Recently, by chance I tripped on a cross citation that referred to Thomas Bowrey’s volume A geographical account of countries round the Bay of Bengal, 1669-1679 (edited by R.C. Temple), first published by Hakluyt Society, London, in 1905 (387 pages) now reprinted by Kraus Reprint Limited (Nendeln, Liechtenstein in 1967). Through the interlibrary loan scheme, I could secure a copy of the book from the University of Newcastle, New South Wales. Bowrey has also authored another volume entitled Maps and Journals, from which only 12 charts are available and these are stored in the manuscript department of the British Museum.

Thomas Bowrey (c. 1650-1713) is believed to have been born in a naval family and spent 19 years in service in India before leaving in 1688. He must have arrived in Fort St George in 1669, sailing in either the Loyall Merchant or the Madras Merchant.

Bowrey’s book edited by Temple comprises the author’s notes on 19 plates (line sketches) of Choramandel, Golcondah, the Coast of Gingalee (= Golcondah), Orixa, Bengala, Pattana, Janselone, Queda, and Achin, besides a bibliography and an index. Temple has transliterated the indecipherable Indian names, e.g. Goodaware (Godavari), and language usage with notes offering comfort to readers of the present.

I quote a few passages from the book which take a look at the Madras region. “The Fort (St. Geroge) and towne, which is very Considerable, is scituated very neare the Sea, indifferent well populated by the English, and wholly Governed by them, very well fortified and Surrounded with very potent and Stronge Bulwarks, Ponts, and batteries, within which many ‘Portugals’ are admitted to dwell, beinge Subject to our English Government, many of which are very Eminent Merchants and are admitted a free trade paying Custome, vizt. 4 per cent to the English in and out for theire goods; ... This Fort lyeth in lattiitude North 13d-10" and is not at any time very cold or on the contrary Very hot, haveinge the full benefit of all Sea breezes of wind, but in the following months, may and June, although there be for the most part fresh Gales, yet it is something Sulphurous, which may most of all be alledged to the wind it Selfe, more than to the heat of the Sun.” Temple explains Portugals as being either Indo-Portuguese people or Indians who embraced Roman Catholicism.

Bowrey speaks of 40,000 Indians living around Fort St George: Gentiles (Gentues, Telugu-speaking people) and Mallabars (the Tamil-speaking people), who pay customs to the Fort for what they bought and sold. He then refers to Indian worship practices. He elaborately describes the temple towers (pagodas) and co-occurring tanks. There is a line-sketch of the temple tower of Tressletore (the Thyagaraja) temple in Trivettore (Tiruvottriyur). He also talks of the reverence held by Indians towards the cow. He describes the festivity associated with pulling of a temple car (described as the chariot) with the deity Jno Gernaet (Temple interprets this as Jagganãt). Bowrey describes the munificence of a rich Telugu merchant in giving monies to the poor and also describes the ash-doused pandaram-s, referred to as Fackeers (there is a line sketch of these fackeers).

Referring to Bowrey’s mention of Armagaon, Temple cross-cites A T Pringle (1683, The Diary and Consultation Book of the Agent, Governor, and Council of Fort St George. 1st Series, 1682-1685, 4 vols, Madras, 1894). According to Pringle: “Armagaon (Ãrumukam), the site of an old English factory to the north of Madras, founded in February, 1626, and abandoned in favour of settlement at Fort St George in 1641. ... Armagaon is said to have received its name after one Ãrumukam Mudaliar, who gave the English some assistance in 1625; derivations of the kind, even when supported by family documents are, however, to be suspected and in the present case, there is no trustworthy evidence. Streynsham Master observed in his official diary that ‘the true name’ of the place was ‘Duraspatam’...”. (Is Duraspatam a corruption of Madurasapattinam?)

Bowrey also describes the funeral of a Naique (Naiker) in Mylapore when 27 women (wives and concubines) were burnt alive with his body. He also describes four plants of San Thomé: the mango tree, palmitto (a date palm), palmero (palmyrah), and arbor-triste (Nyctanthes arbor-tristis: pavizhamalli). There is a neat representation of the four plants.

In subsequent pages Bowrey talks of Pulicat and other towns, Peddapalli and Machilipatam, once associated with the early history of Madras.

Back to top

There was this buzz of excitement which prevailed throughout the evening as friends and classmates picked up where they had left off, relating anecdotes that transported them back in the time machine. A bygone era came alive at the Savera Hotel thanks to the Chief Host, A. Shyamsunder Reddy who was among the first to speak and who honoured Professor C.V. Chandrasekhar with a shawl. It was an evening of nostalgia hosted by the SSLC 1950 batch of Besant Theosophical School, Adyar, Chennai, for Professor Chandrasekhar, dancer par excellence, and a recent recipient of the Padma Bhushan award.

A photograph of the 1950 batch was shown to all amongst hoots of laughter, as most of the faces (and shapes!) were unrecognisable! A silver salver and two silver kuthuvilakku-s were presented to Prof. Chandrasekhar by 15 of his classmates and “Chandru” was garlanded with a sandalwood maalai. He in turn garlanded his wife Jaya, proclaiming her to be the woman of substance in his life and of infinite support to him throughout his career.

Prof. C.V. Chandrasekhar and Jaya at the felicitation get-together.

The evening coalesced thanks to the unstinted efforts by K.V.S. Krishna and his firm conviction that time need not dim friendship and that perseverance could forge again the links that were weakened due to mere lack of communication. After the sumptuous snacks and tea enjoyed by the 20-odd persons who attended, the evening’s function unfolded with pleasant surprises, especially for those of us who were not familiar with these friendships in school.

