CHENNAI: In December 2016, when French research scholar Karine Hrt, accompanied by city-based history enthusiasts Venkatesh Ramakrishnan and Sreemathy Mohan, led a heritage walk to explore the fascinating past of Saidapet, they came across an ordinary looking slab stone, shrouded by a pale green wall. Halting all the participants at the spot of the crumbling wall, Sreemathy Mohan announced, “This is a slab that belonged to the pillars of one of the oldest bridges in the city — the Marmalong bridge.” The bridge was commissioned in 1726 by Coja Petrus Uscan, a wealthy Armenian trader and was the first ever bridge to be built across the Adyar river.
As we all collectively gasped over the information about the 292-year old relic, which is in a state of neglect, most of us moved on to look at other such intriguing structures in the vicinity. But, a group of driven history afficianadoes launched a Facebook group — ‘Retrieve the Uscan Stone’.
“Though the plaque from the pillar was in a bad condition, we were happy that at least it still existed. We have been frequently trying to create awareness about its importance and its current condition. It reached a crescendo when the plaque was seriously threatened by the metro work at Saidapet and that’s when we began fighting hard for its retrieval,” says Venkatesh Ramakrishnan.
Talking about the history of Uscan, who has been vital in the development of Madras, Venkatesh says, “He was the richest man in Madras and was highly respected and was perhaps the only non-British allowed to stay in Fort St George. When the Nawab of Arcot used to visit him in his office, he used to cover the whole of Armenian street with red silk!”
A devout believer of St Thomas, Uscan also built 160 steps leading to the St Thomas mount. “So, he removed the two impediments — the river and lack of steps, allowing more people to travel freely,” shares Venkatesh. The bridge laid the foundation to the emergence of the Mount Road, which was laid by the British in the 1800s.
“The city of Chennai developed around the Mount Road. So, Uscan played a significant role in what the city is now. It’s important to preserve a relic that is very close to the city’s heart,” asserts the novelist-cum-historian.Today, the arched bridge built by Uscan is replaced by the Maraimalai Adigal Bridge and the plaque commemorating the Armenian trader’s construction stands as a reminiscent of the city’s Armenian past.
“He willed all his property to the city and also built the St Rita’s Church inside the Santhome high school now. A small plaque in this church reads: ‘In Memory of Armenia’. This is the only church with the memory of a nation!” he declares.
Nivedita Louis, another popular city-based history enthusiast says, “We urged the CMRL officials to move the plaque to a better place. But after historian V Sriram got in touch with the officials, it was revealed that the artifact falls under the jurisdiction of the Highways department and it is up to them to take a decision. So, we are looking to approach them now.”
So far no conservation group has come forward to join hands in the campaign but, more awareness about the history of the plaque will bring about a change, says Venkatesh. “The officials can move it either to the museum or give it a safe place in the Metro station itself. It will be historically and geographically relevant and significant to place it there,” he adds.