sundari do the Park Town walk Natraj of Chennai Heritage we had been living here all our “We read a lot before we $12.5 billion recently? from St. Andrew's Kirk to Ripon who, recognising the increasing lives but didn’t even know started the walks. When Sriram 7. Which high-profile Arsenal Buildings, with a trip to My demand for heritage walks dur- about the existence of the took us on trial runs, we re- player recently moved to Ladye’s Garden thrown in. Barcelona FC? ing Madras Week celebrations, Chepauk Palace (the oldest corded everything he had to say They have been doing the walks and who hopes these women Indo-Saracenic buildings in the and kept listening to it over and 8. Name the solar-powered the whole of July and August. would soon be able to help with country) or the history of Ice over again. We also read S. NASA spacecraft launched re- “They are doing it only for cently on a five-year journey to heritage education through House,” says Shama. Sundari Muthiah's Madras Rediscov- the love of it. There is nothing Jupiter. regular walks, got Sriram V. to Sidhartha, a Sanskrit scholar ered,” says Lakshmi. Adds in it for them; even the weather 9. What was the fall-out of the tutor them on leading heritage associated with the Theosophi- Kavita, “And since the students has not been of much help,” killing of 29-year-old Mark walks and did dry runs with cal Society Library and who, be- are invariably accompanied by says Sushi, adding, “The idea is Duggan by the British police in them on the two routes they ing in her seventies, is the old- their history teachers, the to have 25-30 people like them early August? have chosen. est in the group, says, “The teachers also get a chance to and make these walks a perma- 10. Which in-the-news temple While Nandini and Shama Victoria Public Hall is another brush up their knowledge of nent feature so that both citi- recently saw a Devaprasnam, an lead the Marina walk, briefing place we were not aware of. At Chennai's heritage. Without zens and visitors get to know astrological process to ‘discern the students about the history least I was not aware of it, about Chennai.” the will of the god or a deity’? of the buildings on the stretch though I've lived all my life in (Continued on page 7) * * * 11. Which garden house in Chennai, owned by Gilbert Rick- etts, was taken over by Govern- ment in the 19th Century by set- The passionate collectors tling a Rs. 35,000 mortgage? 12. The statue of Subburathinam for more than four decades and has over 5000 books and 10,000 is on the Marina. How is he better magazines, paper clippings and advertisements. A retired labour known? law consultant, he runs a small garage (Rare Books, R.A. 13. In the context of the present Puram, 2nd Main Road) where he sells these books. What is civic administration in Chennai, remarkable is that he is able to identify each of the books just by who is J.K. Tripathy? the look of it – including its author and publisher’s name, even 14. Which road in Chennai was the date of publication. named either for the father John According to John Moses, who had a striking display of or son Henry, both Chief Secre- lamps, kerosene was first imported to Madras by Best & Com- taries of Madras? pany in 1879. It was sold in tins by the brand names Chester and Monkey. With the import of kerosene from abroad, import 15. Which eight-lettered, one- of lamps from England, Germany, Hungary, France, Japan and word description could be used the United States followed. for 43 acres in granted Moses and Winston Henry (who helps put up aquariums and on August 21, 1778 to Hall aviaries) have a passion for collecting anything old. Moses said Plummer (civil servant and his collection of old lamps, watches, pens and cycles was so large contractor)? that there was hardly enough space at his home in to 16. What was the erstwhile name keep them. “My family just manages to tolerate me,” he said. of the Sriramulu Park in Winston said just about the same thing. The passageways in Chennai? his house are lined with large containers filled with old books. 