TK Singaram – The Man Who Knew Madras and its Men/Women

On Saturday, my good friend TK Singaram died. He was 87. Though a good 42 years separated the two of us, we became friends mainly because of our common interest – people who once walked this city of ours. Singaram came from an illustrious family about which further details are given at the end of this page.

I had always known of him as a pillar of the Madras Gymkhana Club and the Race Club. He, along with his gracious wife Vimala, was a fixture at the bridge table at the Gymkhana. We became friends following a heritage walk I did for the club, taking its members around George Town. Singaram did not come for that but was present at the slide presentation on Town that followed and supplemented my speech with several anecdotes.

He was a walking encyclopaedia on the Justice Party of which his grandfather and father were prominent members. You just had to name a personality and he would place them at once. A twinkle would sometimes come into his eye and then you knew that a ribald story on the person was going to follow. But he was never irreverent. He knew practically every house that stood in Egmore, Puraswalkam, Poonamallee High Road and Kilpauk. He was of great help to me when I wrote 50 Historic Residences of Chennai and also Four Score & More.

Singaram became increasingly frail in the last one year. His daughter and I were keen that he should be interviewed for the wednesday column on Madras memories of The Hindu. But somehow that did not work out. It is a pity and we are all the losers for it.

Somehow, you never think that men like S Rajam and Singaram would one day have to go. Yesterday, I went and bid farewell to him. Even in death, he was dressed the way he liked it – a suit. Farewell sweet friend and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.

Singaram lived in Ajmer, a stately house on Poonamallee High Road. This is the family history-

The South Indian Export Company (SIEC), founded by DeClermont and Donner, was one of the old trading houses of Madras. Located at a vital intersection of George Town, it was in its time an exporting agent to several companies of repute, such as Titagurh Paper Mills, Indian Iron and Steel Company, and Tide Water Oil. Its main business was in hides and skins and, during World War II, it was appointed the sole inspecting agency for these items by the Government.

Dewan Bhadur V. Shanmuga Mudaliar (1874-1953) was the dubash of the Company. This position involved being a representative for the Company and the dubash or agent was entitled to a share of the earnings. Ajmer was built in 1931 for Shanmuga Mudaliar’s daughter. Her husband, Rao Bahadur Kachapikesa Mudaliar, succeeded his father-in-law to the position of dubash at SIEC. Shanmuga Mudaliar was also on the Board of the Imperial Bank of India, which later became the State Bank of India. His son-in-law was also co-opted to the Board and remained a Director till the Bank was nationalised. He then became a director of the Indian Bank and remained on its Board till the Bank was nationalised in 1969.

A large and stately house, Ajmer probably acquired its North Indian name from Shanmuga Mudaliar having to interact with several Muslim families dealing in hides and skins. The curved sunshades and the projecting balconies are interesting features of the house. Today, Kachapikesa Mudaliar’s son, T.K. Singaram, and his family live in the house.

The above note is taken from my book – Historic residences of Chennai, published by Kalamkriya in 2008. The Hindu’s obituary is at this link.

Some chest thumping

http://chennaichimes.com/chimes/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=289:a-journey-into-the-past&catid=38:chimer-of-the-month&Itemid=55

Street names to stay!

In these days when heritage loses on most fronts, every little bit counts. This morning’s Hindu had this to say

CHENNAI: The plan of the Chennai Corporation to rename 50 roads, which are now named after foreigners, has been put on hold. The civic body had planned to rename the roads after Tamil scholars and other significant contributors to the language.

Speaking at an all-party meeting here on Thursday, Mayor M. Subramanian said that a large number of associations, pressure groups and political parties have suggested over 500 names for the roads and there was lack of consensus. “Many historians and experts felt that many of the roads have been named after foreigners who had contributed to our culture, society and development of Chennai. So the plan has been put on hold.”

Some of the important roads identified for renaming, included Haddows Road, Taylors Road, Ormes Road, Greams Road, Harrington Road, Sterling Road, Mcnichols Road, Balfour Road, Landons Road, Halls Road, Blackers Road, Montieth Road, Pantheon Road and Eldams Road.

