CHENNAI : In the winding Iyya Mudali Street, CK Kumar deftly stitches the seams of an umbrella base, upturned on a stool, in his shop Shree Sai Ram Illam. As old Tamil classics croon in the background, fabric, and wood shavings gather at Kumar’s feet. A closer peek reveals a long bamboo handle, multi-coloured tassels, and golden designs of bulls and lingams — classic markers of the temple umbrellas from Chintadripet’s artisans.
This umbrella will be transported to a Shiva temple soon, says the artisan. These umbrellas, depending on the size and detail, take anywhere between three days to three months to complete. “I have already been featured on TV twice,” he tells a crowd of photographers and heritage enthusiasts, as they embark on a walk organised by Madras Photo Bloggers (MPB), Chennai-based Nam Veedu, Nam Oor, Nam Kadhai, and the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation.
Weaving histories
Generations of traditional temple umbrella craftspersons like Kumar grew up in Chintadripet, located on the southern banks of the then-unwavering stream of the Cooum River. “Chinna Thari Pettai was a place where weavers, painters, and only certain temple priests and attendees would reside. Weavers were a majority and that’s how the name came as a small weavers’ village. During the 1700s, this place began developing,” explains Pravarthika S from Nam Veedu, Nam Oor, Nam Kadhai. She adds that water was a major reason for the settlement, and the streets of Chinna Thari Pettai had been designed without any caste or religious demarcations.
For two hours, the group of 40 people covers the tightly packed streets of Chintadripet — once a bustling commercial area with handlooms, and canvases. Plants sprouting from old exposed bricks, zipping bikers, and residents peeping from their balconies — there are several lasting frames to capture. Srivatsan Sankaran, the founder of MPB, reminds photographers to be respectful while capturing subjects on the streets. Tips and tricks of photography, grasping the know-how of DSLRs, and ideal camera angles punctuate the conversation through the bylanes.
A sign language interpreter, Jairus, is roped into the initiative, making the photo walk inclusive for people with disabilities. “Accessibility is a fundamental right so people from the deaf community can take part in learning about the heritage sites. We need more inclusive heritage photo walks which encourage people with disabilities to be part of it,” explains Srivatsan.
Heritage galore
Our journey into the streets of Chintradipet begins at May Day Park, which still holds traces of the whispers from the past. “Earlier, this was called Napier Bridge Park. Being a commercialised place with narrow roads and members from the working community, over 14 acres were transformed into a green lung for them. In the 1990s, it was renamed May Day Park and this was probably a vibrant place where they met,” explains Pravarthika.
Just outside the park, the mural of the Chintadripet Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) Station, too, has a picturesque scene of people, a train, and a sun setting in the background. A two-minute walk on Arunachallam Street would lead the crowd to a host of heritage buildings, starting with the red-bricked Chintadripet police station, a guardian of a community. Constructed in 1902, Commissioner Oswald Routh Jones laid the foundation stone of the building.
In a row, the road holds glimpses into the past — the white gleaming Gothic-style CSI Zion Church with stained glass windows, and Sathianadhan Memorial Hall constructed in 1895 with Mangalore tiles and Gothic columns.
A brief stop is made at the 96-year-old Goschen Library, which is lined with steel shelves of mostly Tamil books. A raintree overlooks the compound, and images of Mahatma Gandhi, Thiruvalluvar, and Dr BR Ambedkar greet readers inside the library while Thirukurals are painted on the wall. “It was initially a community hall named PT Vijayaraghavalu Chetty Hall.
The then Governor George Goschen wanted to build a knowledge-building area with newspapers and magazines. He had named it after his wife, Lady Goschen,” explains Pravarthika. Years later, under the ambit of the District Branch Library, the building is in dire need of renovation and a portion of the registration fee from the walk has been donated for this purpose.
On Iyya Mudali Street, a historic building that continues to draw customers is the decades-old wholesale fish market. Shuttered during the evenings and a few hours away from the midnight bustle, the usual suspects — cats, and canines of Chintadripet — snooze nearby. As the evening sunlight filters in, the group encounters small artisan shops and the deities of Arulmigu Subramanya Swami Temple.
The Nam Veedu, Nam Oor, Nam Kadhai member flags a 150-year-old house — reminiscent of Karaikudi houses — with thinnais, courtyards, verandas, and the traditional odd-numbered steps. The house has doors with intricate work, a red oxide floor, a veranda, windows attached to houses, and thalaivasal, she says.
Behind Park Town Station and the Central Station, the group ends the heritage walk at Law’s Bridge, a bridge solely dedicated to ferry umbrellas to different temples across the city. The Cooum River is a panoramic scene with the pinkening sky and the cityscape, a comfort for anyone crossing this path, divided across decades.