One of the noted speakers, G. Sundari, spoke about Chandru from the time he was trained by Periya Sarada and Sarada Hoffman and of his several achievements over 65 years. “The achievement by Prof. C.V. Chandrasekhar is unmatched and this honour has never been accorded to any other student of the school in its 75 years. Chandru was a brilliant student of Rukmini Devi and Kalakshetra. An M.Sc. in Botany he participated in all programmes in Madras earning a name for himself both in India and abroad.”

“Chandru was a good scout, and attended camps, even PT classes. He even used to run from Damodar Gardens up to the Elliot’s Beach memorial and back with the rest of the hostel students. He has even walked with the scouts from Adyar to Saidapet Railway Station to go to Vandalur or walked all the way from Damodar Gardens to the MCC grounds in Chepauk to watch a cricket match between the Australian Services and India,” recalled another speaker.

“An analysis of Chandru’s contribution to the nation and world at large reveals that during his lifetime he has trained as many as 6000 students,” added K.V.S. Krishna.

What was most touching was to see Prof. S. Srivatsan being wheeled in for the meeting. He was the last of the great teachers who moulded the batch of students who were present that evening.

It is not possible to recount the tributes paid by each classmate, but Kalaimamani Koothapiran, alias N.V. Natarajan, gave a particularly eloquent vote of thanks in his typical lyrical Tamil. Not surprising, since, as a stage actor, he has played in more than 4500 theatrical performances in the last 53 years!

Chandru’s family was present, their faces writ with quiet pride in his achievements. Jaya wiped away a tear as her husband referred to what he owed her. Daughter Manjari and family were present and it was heartwarming to hear her son sing lustily, undaunted by a bad throat.

As Chandrasekhar thanked his friends for a felicitation that made possible a most enjoyable evening filled with reminiscences of a golden era, he paid glowing tributes to his alma mater and Rukmini Devi who encouraged him in his career as musician and dancer at Kalakshetra. His tribute to her was complete when he danced at Kalakshetra on Rukmini Devi’s birthday and received a standing ovation.

It was Chandrasekhar’s father, Rao Sahib V.A.V. Iyer, a great connoisseur of music and dance, who sent him to Besant Theosophical School and Kalakshetra to complete his academic studies, and qualify as a musician and dancer. Today, he has fulfilled his father’s dream with his outstanding contribution to India’s world of music and dance.

Back to top

This was what the The Man from Madras Musings spotted the other day and rushed to the Chief to find out if that know-all could make any sense of it. And the Chief, not known for his sense of humour, said in all earnestness the Corporation must have meant ‘suvar’ (wall) and in English it should have read ‘Kapaleeswarar Temple East Tank Bund Street.’ Now, who’ll buy that?

Back to top

• A fresh PIO look at India
• The impact of movies
• Master storytelling again

India Calling: An Intimate Portrait of a Nation’s Remaking: Anand Giridharadas (Fourth Estate, Rs. 499).

This book comes from a man who (like many American born Indians), during his few visits to India while growing up in Ohio, initially saw India as a noisy, dusty and nosy nation. But Anand soon realised that there’s more than what meets the eye. He decided to explore the many layers and sub-layers that make for a complex social fabric of a nation that’s full of paradoxes.

Anand travelled to small towns and big cities, observing every minute and fascinating detail, to present a view that has a Western perspective, but maintains an Indian soul. Without looking down upon or passing judgement over the people and their way of life, Anand showcases and interprets an emerging India in the context of the old. Labourers and dabbawallahs get the same importance as the Ambanis. Working women, family values and other such issues find a place in Anand’s book. Here’s a fresh look at a nation from an outsider, who perhaps is in a better position than us to judge.

* * *

Popcorn Essayists: What movies do to writers – Edited by Jai Arjun Singh (Tranquebar Press, Rs. 395).

Funny, passionate and full of insights, these essays tell you the impact of motion pictures on the lives of a nation that is obsessed with cinema and cricket. Thirteen writers –Manjula Padmanabhan, Manil Suri, Kamila Shamsie, Jaishree Mishra, Namita Gokhale, Amitava Kumar, Madhulika Liddle, Anjum Hasan, Musharraf Ali Farooqi, Rajoshri Chakraborti, Sumana Roy, Sidin Vadukut and the editor – who do not normally write about the movies but are nevertheless passionate about them, put down their thoughts in this collection and lend a new perspective to the movie-going experience.

If Manjula tries to dissect high art and low art even as she watches Francois Truffaut’s The 400 Blows, Sumana Roy recounts her feeling about Ritwik Ghatak’s Ajantrik. Namita Gokhale recalls the Bobby experience and her meeting with Dev Anand. Rajoshri lists some of the methods adopted by films to produce “certain dream-like qualities” for her.

Gokhale’s observation, “Bollywood stars are not cardboard cut-outs, they are a chunk of collective consciousness” in a way sums up the book. As Jai Arjun says in the blurb, “... these recollections are what every movie-goer – and book-lover – should read.”

* * *

Only Time Will Tell – Jeffrey Archer (Pan Macmillan, Rs. 325).

The master storyteller is back, this time with a tale set during the World Wars. The first of the Clifton Chronicles Trilogy, Only Time... is said to be Archer’s most ambitious work to date. Set between 1920 and 1940, its protagonist is Harry Clifton.

After 21 years, Harry Clifton discovers the truth about his father. But was Arthur Clifton, a stevedore in the Bristol docks, his father at all? Or is Harry the son of a shipping magnate?

He is faced with many choices... either he goes to Oxford or joins the fight against Hitler’s Germany. Whatever his decision, he must face his past and accept his destiny.

Back to top