Appalling, the state of the museum complex
There was a time when visiting a museum wherever you went was part of your education. Even now, in Western countries, emphasis is laid on this activity and children are taken around to be transported into another world, different from the worlds of television, computer games and audio stories. Museums should be a part of the curriculum in our schools. Universities should have a subject in Museology so that we can produce qualified and well-paid curators to man India’s numerous museums. Today, our Museums are mostly manned by people who just thrust brochures in your face and cannot help you with information.
Museums should be kept spruce, clean and dust-free. That was the state of the Madras Museum years ago. That was the case with its neighbour, the Connemara Library too.
Being a member of the Library, I went to the library some time ago to renew my subscription. The library has so many books of value, but it needs to be modernised and updated. Many of the books are in tatters and should be bound, restored and catalogued, as they are very precious.
When I wandered around the precincts during this visit, I must say I was appalled. The whole complex, the Library, the Museum, the Museum Theatre and Contemporary Art Gallery, should be renovated before it is destroyed through neglect.
Tourist guides just rattle away at breakneck speed – what is needed is good brochures, and properly catalogued artifacts.
Once, visiting the new Art Gallery, I found water dripping over a Ravi Varma painting! What a shame!
The sculpture garden used to be a delightful place to visit once upon a time. Now it is overgrown with grass and you dare not venture into it for fear of snakes.
The cannons of Tranquebar, I hope, have been restored to their pedestals.
Let us not neglect and destroy what we have in our possession. In most countries, apart from Government, philanthropists come forward to fund and preserve the past. I hope there will be some in our country who will do the same. We have centuries-old art and culture which we should be proud of. Unfortunately, we lack the zeal and the will to preserve them.
Anna Varki
1D, Rosemere Apartments
18, Harrington Road, Chennai 600 031
More on the Mills
Apropos the ‘Tale of two brothers’(MM, April 1st), I wish to add the following.
1. The New Mill in Madurai boasted of being the largest single spinning unit in the world with more than 130,000 spindles under one roof.
2. Before electrification, a flywheel of 32 feet diameter, shown in their advertisements, was the prime mover of all the rope and belt drives for the whole mill.
3. The Harveys had an eye on humane people management and instituted free medical care and créches for nursing mothers.
4. The Harveypatti housing in Madurai had a private railway line from Madurai station to provide the workers transport facility (another first). Agasthiarpatti housing colony benefited in the same fashion.
5. Local sentiments were not ignored. Workers were deputed to pull the temple car for the Meenakshi temple festival, and also to help in the Alagar festival. Management staff ran a free foodstall also.
6. Sir James Doak did not find a proper successor, and so the enterprise passed on to J. and P. Coats, and the picture changed.
T.M. Raghunathan
A 2/2,13th Cross Street
Besant Nagar
Chennai 600 090
The long route
This is in reference to ‘fish carts’ in first para of Short ‘N’ Snappy (MM, April 1st).
This is another variation of Hamilton Bridge to Ambattan Vaaravathi and routed to Barber's Bridge!
The vehicle was termed Mini body vandi, that is a vehicle with a small body. That stretched to Meen body vandi (Meen being fish in Tamil)! And, so, back in translation to fish cart!
N. Dharmeshwaran
Plot 456 II Link Road
Sadashiva Nagar, Madipakkam
Chennai 600 091
City of psychos
I read with great interest the article ‘Laughing at Chennai’ (MM, January 15th). What a dig it has taken at various idio- syncrasies practised by Chennaiites! I feel, as an alternative, the article could have been titled “The City of Psychos”. But then it will take a pretty long time before the people of this conservative city shed their inhibitions! By the by, I have never seen people clutching to their mobiles almost the whole day and talking for hours, in any other city.
S. Raghavan
Ranga Flats
33, Gangai Amman Koil Street
Valasarawakkam
Chennai 600 087
Pulicat clarification
In her article Once bustling Pulicat now dozes (MM, February 16th) Nidhi Adlakha mentions that in the historical inscription in the Tiruppalaivanam Chola Temple, Pulicat is referred to as Payyar Kottam, Puliyur Kottam and Pular Kottam. It should be Paiyur Kottam since this region around an Tiruppalaivanam is known as Paiyur Kottam. A large community of people who live here and also manage the Tiruppalaivanam (Sri Paaleeswarar) temple as hereditary trustees are known as the Paiyur Kotta Vellala.
Puliur Kottam refers to Pulur in Kodambakkam of Madras. This Puluir Kottam extends from Kodambakkam in the west to Mylapore and Tiruvanmiyur in the east. Even today, in the invitation and programme of the Mylapore’s Sri Kapaleeswarar temple’s annual festival (celebrated in the month of March-April) it is mentioned as Mylapore under Puliur Kottam, a practice centuries-old.
The other Kottam in Madras is the Ezhumur Kottam which the British called Egmore. It extends to the west upto Purasawalkam, Perambur and Vannarapettai (Washermanpet) in the north.
K.S. Hemanth Kumar
171, Luz Church Road
Mylapore, Chennai 600 004
Please contact us
Mr. K. Raman, author of the article on Harvey Mills; Would you please
contact The Editor at No. 5, Bhattad Tower, 30, Westcott Road, Royapettah,
Chennai 600 014?
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