Childhood memories of streets and neighbourhoods often linger in our minds, becoming timeless touchstones that help us measure the transformations life brings.
Our home and its neighborhood
We used to
live next to the main street (called Main Road) at the heart of the city--not
precisely on the side of the road, but a little away. Our home, Villa Shankaramurty lay nestled
behind an old office building, down a broad unpaved pathway.
The house was spacious,
surrounded by a large compound with a square garden in front. Next door, the
Joshua family shared a common wall with us. It’s remarkable how two families
from different communities co-existed in complete harmony, a reflection of the
inclusivity of our neighbourhood.
Opposite the Joshuas' home
stood the landlady’s double-storied residence, partially obscured by a charming
garden adorned with creepers. Despite being in the city’s bustling core, our
enclosure offered a village-like serenity. Only near the main gate, where
processions and protests unfolded, did we sense the city’s pulse.
Moments of historyPolitical
parties used to take out protest marches along the main road; religious and
cultural organizations had their own processions. At the beat of a drum, we
children ran to the road side and climbed on to the compound wall, to get a
glimpse of those events.
I vividly recall moments
of history: Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, waving to crowds
from an open vehicle; the fervour of Kerala’s Liberation Struggle; Indira
Gandhi’s triumphant procession after the dismissal of Kerala’s first communist
government; and President Rajendra Prasad unveiling the bust of Swadeshabhimani
Ramakrishna Pillai(1878–1916), a revered journalist and reformer, in the
compound next door.(Ramakrishna Pillai was arrested and exiled from
Travancore in 1910 for his criticism of the Diwan (Prime Minister) of
Travancore).
Across the road stood the
iconic IndianCoffee House, a favourite haunt of students from the nearby
University College. There were 400 of them across India. Today, most Indian Coffee
Houses have disappeared, leaving behind just memories of their cozy charm.
The Main Road
The Main Road, renamed
Mahatma Gandhi Road, stretches six kilometers from East Fort to the city's
northern edge. East Fort, bustling with traffic and crowds today, was once a
place of quiet observation for us, waiting for buses amidst its organized
chaos.
At the heart of East Fort
lies the Sri Padmanabha Swamy Temple, with its grand gopuram and serene
deity, Lord Vishnu, reposing peacefully on a serpent (Adi Shesha). Although
legends say that the temple is 5000 years old, it was, perhaps, constructed in
the 9th century. The city gets its name Tiruvananthapuram
(the Holi city of Anantha or Lord Vishnu) from the name of the deity.
The temple, a blend of
Kerala and Dravidian architecture, once formed the nucleus of city life. Temple
festivals, music programs, and melas drew the community together. We used to
visit the temple and attend the music festival during Navratri,along
with our mother. Though its spiritual aura remains intact, the temple no longer anchors
daily life, as it once did.
Next to the fort stands Chalai
Bazaar, the city’s main trading hub, and nearby lies Putharikandom
Maidan, a site of political gatherings. I still remember the thrill of
witnessing the first flickering images on a small television during an
exhibition here.
Key Landmarks Along the Road
Moving along, the road
passes iconic landmarks like PazhavangadiGanapathy Temple, where
devotees break coconuts as offerings.Heaps of broken coconuts can be found
in the temple premises.
The Pulimoodu
junction is a major commercial area, with many shops and establishments and is home to the
pioneering Government Ayurveda College, established in 1889. Ayurveda, in my
childhood, was a way of life in Kerala. Most of the ordinary ailments used to
be treated using Ayurveda remedies.Today it standshighly commercialized.
At Statue Junction
stands the statue of T. Madhava Rao, the visionary Diwan of Travancore (1828- 1891), who ushered in sweeping administrative
reforms. He became Diwan at the age of 30 and was knighted by the British
government. He was, however, criticized for handling the movement for covering
the upper part of the body (women belonging to the lower caste groups were not
allowed to cover the upper part of the body at that time).The statue
was installed in 1894.
Adjacent to the statue lies
the Secretariat, with its Roman-Dutch architecture and meticulously
trimmed Ficus topiaries. It was built 150 years ago during the reign of
Chithira Tirunal Maharaja.
The Satyagraha Gate
nearby remains a hub for protests, echoing the city’s enduring spirit of
activism.
Our father used to take us
children for a short walk in the evenings which invariably ended near the
Secretariat. We used to watch through
the rails, the Ficus plants carefully designed and shaped as birds and animals.
A little away from the
secretariat is the Spencer junction where one can find the Jacobite
Church which used to be frequented by the Joshua family. We, sometimes used
to accompany their children to the church to enjoy its quiet and serene
ambience.
