DOWN THE MEMORY LANE

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 9^th 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.

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