CHENNAI: There’s no mistaking the aroma of roasted spices, flavourful rice and succulent meat wafting from the myriad briyani shops; and the warm fragrance of melted- butter doused on top of Sathyam Cinemas’ popcorn is certainly hard to miss. The roads, bearing the names of civil servants of the British Raj and the court of Nawabs, are never without its chock-a-block traffic.
Not to forget, there’s the old, powder blue-white clock tower in the middle of a busy junction, reminiscent of the city’s history with timekeepers of yore. Beyond its unassuming façade of being a business district, Royapettah has, for centuries, been a name synonymous with royalty, eclectic architecture and a confluence of cultures. However, today, despite these rich features embedded in the city’s fabric, for most residents of the locality, it remains merely a place offering modern entertainment and recreation in different forms.
“The area is said to have had a long association with the Nayaks of Vijayanagara and is believed to have derived its name from the Rayas (rulers) of the empire. The neighbourhood is like a multilayered cake. Take a bite into it and you can understand its beautiful complexities. From Colonial influences, garden houses that belonged to the close-knit Anglo-Indian community who stayed here, houses with influences from the Nawab of Arcot’s time, churches to Agraharam-style houses, the area is rich and diverse in history,” tells architect and heritage activist Ashmitha Athreya of Madras Inherited.
In its ongoing work to rediscover the alleys of the area, present the settlement history in an edible yet riveting manner, the heritage preservation collective conducted a walk in the area, offering knowledge of lesser-known residences that have shaped its urban history and architecture. From Gandhi Peak, The Summer House to Gowri Bagh, we list a few living heritage structures and their architectural influences that maketh ‘Raya Petta’.
Thanigai Vilas
An edifice built in the Art Deco style of architecture, parallels to several of the elements dotting the structure on Westcott Road can be drawn to the Royapettah Clock Tower. With a minimalistic approach, perforated jalis (latticed screen) and sunburst motifs (made popular during the time of King Louis the 14th of France), the corner property is a shining example of the myriad architectural influences that have made their way into local building styles, over centuries.
Gowri Bagh
Along the route on Perumal Mudali Street, a small gate leading to a covered parking area, wooden window frames from age-old timbers and stained glass windows lead us to Gowri Bagh — a perfect example of how influences of multiple conquests in the area have led to it being represented in architecture and building construction, tells Ashmitha. Heavily inspired by the neoclassical style of architecture, it is symmetrical and is often called the ‘twin house’.
“The house has, over the years, seen multiple layers of decay. There are white patches that could potentially be salt efflorescence, black mould and the primary enemy of heritage buildings – vegetative growth in cracks. If a proper method is not used to remove this growth, then, there are greater chances of the building facing further damage and the cracks widening. While newer additions like rolling shutters (perhaps for a vehicle garage) have been made to the structure, the older elements, including the timber shutters, arches, pediments and corbels, have remained intact.
“This structure is a perfect example of a confluence of influences – both style and materials from places far and wide. However, with a pathetic state of funding for heritage buildings, where there are no separate funds for heritage homeowners or assurance from government that it will support them, it is not easy to take care of it. It burns a hole in the pockets of the owner and then ultimately, they decide to demolish and build a flat for better revenue. It is a sad compromise one has to make,” she says.
The Summer House
The Summer House, a palatial structure, at the junction of the Thalaiyari Street and Bharathi Salai, is a perfect example of Art Deco architecture, a style which can be traced back to France. With an emphasis on the verticality of the building, raised windows, a curvilinear focus, corner staircase with ample headroom and decorative patterns at the crest, the building is truly one of a kind. Another distinguishing feature of the building is its circular columns. This, the architect tells, could be a result of the introduction of circular cement pipes in the late 1940s.
Arumiga Vilas
A few minutes from Orchid Homes is Arumiga Vilas, another house dating back to the 1930s, with a rather spacious veranda than the one we observed earlier. “What is exciting about understanding these buildings is learning how elements are borrowed from multiple styles. For example, here, each sunshade is different while the windows in the centre don’t even have one! There is also a different approach to the crest of the building. The columns here belong to the classical style of architecture and the order known as the Ionic Order (of Greek Architecture). There is fluting on the columns and it involutes at the top. It is mindboggling to think how a house in an area in Madras has an element borrowed from Greece and how it has been adapted to the needs here,” she enthuses.
Orchid Homes
Nestled among newer constructions, the Orchid Homes on Perumal Mudali Street is a humble building dating back to the 1920s-30s. A testament to the city’s rich vernacular approach to construction, the structure was built keeping in mind its extreme climatic conditions. A fascinating aspect of the house is a long, single piece of timber, now etched with the name ‘Orchid Homes’. “It’s fascinating that the entire piece has stood the test of time for almost a century. When we speak about conservation and strength of heritage materials, we notice how brick, timber and lime mortar become stronger while concrete has only a life of 30 years,” she notes.
Chandra Nilayam
At Chandra Nilayam, we are made cognisant of yet another style of architecture – the Indo- Deco. As the name suggests, the construction is a mix of Art Deco with incorporations of Indian styles. “The kind of clues we can pick from the art deco style is emphasis on verticality. The pilaster, a projection from the base, for instance, rises to the height of the building,” explains Ashmitha. To give the construction a coat of Indian sensibilities, a crest in the entrance of the house, carrying the image of Gajalakshmi, the goddess of wealth has been installed.
“Indo Art Deco style is important and of prominence not only because of its distinctive style but because of its roots in nationalism and the freedom movement. Indians wanted to take back what was theirs. In a city that was dotted with foreign styles of architecture, there was need to add vernacular styles. This, in many ways, made a statement that the locals could come up with designs that were rooted,” she shares.
Gandhi Peak
The next time you drive along or walk up Bharathi Salai’s (Pycroft’s Road) section of road famous for its street-side mattress stores, keep an eye out for this building steeped in history, especially in that of the country’s nationalist movement. With lattices, stained glass windows, stone columns and a bust of Mahatma Gandhi at its crown, the three-storey house, which was constructed in 1930 by SP Aiyaswamy, a district board engineer, has housed Subash Chandra Bose twice, in 1939 and 1941. “Even during a time when the INC was boycotting Bose, Aiyaswamy went ahead and housed him. The room where Bose stayed is kept locked and it is believed that an autographed photo of the freedom fighter is kept safe in the room,” details Ashmitha. Notably, Aiyaswamy was also the architect of several landmark buildings including Curzon and Co. The house, intricately decorated with a traditional Madras terrace roof, is yet another fading landmark that needs to be celebrated.