Meandering down May Day Park

Now that this verdant precinct is being handed over “temporarily” to Metrorail, heaven knows when it will come to its original shape. It is a shame as so much of money was spent as recently as in 2006 to restore it. A few photographs of this historic park (1st celebration of May Day, the founding of the Dravida Kazhagam etc took place here) are given below. EVR will always be associated with this park as will Lord Napier, after whom it was originally named. He it was who said that India should not be the preserve of Manchester and called for setting up of Indian industries.

My friend Rajaram can write volumes on Boddam and why he got a statue!

This Asoka Pillar was unveiled by SS Rajendran when he was an MLA in the presence of Mayor Moses, PK Ramdass and AA Kabalamoorthy. This was in 1966. Politics made strange bedfellows!

I am sure that after x years (which I hope is less than 55 for I hope it happens before my vedic lifespan of a 100) the park will be returned to the Government and made into a park again. Then we will have one more plaque!

What this is I dont know. I think it is a symbolic warning to the public not to commit any ‘solid’ nuisance. As you can see this has a close resemblance to that. As for liquid nuisance, plenty of our citizenry was committing that all around the compound. I think we need a fountain here.

Mentioned by Minister!

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/article1109308.ece

High Court Campus in urgent need of restoration

The judgements of the High Court of Madras have gone a long way in helping the heritage movement in the city. Landmark judgements have been received in several cases such as those filed against the demolition of the DGP Building, Gokhale Hall and Bharat Insurance Building and the outdoor hoardings issue. And yet it would appear that all is not in order when it comes to the historic building in which the High Court itself is located. And it is architecturally and otherwise one of the most significant structures of the city.

Following reports that the High Court building was not convenient for the physically challenged, the Public Works Department initiated the construction of a ramp for which they demolished a part of the stone balustrade lining the corridor of the main building. The ramp itself was welcomed but several advocates and others who are familiar with the campus have expressed the opinion that this could have been done in a fashion that was more sensitive to the architecture of the place. The continuous pressure for space and the demand for various amenities have ensured that the High Court campus has been subject to several ad-hoc constructions and modifications. A few years ago, it was decided that the Court Halls would be air-conditioned and to provide for this, walls were drilled and massive ducts were installed, all of them presenting a very unappealing appearance.
Inside the building, toilets have been constructed at various places and recently, the PWD had drilled a hole on a massive pillar supporting the main structure in order to position a PVC pipe that was to act as a drain. This was objected to by those who are part of the heritage committee that looks into the welfare of the building and it was hurriedly sealed.

The heritage and environment committee of the Madras High Court was set up in 2007 by the then Chief Justice, AP Shah. Comprising judges, lawyers and INTACH members, it was to plan a phased restoration of the campus, on the lines of what was done at Senate House. This was to be completed by 2012, when the High Court of Madras will celebrate 150 years of its charter and the 120th year of the edifice in which it is housed. And after that, restoration was to be taken up at all courts in the state. It is not clear as to whether this committee has kept up its initial enthusiasm and as to whether any restoration work is in progress. As in many other cases in our country, this idea too appears to have become a victim of the pressure of day-to-day activities.

It is to be hoped that the High Court will live up to its plans and with at least a year and a half to go for the sesquicentennial, it will be good if the restoration work is begun right away after consulting experts.

It is but appropriate at this juncture to quote from what Lord Wenlock said when on 12th
July 1892 he declared the present High Court buildings open. The Governor declared that Madras “has reason to be proud of the habitation in which the administration of justice will be carried out. For beauty of design and for perfection of execution there is nothing or very little to be desired”. It is up to the present occupants to ensure that this remains true for all times to come.

Kaanum Pongal heritage spots

Today everyone goes to the beach on Kaanum Pongal day. But in the past, the must see places were three -

Setta Kalej (the museum)
Uyir Kalej (the zoo)
Bommai Kalej (the College of Arts and Crafts)

It helped that all three were in the Egmore-Poonamallee High Road circuit.