17. What first can be attributed He had brought along the 1870 edition of Francis Buchanan’s to the HQ of Grundfors in Venkatesh, one of the passionate collectors (see text). Journey from Madras through the countries of Mysore, Canara Chennai? and Malabar, published by Higginbotham and Company, Ma- 18. What does the frieze at the he Madras Heritage Lovers’ Forum put up a fascinating dras (187?). The pages were almost falling apart and the years bottom of the massive Cornwallis Texhibition at the Padma Seshadri School in KK Nagar. Most had taken its toll – but you were taken to another world just by statue in the Fort Museum of the members are past 50, with consultant architect D.H. Rao, grasping the book. depict? who organised and ‘choreographed’ the entire show, being well Another participant who merits special mention was past 70. More than anything, it was rare commitment on display, Venkatesh, an attender at the Padma Seshadri School. He has 19. Name the church in Vepery, a passion for a city and its heritage. once known as the New Mission been an avid collector of coins and has always sought an outlet The forum is made up of Rao, V. Prabhakar, Winston Henry, Church, deemed to be an ex- to exhibit them. Two years ago, he came up with a similar dis- S.A. Govindaraju, John Moses, Lazer, Roland Nelson and ample of ‘humphy-dumphy’ play (see picture). School duties have not blunted his enthusi- Hemant Chopra. Some of them were there throughout at the Gothoid architecture. asm for his hobby. His is an example many should follow. three-day event, standing for the most part in a hall without the These are the people who make Madras Week what it is. 20. In Chennai, what will you airconditioning system turned on. They toil hard all day long, expect little publicity, prefer to keep find where the Nawab’s Octagon/ Govindaraju is 80 years old, but his passion for old books and a low profile, are happy with even the smallest word of apprecia- Marine Villa stood? magazines hasn’t diminished a bit. He has been collecting them tion, and treat every person with dignity. (Answers on page 8) September 1-15, 2011 MADRAS MUSINGS 7

short films in the silent era, even before Nataraja Mudaliar. A landlord from Thanjavur, How old is Marudamuthu Moopanar, film- ed the coronation of George V in 1911 in London and screened it in Madras. When the first air- Tamil Cinema? plane landed on the Island grounds, he filmed it. From o say that Tamil cinema is founded by A. Naryanan. It was (1931) was directed by the leg- 1905, Swamikannu Vincent T75 years old is not only a here that many of the later di- endary Raja Sandow. These travelled all over India screen- gross mistake but it disowns a rectors and actors of the talkie films were reviewed in contem- ing short films in tents. He precious heritage of the indus- era had their initial training. It porary Tamil magazines. travelled up to Peshawar. Later try – the silent era. was a school for film-makers. So how old is Tamil cinema? he built a cinema house called An automobile spare parts Many films were based on 95 years old. No cinema in the R. Nataraja Mudaliar. Variety Hall in Coimbatore . He dealer, Nataraja Mudaliar, was world disowns its silent era. ship Potemkin is almost a symbol also made a few films. Though fascinated by moving pictures That is where the roots of any of Russian cinema. Our own all these films were lost, G and decided to make films him- by cinema lie. Every cinema in the Hindi cinema celebrates Dadha the details have been docu- self. He travelled to Pune, Theodore Baskaran world glorifies its silent films Saheb Phalke and his mented. sought and met Steward Smith, and counts its own history from Harishchandra (1913). The It was the pioneers of the si- a cinematographer of the Brit- Puranic stories like Macha- the silent era. Look at British rules of film grammar were lent era, like Nataraja Mudaliar, ish Government, and learnt vataram (1927). Some were cinema. Many of Charlie formed during the silent era. A. Narayanan and S. Vincent, film-making. As the primitive from the epics, like the film Chaplin’s films, including the The silent era is to cinema, who laid the foundation for camera was operated by hand Kovalan (1929). A few socials classic Gold Rush, a silent film, what childhood is to a human Tamil cinema. Hopefully, when cranking, it took only a few days also came out: the film version are part of British film heritage. being. we celebrate the centenary of of learning. Returning to Ma- of Vai. Mu. Kothainayaki Russian film-maker Eisenstein’s There were some pioneers in Tamil cinema in 2016, we will dras, he set up a studio, India Ammal’s novel Anadhai Penn unforgettable silent film Battle- Tamil Nadu who had made remember these pioneers. Film Company, in Miller’s Road, Kilpauk, and made Keechakavatham, the first Tamil film in 1916. In the Saraswati Mahal Library with PRADEEP CHAKRAVARTHY The characters spoke Tamil. However, sound system in film had not been invented yet; so what they spoke was written on cards (called ‘title cards’) that appeared on the screen between Mouthwatering 19th Century shots. If you have seen Charlie Chaplin films like Gold Rush, you will know what I am refer- Thanjavur fare ring to. The viewers, instead of hearing, read the dialogue. For the benefit of those who could f India is well known for her hospitality, Thanjavur must In a vessel, pour 10 tolas of ghee and when