CHENNAI: The sound of ringing bells warning careless pedestrians crossing the track; the clicks of changing gear followed by a high-pitched noise; the whirring of accelerating motors and the rhythmic chugging — travelling in the Madras tramway was something I always enjoyed as a child and remember till date. It used to be exciting, to be onboard a tram, which moved at a speed of 7 kmph, and to enjoy the picturesque views of the then snail-paced city.
Hand-pulled rickshaws, bicycles and horse-driven jhutkas used to dot the lanes of the city and I enjoyed these sight-seeing opportunities. When I was five years old, I often used to take the tramway route from Luz to Parry’s Corner. The maximum fare was just two annas. The tram used to pass through the Cooum river, which unlike today, used to be clean, scenic and functional.
People used to take a bath in the waterbody during the wee hours, the vegetable and flower vendors used to pile their produce in small boats called the parisal and sell it. Apart from that, boat tours were also available. It used to be a sight to behold. Run by the Madras Electricity System, the trams used to house wooden benches on both sides and carry over 60 passengers.
Though the trams moved at a slow pace and was almost never dangerous, many used to climb up or get down only as it moved just for the sheer thrill. Interestingly, on several occasions, during my commute, I’ve observed several lawyers boarding the tram, discussing their cases and trials for the day, chalking strategies, and getting down near the High Court with solutions! The tram journey, though long, used to be enjoyable. It was, perhaps, one of the most relaxed modes of commute for people of all ages.
In 1953, when the tram services were discontinued, it came as a huge disappointment. Though I missed the breezy rides, as I grew up, I realised how much I had fallen in love with the city I’d seen through the tram windows. Like a film montage, every scene through the window added a flavour and character to the city. The time I spent in the trams allowed me to see the city from a different perspective and that was perhaps why I went on to embrace its different facets.
Movies, music & more
It was in the late 50s and 60s, when I was a student at the Government Arts College that I began exploring the joys the city had to offer. The famed Mount Road and the celluloid screens it housed were my favourite haunts. From The New Elphinston theatre, Odeon Cinema, New Globe, Casino, Gaiety, Chitra to Wellington, every theatre has given me memories for a lifetime.
I remember watching Becket (1964) in New Elphinston along with my friend ‘Master’ Murali, who starred in Lava Kusa (1963), over a scoop of ice-cream. While single-screen theatres were a common feature in Mount Road, so were the coffee and tea shops. I regularly used to visit Eskimo’s, a former restaurant, which was located at Mount Road’s Dhun Building (diagonal to Buhari Hotel) and sip its aromatic coffee, and visit Café Irani for a cup of tea after midnight.
Visiting the British Council in the neighbourhood to fetch ice water was also a routine. Ice water in hotels otherwise used to cost us 5 naya paisa. Having spent most of my life in Mylapore, Carnatic music became ubiquitous in my life. Back in the day, frequenting Madurai Mani Iyer’s concerts were a favourite pastime. When he used to perform in the sabhas of Mylapore, I remember how the rickshaw drivers refused to take any savaris as they used to be engrossed in his performance! If music was an irreplaceable part of Madras, so was Hotel Woodlands’ masala dosai and coffee.
Several famed singers, including PB Srinivas, used to frequent the restaurant. From witnessing my first cricket test match in 1955 between New Zealand and India (during New Zealand’s tour of India) at the Corporation stadium (now Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium) to working in the Reserve Bank of India for four decades until 2003; from receiving my first paycheck of `150 to riding the yesteryear red-coloured bus every day to work at `23 paise; from sitting by the window of the trams to exploring the city over the years, I have grown and ripened along with the city, my home.
(As told to Roshne Balasubramanian)