KOCHI: Thalassery, or Tellicherry as it was known earlier, is often referred to as the town of cricket, cakes and circus.
Long before Calcutta learnt about cricket in 1860, Arthur Wellesley, who later became the 1st Duke of Wellington, played the sport with his colleagues at the Thalassery Municipal Cricket Ground in the early 1800s. This apart, Thalassery is also considered to be the birthplace of Indian circus. Mambally Bakery, the first bakery in Kerala, was also founded in this Malabar town.
However, the sad fact is that all the three Cs — cricket, cake and circus — are in a state of decline. While circuses are almost extinct in the country, hardly any notable cricket players from Thalassery have come up in recent times. As for the once-famous Mambally Bakery, it is now confined to just a small corner.
But there is hope. A move is now underway to project Thalassery in a new light, focusing more on its rich but perhaps not well-publicised heritage. 'Unveiling Thalassery -- a dialogue on its past present and future', an event organised by Brennen Alumni Global, a collective of former students of Government Brennen College, saw experts floating various ideas to promote 'Brand Thalassery' in the global arena.
"Thalassery is more than just the three Cs. The Tellicherry district court is 220 years old. The first land registration happened in Thalassery when the East India Company bought 500 acres from farmers back in 1865 for cinnamon plantation," said Thalassery native Musthafa Zafeer OV of international law firm Musthafa & Almana, and the brain behind the initiative.
The Brennen Alumni Global or BAG has been in the forefront in financially assisting and supporting Brennen College at various times in the past, and the current plan is to take the initiative forward to promote their hometown. "It was English philanthropist Edward Brennen who floated the 'Tellicherry Poor Fund' with Rs 1.5 lakh he got by pledging his entire life’s earnings back in the 1860s. Edward Breenen wanted a free English school for boys to be set up in the town, irrespective of caste, creed or colour, with the money," said Musthafa.
So, in 1861, after the Englishman's death, the Brennen School was established, which was later upgraded to a higher college in 1892, and it was the first higher education college between Calicut and Mangalore. After the state of Kerala was formed, it was converted to Government Brennen College, and it was relocated to Dharmadam in 1955.
"If an expat, who came here and settled here could give his entire life's savings to establish the institution in the town he loved, we thought it's the responsibility of we the alumni who are settled in Dubai, the UK and the US to come forward and help our alma mater and our home town," he explains.
Speaking at the 'Unveiling Thalassery' event, Advocate Sajid Koroth, secretary of BAG, informed that the alumni global aims to go beyond their contributions to Brennen College and extend their support to the overall development and progress of Thalassery as a whole. The meeting saw the formation of the Tellicherry Think Tank or T3 (pronounced T cube).
Former Ambassador Venu Rajamony, speaking at the function, suggested starting an exclusive website for Thalassery as an initial step. "Globalizing Thalassery's unique heritage would ensure its recognition as a must-visit destination among travellers worldwide," said Rajamony.
He proposed strategic approaches to promote Thalassery's historical legacy, leveraging both traditional and digital platforms.
"Organizing heritage walks, showcasing historical artifacts, and constructing interactive exhibits to engage visitors and provide them with an immersive experience would boost Thalassery's reach among international travellers,” said Rajamony. He also suggested the creation of engaging online content, such as virtual tours and interactive historical events, to captivate prospective tourists and spark their interest in exploring Thalassery's rich heritage.
Navas Meeran, industrialist and chairman of Group Meeran, suggested a slew of measures to bring global attention to 'Brand Thalassery'.
"Globally, Thalassery pepper is a well-known brand, but the geographical identification or GI tag is under the name 'Malabar Pepper'. If we could charge 1% from those selling 'Thalassery Pepper' for the non-profit alumni group, we will be able to collect some funds for the town's promotion," he said.
"Similarly, we could also get IP registration for Thalassery cakes," Meeran added.
He also proposed a centre for excellence in circus from Thalassery.
"Since many well-known expatriates are based out of the Gulf, they could rope in the best architects from that part of the world to prepare a coastal town plan for Thalassery. They should then get it approved by the municipality. The idea is to develop the coastal side of Thalassery," Meeran said, pointing out that right now the kitchen and toilets of houses are facing the sea. This should change under the new plan.
"The beach side should become more beautiful with walkways etc," he said.
Local MLA and speaker A Shamseer, whose message was read out at the event, shared the future development programmes that are being planned for implementation in Thalassery. Shamseer signalled a strong commitment to Thalassery's development and the collective effort to provide a better quality of life for its residents.
Thalassery, a trade hub where the Dutch, British, Portuguese, Chinese, Arab and Jewish traders had considerable influence in the spice market, has many historical firsts. The attempts through a private-public partnership to project this Malabar town in a new light, is gaining momentum, and BAG reckons it's just a first step and there are many miles to go before the purpose is achieved.