Short and Snappy dated 1st Jan 2011

Walkouts and Interruptions

Aha! Those of you who are bright-eyed after ringing in the New Year may be pardoned for imagining that such a caption indicates some parliamentary proceeding. But that is where you are wrong. The Man from Madras Musings is still hung-over, though not from New Years but because of the Music Season. And inspired by what he has seen, he would like to submit an analysis of audience walking in and out of concerts, most often when the performance is in progress.

Firstly, MMM would like to assure you, not everyone walks out during a performance. And some do so rather reluctantly, no doubt due to compulsions beyond their control. A third variety is a compulsive walker out and will no doubt be one day consumed by bears, just like the children of Elisha in the good book. MMM will have you know that they met their fate for making fun of Elisha’s baldness and given what is left on MMM’s head, Elisha has his sympathy. But then, MMM digresses.

Among those who walk out, there are varieties. The ones that are embarrassed , display this emotion in amply evident ways. They stoop low and try to run across to the exit, rather like the ball-boys in a tennis tournament. The only difference being that Carnatic music audiences, unlike ball-boys are rarely in the first flush of youth or in the best of physical health. The average age is 70+ and that brings its own travails. So it is often a wonder to MMM that such people, after scurrying across in a fashion that would have made Quasimodo jealous, suddenly straighten up at the entrance. What if a vertebra or two were to give way during the journey?

Another archetype decides to be defiant. This variety makes it a point to stare at the artiste as it marches out. Now all this is fine as long you walk towards the artiste. But at some time, a turning has to be made to one of the exits that are to the right or left. At this point, the body physically makes a turn, but the head continues making eye-contact with the artiste, fixing him or her in a basilisk like stare. Too often, the artiste and the accompanists get caught up in this staring game and follow the walker-out with their eyes till the doorway. Embarrassing for one and all. And there is the added danger of the neck getting locked in position resulting in the need for special collars and the like.

A third kind is musically minded and despite getting caught up in the music, has to leave. But the body is completely absorbed in the rhythm of the song and so they walk in time to the music. A typical example for the basic eight-beat cycle would have them going march-march-march-spring-shuffle-spring-shuffle. That is all very well till the artiste embarks on something with half or three quarter beats and other mathematics thrown in. It confuses the walker-out who while all the time making towards the doorway on the right, finds himself ending up somewhere near the left.

Getting up from the seats is an art by itself. There are makeshift Sabhas with chairs standing in for seats and these are tied together from end to end so as to prevent any breaking out of alignment. This works fine till a large patron (in terms of physical size) decides to get up. The person, who was no doubt initially wedged in by means of a shoe-horn, now needs to heave himself up. The seat also rises and tied as it is to the others, the chairs on either side also lift up to varying degrees. Those immediately on either side of the person who rises experience what can be termed a minor earthquake and this, subject to dampening effects, transmits itself down the line. After this, the patron begins his journey outwards and this involves treading of toes and also leaning forward on to the persons in the row in front and breathing down their necks.

It was during a music season not so long past that MMM personally witnessed the handbag of a lady walking out getting entangled in the coiffeur of the woman in front. Both were not willing to let go and it finally required a third and enterprising patron to fish out a small pair of scissors from her bag and render the two asunder.

Losing his Onions

That is an expression for someone who is slowly turning mad but the Man from Madras Musings is using it in a different context. Like many others who have a nest-egg stashed away somewhere for a rainy-day, MMM too has his onion patch. When MMM planted it little did he realise that it would one day be the equivalent of an oil-well. But then, having watered it, tended to it, cooed at it and watched over its well-being, MMM is happy to report that his efforts are bearing fruit. But now with the price of the humble onion reaching stratospheric levels, MMM lives in constant dread of two things. The first is that someone may try to steal him of his rightful onions. This is easily resolved by appointing round-the-clock Z category security. But MMM’s second fear is the insurmountable one. What if the Government decides to nationalise all onion patches, even if they are in a flower-pot on a 20 sq ft verandah? MMM is firmly of the view that it may be worth his while to seek legal counsel and fight his case if necessary till the highest arbiters of the land. After all, an onion in hand is worth more than all that.

