CHENNAI: The history of Mylapore predates the history of Madras. As Ashmitha Athreya, Head of Operations at Madras Inherited put it, “The earliest known reference to Mylapore can be found in the writings of Ptolemy in the second century CE, where he remarks how the area had trade links with the Roman Empire of the time.” This ancient port town was thus a magnet for merchants from all over, and over a two-hour heritage walk through Kutchery Road, the Madras Inherited team relived the rich history the street was once witness to.
Dabba Chetty Store was opened in 1885 as your everyday grocery by Krishnaswami Chetty and transitioned into selling herbal medicines in the 1890s. Initially, selling raw materials for Ayurvedic recipes, the pressures of an increasingly fast-paced life meant their local clients no longer had the luxury of preparing the medicines themselves. So, the store began selling lehyams or readymade mixes to a time-pressed clientele. And famous among them was their Deepavali lehyam. The products were stored in tin boxes that engulfed the small space it occupied, earning it the prefix ‘Dabba’. At 137 years old, It continues to be in business and is run by Krishnaswami’s great-grandson. The numerous signboards placed at various angles, ensured the store’s visibility from every corner of the street.
Spices that floored the Raj
A few yards down the road, where now stands a government housing quarter, was the spot where P Vencatachellum, a migrant to the city, opened PV Condiments in the 1860s. Madras Curry Powder, the company’s flagship product, became a rage among Englishmen who wanted to take a piece of India at least the ones that wouldn’t find a place in the British Museum to their homeland. Each successive generation of the Vencatachellum family kept adding to the company’s portfolio starting with jams and jellies, chutneys and pickles and going to produce tin boxes and ice factories.
At their zenith, PV Condiments’ products were in demand even at Buckingham Palace and found markets in Australia, New Zealand, the USA and Switzerland. By the 1970s, other local establishments began to eat into their market. Worse, patent issues arose from the name Madras Curry Powder. “The company has since rebranded itself as Vencat Spices and though they don’t sell in India, the condiments are still a draw in the UK,” added Ashmitha.
A few doors away stands another Raj-era establishment that continues to be in business. The Shorthand School, started by Shrikant Iyer in 1933, is in its 90th year, and has weathered the onslaught of the computer and Internet era to train students in this specialised skill. Attention was drawn to the Indigo-coloured enamel boards, which are now facing extinction. “With digital flex boards dominating the signage market, this is a craft that’s struggling to stay afloat, and its last remaining practitioners are dwindling,” said Priyani Pranab, research assistant at MI.
Secrets in sewage dumps
One building in the walk that was of some architectural significance was the Venkataramana Ayurvedic Dispensary. Started by Krishnaswami Iyer, a prominent lawyer in the area in 1905, the dispensary catered to the needs of those who couldn’t afford quality medical services. Here the team elaborated on the architectural style, the symmetric facade and the arches, the use of wooden rafters, Mangalore tiles and Madras terrace roof, all of which combined to regulate indoor temperature and made the structure climate-responsive.
The walk then proceeded towards Buckingham canal, which might seem an odd name for what was ostensibly a sewage and plastic dump, until the MI team shed light on its history as a major trade route. Beside this canal V Baashyam Iyengar established the Mylapore Market, where farmers could transport their goods by boat. It was a phenomenal success until the 1960s, after a cessation on transporting goods by boat — the canal eventually fell into disuse and became a gutter.
Concluding the walk was a visit to the South Indian National Association, which housed the Ranade Library on the ground floor and the Srinivasa Sastri Hall on the first floor. While the latter was a later addition, the building is somehow reflective of the Art Deco movement that was sweeping the world during the early-to-mid twentieth century, and the influence of the style can still be seen on the signage and commemorative plaque. Standing out in sharp contrast was the signboard that read ‘South Indian National Association’, a digital flex board and a recent addition, to which no aesthetic criteria could be reliably applied.