CHENNAI : Amir Mahal, the ancestral residence of the Prince of Arcot was witness to an unusual event on Sunday. This sprawling, 14-acre property in Royapettah saw Nawab Mohammed Abdul Ali, the Prince of Arcot, playing host to an audience of around 100 delegates led by Roger Cook, Minister of Western Australia, who shared the stage with counterparts from the Tamil Nadu Government. It was an evening of cultural exchange between Tamil, Nawabi and Australian sensibilities, as they discussed ideas that would mutually benefit each other.
Trip through history
In a hall lit by chandeliers and flanked by looming oil portraits of his predecessors, Nawabzada Mohammed Asif Ali, Dewan to the Prince, took centre stage and introduced the audience — comprising several dignitaries from Western Australia as well as the Middle East, East Asia and Africa — to the special guests of the evening. He began with a brief history session on how the House of Arcot came to be during Aurangzeb’s reign, how it became an independent state in 1765, and how in 1855, when Ghulam Mohammed Ghouse Khan, then Nawab, died without an heir, the British enacted the Doctrine of Lapse and took over their territory and their former residence, the 121-acre Chepauk palace. “They later left us this palace (Amir Mahal) and this kurta,” he remarked mirthfully, pointing to his costume.
A man of high spirits, the Dewan, who is also a professor of History, regaled the audience with interesting anecdotes. The Australian delegates were delighted to hear of the residence having hosted legendary fast bowler Glenn McGrath. “We also hosted a game between the Australian Navy and Indian Navy. I made sure it was a draw,” he remarked, again evoking amusement.
T Mano Thangaraj, Tamil Nadu IT Minister, was the next to take the stage. Thanking the Prince for making possible such a confluence, the Minister went on to detail his government’s plans towards reducing the state’s carbon emissions.
“I come from Kanyakumari, the country’s southernmost tip where three seas — the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal — meet, and our state government has embarked on a project to demarcate this area as a green district. Harnessing renewable energy. converting to electric vehicles etc. are some of the ways in which we have planned this,” Thangaraj said. The Minister also drew attention to other focus areas of his government such as affordable housing, sustainable livelihoods and restoration of water bodies.
The third speaker was the Prince himself. The octogenarian required a hand to help him onto his feet, which he attributed to back pain. “I’m not very old, you see,” he remarked, before going on to commend the present state government’s performance, the many schemes and programmes introduced under Chief Minister M K Stalin. He concluded his speech by wryly expressing hope that he would be invited on an official visit to Australia.
Rousing reception
The mic was now passed on to the evening’s chief guest, Roger Cook, who admitted to being “overwhelmed by the reception we’ve received here in Chennai. It’s hard not to be overwhelmed by the sheer experience of being in a building that breathes such history.”He commended the state government’s moves toward green energy coupled with social justice initiatives.After the guests were felicitated with a shawl and bouquet, the evening proceeded into the dinner, a feast of delectable Nawabi cuisine.A live musical concert by Kiran and Sharly on the cello and keyboard added more flavour to the occasion, and the icing on the cake was the Dewan’s rendition of the famous song Kadhal Rojave on an upright piano.