Standing near the
junction, the red-and-white University College, over 150 years old,
evokes fond memories. Its hundred- year- old mango tree once bore witness to
generations of students, including poets like O.N.V. Kurup and Sugatha Kumari,
whose works still resonate with environmental and social justice themes.
Adjacent to the College
was Krisna Café from where my father’s assistant used to bring us fresh
hot buns. Sadly, it is no longer there.
Further ahead, the VJT
Hall(VictoriaJubilee Townhall --renamed Mahatma Ayyankali Hall), built
during Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee in 1896 was a vibrant cultural venue. I
recall attending plays and Kathakali performances with my father and listening
to Jayaprakash Narayan’s stirring call for total revolution.
At the point of the VJT
hall the road bifurcates and the two arms reunite at Palayam junction.
Theroad turning leftleads
to the Senate House of the Kerala University which was a comparatively
new construction at that time.The Senate Hall is very spacious. Music concerts,
youth festivals, public lectures were regularly organized.I remember attending
a lecture by the well-known scientist Linus Pauling on protein structure,listening
to the widow of Salvador Allende, former President of Argentina who was
assassinated and the visit by Khan Abdul Gafar Khan popularly called Frontier
Gandhi. His tall and serene figure attracted huge crowds. Popular singer KJ
Yesudas used to regularly have Gana melas there.
The University Library is
located near-by. I used to spend hours in that library.
In the road behind the VJT
Hall , on the opposite side, is the Palayam
(Cantonment)market established in 1857 by the MaharajaSri Uthradom Thirunal, for providing supplies to the army..It was called Connemara
Market when I was young, named after Sir Robert
Bourke (1st Baron Connemara)the ex- British Governor of Madras
Presidency who had inaugurated the main gateway of the market in 1888. Standing on the Main Road
one cannot see the full extent of the market. You get everything from fresh fruits
and vegetables to fish and meat here.Palayam was our favourite market.
The Palayam Junction and Beyond
Palayam Junction, a
melting pot of cultures, hosts the Martyrs’ Column and Chandrasekharan Nair
Stadium. Memorable events, like the wonderful dance-drama performance by the
famous Trivandrum Sisters-Lalitha, Padmini and Ragini,enthralling music
byrenowned singer Mohammed Rafi andspeech by late Dr S. Radhakrishnan, the then
Vice-President of India, a great scholar remain etched in my memory. Today the
stadium has been modified into a cricket ground.
Nearby, the Palayam
Ganapathy Temple, Juma Masjid, and St. Joseph’s Church stand side by side, a
testament to Kerala’s centuries-old communal harmony.
Moving forward we reach
the final section of the Main Road. A little away on the left-hand side is the
classical-style Kerala Legislative Assembly building which was
constructed, after I permanently left the town. The iconic Mascot Hotel
is located near-by.This heritage hotel was originally built to house the
officers of the Royal British Army during the World War I. In the past, we hosted
some family functions here.
The final segment of the
road boasts of several heritage buildings likethePublic Library(Kerala State
Central Library) established in 1829 during the reign of King Swathi Thirunal of Travancore, the College ofFine Arts (established
in 1881)and the LMS Church(Mateer Memorial Church) dedicated in 1906 and
one of the oldest churches in South India. The quaint beauty of the church is
still etched in my memory.This part of the city, frozen in time, still echoes
the grace of my childhood,as I find very little has changed from my younger
days.
A Reflection on Change
Walking along the Main
Road, one feels that history is embedded in every step. Perhaps, the street was
in existence from the time the kingdom of Travancore was founded by Marthanda
Varma, the ruler of the Kingdom from 1729 to 1758.
This street has witnessed
the reign of maharajas and maharanis, transition to democracy, social reform
movements, the freedom struggle, peasant uprisings and modern transformations.
It has hosted great personalities like Mahatma Gandhi and Narayana Guru and
echoed the verses of poets like Kumaran Asan.
The serene by-lanes of my
youth have turned into congested parking lots. Iconic landmarks have been over-shadowed
by modernity. My childhood home has made way for commercial properties.Yet,
change is inevitable.
I realize that it is not
the place that has changed so much, but the people themselves.More profoundly,
the ideals of "simple living and high thinking" have been replaced by
the pursuit of quick wealth and instant gratification. Names like Madhava Rao
and Swadeshabhimani Ramakrishna Pillai have faded from public memory,
along with the values they embodied.
I
accept the inevitability of change. But when I long for the charm of
yesteryears, I do not have any desire to walk along the crowded M.G. Road; I
prefer to walk down the memory lane, where the past lives on, vivid and
unchanging.
----------------------