The two-and-a-half hour walk starting from Saidapet Court and ending at the Saidapet railway station was conducted by Karine Hrt.The French research scholar who first came to the city in 2012 warns that if nothing is preserved, there will be no more heritage in Saidapet
CHENNAI: Awet morning, a hot cuppa, some music and you are set to experience one of namma ooru’s best climates. But the history aficionados in the city had other plans and set on a heritage walk, to explore the culture and fascinating past of Saidapet. Led by French research scholar Karine Hrt, accompanied by city-based history buffs Venkatesh Ramakrishnan and Sreemathy Mohan, it was the perfect ‘history and chill’ morning for over 20 enthusiasts between the age group of 16 and 50. City Express walked along the trail to find more.
Saidapet had been the threshold of Madras, where the city met the hinterland for centuries. Before becoming a part of Madras, ‘Home Garden’ Saidapettai served as headquarters of Chengalpet district. Today century-old colleges, dhobi ghats and quaint bungalows still dot this area. “The Adyar side suburb has indeed a very rich history, which is poorly documented. The idea of this walk is to map and document these forgotten places that makes the culture of Saidapet, and also to create an awareness to preserve this heritage,” shared Karine who first came to the city in 2012 for a year as exchange scholar in Anna University.
The two-and-a-half hour walk starting from Saidapet Court and ending at the Saidapet railway station, covered the Little Mount, the Church, the famous Marmalong Bridge, the fascinating history of the Teachers Training College along with the YMCA and agricultural college, in its first part. The second part of the walk was via Anna Salai, crossing and entering west Saidapet, experiencing the flavours of the local market, walking along the old Brahmin Street and crossing the Meher Baba Ashram, which led us to the Sondareshwara and Karaneeshwarar temple before it ended near the newly painted railway station.
“Behind the image that most of people have of Saidapet — the noisy and busy Anna Salai and the slums seen from the bridge, there is a vibrant culture and fascinating past which is worth re-discovering!” explained Karine. One of the walkers said, “I have been living in Saidapet for many years and I never knew it had so much history. I am impressed and proud !”
As everyone had their own ‘favourite moments’ during the walk, the Teacher’s Training College (built in 1889) completely flattered the crowd for the historical, architectural and cultural significance it holds. The list of alumni is a star-studded one, which include S Radhakrishnan, and V S Srinivasa Sastri! But the glorious history of the institution is little documented, and the building now lies in a dilapidated state.
The Little Mount, which still houses a cave in the church and a spring with holy water on top of a mount in the heart of Chennai, is another favourite. “From having markers of the foot print of St. Thomas to the cave where he was a refugee, everything is preserved. Though there are hypothetical questions and controversies on these historical incidents, it still is a part of the city,” shared an enthusiastic 40-year-old.
Besides these places, the atmosphere of Saidapet that one can experience by walking along the streets, paying attention to the houses or entering the local market all adds to the unique audience of the area. “I think heritage is not only about the monument, but the culture and the traditions too.”
In the early 1960s, Saidapet was still a strip of green land poorly connected Madras. “In a talk about Saidapet, Professor M Nannan used to mention that whenever Saidapet’s residents were going to Mount Road or George Town, they used to speak of going to Madras. And for most needs, people had to go to Madras! Even if now the main streets and houses in Saidapet still resemble those of a traditional small town, the area has drastically changed being incorporated with the urbanising city,” elucidated Karine.
Many pieces of the heritage have already disappeared.
The building of the collectorate office for example has been pulled down and replaced by the Panagal building. On the other hand, after last year’s floods, the entire 60-year-old settlements situated on the riverbanks were destroyed, the residents being relocated along the outside peripheries to make way for urban projects, hence changing the former culture of the place. “If nothing is preserved, the heritage and the social culture, there will be no more heritage in Saidapet in the coming years,” she rues.