Wayside shrines

The Man from Madras Musings has been reading with considerable amusement news coverage on the Government’s crackdown on wayside shrines. It makes him wonder as to why the lawmakers chose to ignore these homes for the Gods when they were in the process of building up. And what is more, MMM would like to point out that shrines are still coming up in many areas. The first and foremost reason for these is a rather peculiar Chennai belief that any intersection of three roads has to have a shrine for the elephant-headed God in its midst. This usually begins with a small alcove in a compound wall with an idol placed inside it. Matters jog along pretty fine till some devotee announces that he/she was successful in an examination thanks to that particular icon. The faithful then decide that such a powerful deity ought not to remain in an alcove and decide on building a temple at the same traffic intersection. The authorities turn a blind eye for who would be willing to antagonise a deity who controls examination results. The temple gets bigger, adds subsidiary shrines and on certain festive days demands the cordoning off the road to facilitate worship. Traffic is diverted and still the authorities turn a blind eye. MMM also notices that it is at this stage that politicians often of atheistic thought, donate grille gates and tube-lights and have their names emblazoned on them. The authorities still do not bother. By now loudspeakers blare prayers at all odd hours and everyone, including the noise-pollution control authorities keep silent, on the pretext that no complaint has been received from anyone. And then one day, the shrine, by now expanding in all directions like an octopus, becomes a hurdle in the way of a greater god – the traffic. Orders for demolition are issued, the matter is contested in courts and after a good many years, demolition begins. It strikes MMM that the matter could be handled a lot better if the construction of a wayside shrine is prevented in the first place.

A Farewell to Coffee

I have been advised to go easy on coffee. A couple of weeks ago, my good friend Sanjay Subrahmanyan extracted a promise from me that I would give it up completely. And so, since then, I have had to make do with a very inferior drink called tea. I knew that such things as tea did exist but it is only now I am forced to take cognisance of it. What a come down in life. My nadir was reached when I had tea in Saravana Bhavan, than which nothing worse can be imagined. And this when all around me worshippers of coffee were going about their sacred rituals. I always thought that coffee is like violin play. When made(played) badly, it is the worst. That was until I came to tea. Maybe a day will come when I will be a whiz on tea, being able to differentiate between oolong and korakunda, though given my anglophile nature I suppose I will eventually settle down to Earl Grey (like all tea it is like dishwater but at least it has an aristocratic name). But I have bid the world of robusta and pea-berry a farewell forever. However, I can still salivate over old coffee ads like this one. I cannot however, see Sarada in the role of the woman in the pic!

Short and Snappy dated 16th December 2010

Technology in the music season

By that title, the Man from Madras Musings is not referring to the ubiquitous cell-phone and the nuisance caused by it during performances. Suffice it to say that the cell-phone is like pollution. It exists and is all-pervasive and is tolerated. MMM, in this space will focus on other kinds, most of them being nuisances of the second grade, not in the range of the cell-phone which like Abou Ben Adam leads the rest.

When does MMM realise that the season is just round the corner? Not when the Chief looks quizzically and asks if someone can do a “piece on this music business” but when his inbox is flooded with mails from several musicians listing out their season schedules. The language varies from the grammatically wrong to the outright flowery. The latter in particular gives MMM the impression that the musician will not sing unless MMM graces the occasion. It reminds MMM of the theme of several songs which speak of the lovelorn maiden, but MMM, what with his good lady keeping a watchful eye, would rather not attend. Let the singer pine is his policy.

When emails do not deliver, short messages sent over cell-phones are the next route. Only, these messages are not short by any standards. A sample goes like this and remember that the average musician has three long words in his name– XYZ Sabha presents 2day 16th Dec @ ABC Hall. Alpha Beta Gamma vocal, Theta Omega Kappa violin, Epsilon Lambda Ro Mridangam. Your presence will make us happy and honoured. Thanks a lot.

