Nageswara Rao Park is a landmark in Luz, Mylapore. A sylvan enclosure with broad walks, bowers and flowerbeds, it is a sight for sore eyes. In the mornings and in the evenings it is full of the fitness conscious jogging, walking and exercising. During weekends, budding Carnatic musicians perform concerts here in the mornings and many flock to listen. In the whispering hour of twilight, many couples can be seen cosily ensconced in the bowers and an eight-o-clock bell is religiously rung to warn them all to get up leave as it is closing time!
The Park was once a lake called Aratha Kuttai. The area surrounding this owes much of its development to two friends, both of whom came to Madras in the late 19th century to seek a livelihood. Both qualified in law and both made it big. And when one died suddenly, it was only a question of time before the other followed suit. They were V Krishnaswami Iyer (1862-1911) and PR Sundara Iyer (1863-1913).
They built palatial houses on both sides of Luz Church Road. Krishnaswami Iyer’s was called Ashrama and does not exist any longer. Krishnaswami Avenue came up on its grounds. But Sundara Iyer’s Sri Bagh still survives, a vast bungalow, now a mere empty shell. After Sundara Iyer’s death, his sons sold the house to ‘Desoddharaka’ Kasinathuni Nageswara Rao Pantulu, freedom fighter, writer and creator of the Amrutanjan balm which is popular even today. He was also the first to start a Telugu newspaper, the Andhra Patrika which is still being published. Nageswara Rao built the Amrutanjan offices on the Sri Bagh grounds. In his time the house was a venue for nationalist meetings and it was here that the famous Sri Bagh Agreement was signed which eventually saw the formation of a separate Andhra state.
Next to Sri Bagh came up two major Mylapore landmarks – One is the Ranade Hall, named after Mahadev Govinda Ranade (1842-1901), Judge and reformer. The foundation stone for this building, which was part of the South Indian National Association founded by Krishnaswami Iyer and Sundara Iyer, was laid by Gopalakrishna Gokhale, the social reformer and freedom fighter in 1905. It boasts of a library of antiquarian books which few use. But its reading room is still patronised by many. On the first floor, many years later, came up Srinivasa Sastry Hall, named after the Rt. Hon. VS Srinivasa Sastry. This has been a popular venue for Carnatic music performances since long. Next to Ranade Hall is the Mylapore Club, founded in 1904 as the Proprietors Club by V Krishnaswami Iyer. Today, after a century it is still going strong.
This part of Mylapore still retains an extended tree cover with many old buildings and is a charming place to walk by.
(On a very personal note and this will not appear in the Times of India- this was a park I loved and still love. I have spent many happy hours here as a kid. It has a sad association for me also. When I was five, one evening I insisted that someone take me there. My grandfather, who really doted on me was not too well and yet he took me over. But within a few minutes of being there he said we should return. We did, only to have him collapse as soon as we reached home. He was bed-ridden for two years after that and passed away on May 24th 1973. )
Very informative, Thanks a lot!
Sriram, your piece takes me this beautiful area where i was there for a year….Evenings as you mention is worth going to the park..
Thanks for that piece of info., I live in Santhome area..and was looking for an evening chillout nearby… This one i came to know of and ended here.. Hats off..
Sriram,
i live in justice sundaram road a stones throwaway from nageswara park. iuse to go for morning walk in the park which is really enchanting. In your article you have forgotten about the grand old bungalow of Buchi babu family in luz church road. the park was constructed in the year 1949 as per the stone tablet on the main entrance pillar
One of the most precious articles that I should have understood as a child hood. Great work
Dear Mr Sriram,
Could you please throw some light on the old houses on Luz Church Road? I have seen one particular house which belongs to Justice C Vaidyalingam…Would love to know more.
http://www.hindu.com/mp/2008/07/14/stories/2008071451260800.htm
Hi Sriram — As a resident of T.Nagar with at least 2 serviceable parks nearby, there is no reason for me to go to Mylapore just to walk around in a sylvan setting. Yet there is something special about Nageswara Rao park, which makes me do just that. The many interesting Sunday morning events they have in that space are a bonus!
For the longest time I thought the Nageswara Rao in question was the Telugu movie star :-), not the founder of Amrutanjan. And here is something amusing you must’ve seen in the papers , but I will recount it anyway. It might just make you chuckle, again.
In 2006, when Viswanathan “Vishy” Anand met legendary chess player Bobby Fischer in Reykjavík, Iceland, the reclusive champion asked our homegrown chess champion if he happened to be carrying bottles of Amrutanjan. The troubled genius used to stock up on the fluorescent lemon-colored pain balm from Indian grocery stores in the U.S., but they were harder to find in Iceland, his new home. Vishy recalled this in an interview when Fischer died a two years after the meeting.
Why did Nageswara Rao initially hand out free samples of the balm at concerts in Bombay — was it because the connoisseurs of classical music are usually older people, prone to bodily aches and pains? In case, Rao-garu must be happy that so many young people now perform at the park, which now has his name. Things seem to have come around in a full circle.
Now if only the “Silken Father’s” eatery across the street served quality fare, the park will draw some more visitors. People will go for a “brisk walk” just to enjoy a good breakfast after. But considering that the park does get crowded, perhaps it is just as well that the eatery’s offerings are sub-par…
Also thanks for sharing the story about your granddad’s last outing…