The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Treading historic path

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Friday, Dec 28, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Treading historic path

Mention Netaji Road and what comes to mind are some old buildings, tall on their reputation, vying with the latest showrooms. And, of course, swarm of people patronising both the places any time of the day or year.

But what people often tend to forget or overlook in this bustling zone of trade is its interesting history. This well known stretch from Periyar Bus Stand to Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple hides many timeless tales and mansions from the annals of both mythological and historical past.

Forgotten in the mist of time and lost in the wilderness of modern day concretisation, these historic spots literally need to be dug out from memories of senior citizens or books in library shelves, says Prof. Ambai Manivannan.

For instance, people flock to one of the first buildings on Netaji Road, the 80-year-old Raja Barley & Biscuit Company, to savour their bakery items. Or the oldest building of Mapillai Vinayagar Soda factory built in 1909 which has not undergone modification and retains its old world charm. People not only come here for purchase of aerated water but the factory is also a famous breeding ground for chess aspirants. People still recall these two old buildings but somehow forget to cast a glance at the building of Saptur Zameen Raj Bungalow battered by vagaries of weather and time. Similarly, there are remnants of a badly damaged but one of the biggest bungalows, the Bodinayakanur Zameen Bungalow, near the famous Arya Bhavan, which also goes unnoticed and uncared for.

Says M.Chakravarthy of Raja Barley Bakery, “the road is just getting crowded beyond its capacity and as a result old buildings are either being pulled down or simply squeezed out of recognition.”

He recalls how just 15 years ago when he joined his grand father’s business, there was still peace in the area. Now parking is a big headache. But he remains grateful to his ever expanding network of customers who don’t mind any deterrent to reach his shop for purchases.

The city’s oldest theatre, ironically called the New Cinema stands abandoned on Netaji Road like ramparts of the fort. Rous Peter Pandian, the then Collector of Madurai who is believed to have been saved through divine intervention and later made several donations to Meenakshi Temple as a mark of gratitude apparently had an office-cum-residence on this road.

But Mr.K.V.Kannan of Mappillai Vinayagar Soda Factory feels the new replacing the old is a good sign as real estate value is going up and economy is on the upswing. Of course, the traffic congestion irritates him but then in today’s market, it is the forces and trends that decide peoples’ choices.

- Soma Basu

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