CHENNAI: From children to long-time residents of Mylapore, history enthusiasts gathered together on a Sunday morning at Kutchery Road to explore the history of Mylapore – one of the city’s oldest places.
The heritage walk is one of the precursor events hosted by Sundaram Finance Limited as a teaser to the Mylapore Festival later this week.
The walk went through the Mundakanni Amman Street, as KR Jambunathan, aka Jumbo, and organiser Wilson shared bytes from their lives and the place’s history. From Banu Moorthy Agraharam that’s now Mundakanni Amman Koil Street to the first Dina Thanthi newspaper that was printed (which is now a wedding invite press), and the many agraharams in the area are now simple streets, it was a slice of history that participants lapped up.
As the troupe walked through the streets, it was insightful to see how the neighbourhood had changed over the years. Shravan and Shrada, both middle-schoolers, who have been living in the neighbourhood for more than 6 years, said they have discovered some of the streets today, despite living there for years. “The walk has helped us know our home better,” they said.
“I was born, raised and educated, and now, retired in Mylapore,”Jumbo
He does not regret the place changing over the years, as he believes one needs to adapt. “Everything happens online now, but you need to be there in the city physically, be outdoors a bit more,” he adds.
One of the primary objectives of the festival remains to keep the history of the place alive, and let the newer generations know about the lived history of their neighbourhoods.
The Sundaram Finance Mylapore Festival will happen from January 8 to 11 in Mylapore, Chennai.