Tamil Nadu - Chennai   

150 years, and going strong

Sandhya Soman

Hindu Higher Secondary School all set for year-long celebration Designed by Henry Irwin and constructed by Namberumal Chetty in 1898, the red building is in the Indo-Saracenic style

MORE THAN A SCHOOL: The 150-year-old edifice of the Hindu Higher secondary school, Triplicane, which is celebrating its 150th year. — Photo: S.R. Raghunathan

CHENNAI: Kamal Haasan has vaulted down the wide staircase unmindful of head masters and parents. S. Chandrashekhar went back to his old seat flush with his Nobel Prize. The brick-red Hindu Higher Secondary School building has seen it all for the past 150 years.

And is still standing.

"The school was set up at a time when parents were reluctant to send children to `British schools'," says former student Narayan Ramaswamy.

The Henry Irwin-Namberumal Chetty team, responsible for the stately Madras High Court and Central Railway Station buildings, came up with a solid 40,000 square feet school within two years.

Broad verandas and windows ensured ventilation, while the high ceilings and rows of arches gave a rather "imposing" look to the school.

"All that's missing are some domes to complete the Indo-Saracenic look," says architect and ex-student A. Krishnaswamy.

The building, however, never missed out on safety aspects.

"We did a self-appraisal immediately after last year's Kumbakonam school fire. We found that the school is safe as far as bio-safety aspects are concerned," recalls Mr. Ramaswamy.

A fact that was later confirmed by the education department team.

The T-shaped building now has a fresh coat of brick red paint over its "government bricks." New tiles have replaced the originals from Comtrust factory, which had supplied bricks for the Senate House renovation.

The old ones cover the newly built noon-meal block.

"They will probably last for another century," says Mr. Krishnaswamy with a smile.

But the former student as well as headmaster T.S. Sriraman is sure that the original building will also stand because it is not a heritage structure but a school with strength of 1,800.

Now it is gearing up for an year-long celebration for having completed 150 years, which will start with the unveiling of a plaque by the Governor, Surjit Singh Barnala, on August 3.

Setting up of centres of value education, knowledge management and a permanent museum will be on for a year.

Also, the authorities are readying themselves to maintain the building in all its redbrick glory for the future.

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