It was a trip down
memory lane for the ones, who took part in the Old Coimbatore
Heritage Walk, an event organized by the Vanavarayar Foundation as part of the
ongoing Coimbatore
Vizha – 2014 on Tuesday evening to recall the interesting histories behind the
antique buildings and streets of the city.
With the
participation of around 30 history enthusiasts, the walk was flagged off from the clock tower, which the Coimbatoreans
call ‘Manikoondu’ and went through Vysyal Street, Karuppa Gounder Street and
Raja Street finally ending at the Clock Tower.
“In front of the
Clock Tower, once stood the statue of A.T. Thiruvenkatasamy Mudhaliar, who
worked for the development of Coimbatore
by constructing a free hospital for the first time in the city. However, his
statue was later removed due to traffic congestion” said Jegadhisan, noted
archeologist and epigraphist, who organized the event.
Recalling the history
behind the Victoria
Town Hall, Jegadhisan
listed the contributions made by S.P.
Narasimalu Naidu, a writer, researcher, social worker and journalist, who
mooted the idea of bringing the sweet Siruvani water to the city.
“S.P. Narasimhalu
Naidu, along with many other philanthropists, built the Victoria
Town Hall at a cost of Rs 10,000 in
1892 commemorating Queen Victoria’s
fiftieth reigning year” he said.
Pointing at the Athar
Jamath, which the Coimbatoreans call as ‘Periya Pallivasal’ Jegadhisan averred
that Coimbatore
was once a symbol for religious harmony, as Hindu parents would rush their
ailing children to Dargas, where the Muslim priest would tie a talisman and
chant incantations to ward off the evil.
Taking the
participants to the Kovai Tamizh Sangam on Vysyal Street, Jegadhisan recalled the
contributions made by Sivakavimani C.K. Subramania Mudhaliar to Tamil:
“Though C.K
Subramania Mudhaliar was a lawyer by profession, he was the pioneer to write
commentaries on the Tamil Bhakthi literature Periyapuranam”
Explaining to the
participants on how the Raja Street
got its name, he reasoned:
“Once there was a
palace on this street by name Madhe Raja Mahal, in which Madhe Raja, a
representative of Tipu Sultan stayed and administered Coimbatore,
when the city was under the Mysore
rule. The street, which was once called Madhe Raja Street, later got shortened to
‘Raja Street’
Somu, a postgraduate
student in history from the Government Arts College, who was a participant in
the Old Coimbatore Heritage Walk, said:
“Though many students
study national and international histories in their academics, it is useless,
if they know little about the history of their hometown”
Another participant
Sowmya, an undergraduate student of history from the same college, noted:
“Though I am a native
of Coimbatore, I
was not aware of the city’s history before taking part in this event”
Link to my report in The New Indian Express: http://epaper.
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