There is the other variety that decides to inform you of every single award it gets. A standard format, once again on SMS is like this – I feel humbly honoured to get, by the grace of God and guru, to get the title of Music Treasure House, conferred on me by the Ga-ga Sabha. I take this opportunity to thank you for your support and encouragement without which this would not have been possible. Seeking your blessings and good wishes for my continued endeavour in this chosen path.

Reading such messages, MMM has come to the conclusion that either our musicians are really tech savvy with well-trained thumbs or they have techno-phile disciples who type these messages out. But MMM has only his own eyes to strain and read these despatches. MMM is not yet on social-networking media such as Facebook and Twitter and wonders what these artistes are up to on those platforms.

On Plug-Ins

More on technology. The Man from Madras Musings has learnt another term which is au-courant. Plug-in is apparently a piece of programming but our Chennai-ites have decided that it is something that can be adapted to daily life. Everyone and their uncle has got plugs in their ears and go about the city, listening to music. The gadget that supplies music is not visible and the plugs give you the impression that these are people who have decided to cut out ambient noise by using these plugs. Which is a good thing if you consider our levels of noise pollution. And by that latter term MMM does not mean the concerts during the music season. But it is really scary when those behind the wheel also choose to plug themselves in and thereby shut out surrounding noise which includes vehicles swerving close-by, buses hooting their way through traffic and two-wheelers trying to gain road-space. MMM recently felt that he had seen it all when he noticed that auto-rickshaw drivers have also decided to plug themselves out.

The other plug-in is this recent obsession with peppermints and throat lozenges. This was a practice that was and is quite prevalent abroad, especially at hotel lobbies and conferences. And now it has come into our city as well. Every hotel has them and MMM notices that our locals have decided to plug their mouths with them. And unlike their Western counterparts, they do not restrict themselves to one or two. They generally scoop out all the lozenges that are placed in the bowls and keeping popping them into their mouths. And in case the supply runs out, then everyone is into chewing gums. MMM is not a pessimist, but he is quite confident that we are soon going to spawn a generation that has its teeth eternally clenched (thanks to the gum) and when it chooses to unclench them, flood the ambient air with menthol (thanks to the lozenges). MMM wonders as to whatever happened to the Indian mouth-fresheners? Gone the way of all matters heritage?

MMM was recently at a technical seminar where both the above varieties of plug-ins were in evidence. Speaker after speaker went about his/her business, regardless of the fact that most members of the audience had their ears and mouths plugged in. And then MMM noticed that most of the attendees had their computers open in front of them. A casual glance showed some sending out personal emails, others monitoring their investments online and yet others were making travel bookings. Another group was browsing the news or reading the latest gossip. So their brains and eyes were plugged in as well. Those that were not using the laptops were doing pretty much the same on the cell-phones. Now where did it leave the content of the seminar? The person who proposed the vote of thanks was probably being ironic when he thanked everyone for their undivided attention.

Flyovers and rain-water harvesting

The rains came, battered the city and left. As always, we were unprepared for it. The bad drainage, the pot-holed roads and the rising road levels ensured that we were flooded everywhere. The Man from Madras Musings is not certain if all this rain water was harvested. But he would like to suggest to those who are in charge of collecting water that the flyovers would be a perfect source of this precious liquid. Firstly, the natural gradient of the flyover ensures that water flows down and collects in huge pools at the bottom. These, when vehicles pass through them at high speeds (and most drivers think the flyover is a racing track), splash liberally onto the neighbouring service lanes. These lanes are lands that everyone including God forgot and so forms natural reservoirs. The water here can be removed only by pumping out and where is this water sent? Back to the base of the flyover from where they once again splash on to the service land until sunlight ensures evaporation.

Tailpiece

It was with some sorrow that the Man from Madras Musings read an article in a leading daily that the Music Season began 84 years ago in retaliation against Christmas and New Year celebrations. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The Music Season in its early years witnessed the participation of all communities including the British. That it has become restricted to a certain section of society today is owing to the way our city developed. MMM would like to end this issue on the plea that the Season ought to remain open to all. And as it is also Season when it is time to rejoice, MMM would like to quote Tiny Tim from A Christmas Carol and sign off with a “God bless us, everyone”. Have a happy 2011.