it is hot, add the onions not read, a man stood near the Icertainly rank as amongst the best areas in the country. An eclec- and when they are brown add the meat and cook till moisture evapo- screen and read the dialogue tic combination of Telugu, Kannada, Tamil and Marathi cuisines rates. Remove from heat and add the mint leaves finely chopped and aloud. Soon a few other studios makes Thanjavur a foodie’s paradise, albeit the really best food is the paneer finely shredded. were set up in Madras. In the served at homes and not in the ‘hotels’. Make maida dough and between two small discs of dough place next 18 years, nearly 110 Tamil The Thanjavur Saraswati Mahal has a fascinating book called some of this meat and then fry it in a vessel with 30 tolas of ghee as you th silent films were produced. The the Raghunatha-Adbuthayamu. Written in the 16 Century, it re- would make regular pooris. first talkie picture, Kalidas, was counts one day in the life of Vijayaraghava Nayaka and includes a mouthwatering array of 38 dishes that formed part of the royal VEGETARIAN DISHES released in 1931. Silent films a. Rice dishes; b. Sambar, Kolambu and sauces. Here is a sample feast. From the Maratha collections are two manuscripts and some continued to be made till 1934. recipe. In Madras, there were at recipes from them have been published in a book called Sarabendra least three studios regularly pro- Paka Shastram. Another publication of the library is the Bhojana Curd sauce that deals with food that is more medicinal in nature. ducing films. The leading com- Kuthukala 5 pounds of thick sweet curd. Grind it into a paste after frying it in The manuscripts from which the 144 recipes in the pany was General Pictures Cor- Sarabendra ghee with 1 tola each of cumin and pepper and 2 red chillies. Grind the were taken are dated 1816 and 1825. They were poration, known as GPC, Paka Shastram following: 1 tola garlic, 2½ tola ginger and 3 tola salt and dissolve them recorded from oral statements (Jabbani) of “Butler” Venkatasami into the curd. In a vessel, heat 4½ tolas of ghee and to that add ¼ tola and Narayanan. Serfoji II had three kitchens in his palace – one for of cumin seeds, 1 tola mustard seeds, ¼ tola asafoetida, a small bunch vegetarian food (Brahmani), one for non-vegetarian dishes of curry leaves. When the sound abates, add the curd and immediately Walking (Marathi), and the third for English preparations (Angrezi). Note remove it from the fire. Add coriander leaves and the other remaining that the food in the court was quite different from the Maharashtra paste. Well-cooked vegetables and vadas without holes (amavadai) can food. Tamarind, for example, was used extensively and, in fact, it is children also be added after they have been cooked/roasted in ghee. believed that sambar as we know it today was created in Tanjore through when a Maratha cook added tamarind to dhal. Several streets in ENGLISH PREPARATIONS Tanjore still bear names of ‘Mudubhogi’, or palace chefs. a. Jellies, jams; b. Meat dishes and accompaniments In addition to the kitchen was the Sherbet Khana, a depart- c. Pickles. Here is a sample recipe: history ment that specialised in liquid drinks – sorbets, milk, liquor, etc. (Continued from page 6) Quality of ingredients was also carefully supervised. Mango jelly the anecdotes we narrate, the The book has a collection of recipes in both English and Tamil 12 green raw mangoes (approx.160 tolas), remove skin, cut to pieces buildings are nothing but rel- and is divided into the following parts: and keep aside. Mix 1 tola powdered cardamom, 4 cups sugar, and 2 tolas rosewater. In a tinned vessel kept on fire, add the mangoes and ics.” NON-VEGETARIAN DISHES As of now, students from 20 tolas of water. Cook this well and strain the juice out for about 4 a. Pulavs; b. Kababs (similar to our cutlets); c. Kaliha, Kurma seven schools across the city, cups with a clean white cloth. Separately mix 160 tolas of sugar with and Sauces; d. Gola, Sunti, Dalsa, Fried varieties. Here is a sample from Classes 8 to 10, have par- 15 tolas of water into a thick syrup. Ensure the syrup is crystal clear. recipe: ticipated in their walks, which Mix mango juice into the syrup when the latter is boiling and add the commenced at 6.30 in the Mincemeat Pooris rosewater and the powdered cardamom (in a small cotton bag tied). Remove vessel from fire, remove bag of cardamoms and check for bits morning. The women, most of Ingredients: Mutton – 1 pound, garlic and coriander seeds – 1 tola and pieces in the jelly. Cool and store in glass jars. them homemakers, say their (10.5 grams) each, pepper and cloves – 1/32 of a tola each, onions – 10 Appendices have useful information on conversations about new-found