Egmore or Ezhumbur is a locality I associate with my dermatologist Dr Renita Rajan’s practice, Render Skin and Hair. Since the clinic is opposite the Government Museum in Egmore, many of the clinic’s treatment rooms overlook the Government Museum complex. On each visit I made to the clinic, I would wonder about the distinctive red buildings in the complex opposite but didn’t manage to visit them until I went on a guided walk with Madras Inherited to the Contemporary Art Gallery. (The Government Museum complex also houses the National Art Gallery, Contemporary Art Gallery, and the Connemara Public Library.)
I was also aware of Pantheon Road in Egmore, often colloquially referred to as ‘cotton street’, for its reputation of being a cotton-lovers paradise, especially during Chennai’s summers.
On a recent two-day trip to Bengaluru, I managed to visit the Science Gallery, the Museum of Art and Photography (MAP), and Champaca Bookstore, an independent bookstore. Later, I met a friend based in Bengaluru. She spoke fondly of her brief visits to Chennai while I waxed poetic about how wonderful I found Bengaluru to be despite my short stay. We realized that we both tended to explore more of the cities we visited on vacation than our own cities. I made a decision that day to be a tourist in my own city, Chennai.
Madras Inherited, an organization known for its work in preserving the heritage of the city conducts heritage walks across the city. I joined them for a heritage walk along Pantheon Road, as part of my efforts to learn more about Chennai.
While the history lessons I attended in school focused on the British Empire, it was hard to feel engaged because of the seemingly endless amounts of information we were supposed to remember and reproduce in assessments. Imagine having to learn about multiple wars, governors, presidencies, and historical figures, all in the same breath! Understandably, I remember very little of what I learned in school about the country’s history.
The guided walk along Pantheon Road was an eye-opening experience for me because of how interesting it was. I finally understood why some people spend their entire lives engaged in learning about the histories of people and places.
Ashmitha, the guide for the heritage walk, described how the East India Company acquired a large parcel of land, including modern-day Egmore, and the way their tussles over the land with the Mughal representatives played out. Armed with a map of Egmore from 1733, we set out to explore Egmore starting at the famed Co-optex building.
To be fair, the starting point – the Co-optex (Handloom Weavers' Co-operative Society) – itself warrants mentioning given that it is apparently one of the most successful government cooperatives and was set up in 1935. The guide ran us through the rise and subsequent fall the Co-optex experienced and how it underwent a turnaround in 2014, following the appointment of a new managing director – TN Venkatesh – who worked meticulously to increase the relevance and appeal of Co-optex’s products. The history of the Co-optex warrants an entire essay in itself.
From delving into the possible rationale behind the naming of the road as ‘Pantheon Road’, to examining the history of the Government Museum and women’s hospital, to sharing interesting tidbits about the possible inspiration behind carvings of the column capitals in the Connemara Library, the walk covered it all.
We often take facilities like the Government Museum for granted, focusing on areas of improvement and how it compares to museums in other cities or countries. Somehow, being privy to details about the Government Museum’s conception made me appreciate the museum more.
The Madras Literary Society was instrumental in the creation of the museum. Ashmitha explained how the Madras Literary Society wanted to start a museum in the late 1820s and their efforts finally reached fruition with the setting up of the museum in 1851.
The present-day Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Vandalur also has its origins in Egmore. Edward Balfour, the superintendent of the museum decided to start a zoological garden within the premises of the current museum compound in 1854. He began with a caged tiger and a caged cheetah. By 1856, the zoological garden was home to 360 caged animals. It was shut down due to concerns about the health of the animals.
The Connemara library, one of our last stops on the walk, is one of the oldest libraries in the country and is one of four national depository libraries in the country, which means that the library receives a copy of all books, newspapers and periodicals published in the country.
A well-prepared guide, a sizeable group of people in the heritage walk, and the good fortune of pleasant weather despite the Chennai summer made Madras Inherited’s heritage walk ‘Along the Pantheon’ a wonderful experience, one that I would recommend to anyone interested in learning more about the city.
About the Author:
Asma is a writer with an interest in public policy, intersectional feminism, and mental health.
Cover Photo:
Binsan Oommen Baby
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