Dhanvantri Villa
22/15, Rajarathinam Street, Kilpauk
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The twins AR and AL Mudaliar were a force to contend with in the first half of the 20th Century. While Ramaswami (1887-1976) qualified as a lawyer and later assumed a prominent role in Indian public life, becoming a member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council, Dewan of Mysore, India’s Representative to the UN and founder-Chairman of ICICI, Lakshmanaswami (1887-1974) qualified in gynaecology and obstetrics. He became the first Indian Principal of the Madras Medical College and later became the Vice-Chancellor of the Madras University, a post he held for an unparalleled 27 years. He served as Chairman of UNESCO and WHO. The twins were knighted, became Vice-Chancellors (Sir Ramaswami headed Kerala University), were members of the Madras Legislative Council, active in Justice Party affairs, and were fine writers and orators. If Sir Lakshmanaswami held a doctorate by qualification, Sir Ramaswami was conferred one by the Madras University when his twin was the Vice-Chancellor. In his speech, Sir Lakshmanaswami remarked that he knew the recipient from birth!
Sir Lakshmananaswami Mudaliar built Dhanvantri Villa in 1932 as his residence. But his brother’s frequent travels out of Madras meant that his family also had to be taken care of and it was felt that Dhanvantri Villa was not large enough, such being the ideas of space in those days. The families therefore moved into Kensington, a much larger home on Poonamallee High Road. Today, Kensington is occupied by Sir Ramaswami’s descendants and Dhanvantri Villa by Sir Lakshmanawami’s family.
(Courtesy: Kalamkriya.)
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