passion has not in- tolas, paneer – 5 tolas, salt – 1 tola, Ginger – 3 tolas, Cinnamon – 1/16 measures used for the book in our terms, English and Tamil words for terfered with their schedules at of a tola, Cardamom – 1/3 of a tola, Ghee – 10 tolas, Mint leaves – ½ Marathi words used, and a bibliography. The author laments the dis- home. “It is life as usual. Our tola, Maida flour – 40 tolas, and Ghee – 30 tolas. appearance of the Maratha Military Hotels (in 1988, when the first families have been very support- Method: Make minced meat of 40 tolas of mutton after it is cleaned edition was published) and it will be interesting to compare their menu ive,” says Nandini. Everyone and washed. Add ½ tola salt and 10 tolas of water to cook. When the with those in the book. nods. “As long as they get water evaporates, grind the cumin, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, The Sarabendra Paka Shastram can be purchased from the Library breakfast on time,” laughs pepper very well and then add it to the meat. Lakshmi at Rs.150. 8 MADRAS MUSINGS September 1-15, 2011 Celebrating a sailing centenary Old Club House. ailing first started in , Snorth of Madras, more than 100 years ago and then came to the city. Sir Francis Spring, the first Chairman of the Madras Port Trust, founded the Madras Sailing Club in 1911. The Club was later accorded ‘Royal’ status by a war- rant from the Sovereign of the United Kingdom and its name was changed to original premises selected by Sir International Regatta 2010 held in Madras. The Royal Madras Yacht Club. Francis Springs; the area is now Evening tea and cake being served in the The Club used to be located known as the Springhaven traditional style. near the timber shed area of the Wharf. The new club house was harbour. The popular class at inaugurated on February 4, that time was the Bembridge 1987. which is a largish boat like the The first of the Inter-Club Sea Bird today. The RMYC was Regattas, which this year’s Cen- a livewire club where the bot- tenary Regatta commemorated, tom line was Fun. The photo- was held in 1924 between the graphs of the parties held at the Royal Colombo Yacht Club and RMYC in the middle part of this the RMYC in Madras. century are those of ladies and The Club was affiliated to gentlemen dressed in long the Yachting Association of In- dresses and tuxedos respec- dia after the YAI was formed in tively. The dinners were formal 1960 and has been conducting “sit down”, service was classy, national sailing events. Claudius Cup – Race to the Marina Beach in the late 1990s. The Bembridge class of boats. the waiters wore white uni- At the international level, forms, turbans, etc. and the am- Rohini and Ajay Rau, Pallavi bhoy, Sandeep Srikanth, bience “proper”. Shanbhag, Zephra Currimbhoy, Niloufer Jamal, Rohit Ashok Today, after a number of re- Vir Menon, Deep Rekhi, and Varun Prabhakar repre- locations, the RMYC has come Kuruvilla Abraham, Drona sented India between 1970 and a full circle and is back at the Narayanan, Navaz Currim- 2010 winning many prizes. During the December 2004 tsunami, the Club lost 12 boats Answers to Quiz and materials worth Rs. 25 lakh. 1. China; 2. Shammi Kapoor; 3. Standard & Poor’s; 4. It is considered Rafiq Sait, Munna Jamal, Jayraj the darkest exoplanet ever; 5. ‘Satyameva Jayathe’; 6. Google; 7. Cesc Rau and many others kept the Fabregas; 8. Juno; 9. Widespread riots across London and other places in Club afloat during those tough the UK; 10. Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram. times. The present Commodore of * * * the Club is Capt. Vivek 11. Raj Bhavan; 12. Bharathidasan; 13. He is the Commissioner of Po- Shanbhag, a keen sailor and an lice; 14. Chamier’s Road; 15. Pantheon; 16. Loane Square; 17. It is the Prize-giving head table. Airbus flight instructor in Air first commercial building in India to win a Green Gold rating; 18. Tipu members of the public inter- Sultan handing over his two young sons as collateral security; 19. St. India. ber 4, 2011 by sailing from the Matthias’ Church; 20. The University Library and the Teaching (clock The Club has planned to cel- Harbour to Elliot’s Beach in a ested in the sail to join them – tower) Block. ebrate Madras Day on Septem- procession. It has welcomed for a fee.

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PublishedPublished by S. Muthiahby S. Muthiah for ‘Chennai for Heritage’,‘Chennai No.Heritage’, 5, Bhattad 260-A, Tower, TTK 30, WestcottRoad, Chennai Road, , 600 018 andChennai printed 600 by014, T printedJ George by T atJ George Lokavani-Hallmark at Lokavani Southern Press Pvt.Printers Ltd., Pvt. 122, Ltd., Greams122, Greams Road, Road, Chennai Chennai 600 600 006. 006, Edited and edited by S.by MUTHIAH.S. Muthiah.