Determination needed to preserve city’s heritage

Monuments and other buildings. collectively called ‘built heritage’, is obviously the most visible component of the vast canvas of heritage. 

Heritage provides a distinct identity and a unique flavor to a place and the people living there. To the people, heritage provides the much-needed link with the past, a sense of regional and national identity, an avenue to trace one’s cultural roots, a feeling of pride about what one has inherited from our ancestors and finally, a sense of duty to pass it on to future generations. 

During the last few decades, it is being increasingly realised that modern technological progress should not undermine our precious heritage.  

During different periods of history, Madras or Chennai, has been ruled by various local dynasties including the Sangam Chola, the Pallava, the medieval or imperial Chola and the Vijayanagar-Nayak. Around the time of Christ, the Greeks, Romans and the Chinese came here to trade. Much later, the Portuguese, Dutch, French and the British landed here for the same purpose. These medieval European colonial powers, especially the Portuguese, French and the British, captured parts of the city from the local rulers. 

Until the advent of the British in 1639, this area was a cluster of villages separated by paddy fields and scrub jungle. Each of these villages had its own temples, water-tanks, granaries, residential houses and other buildings, some of them dating back to the ancient times. The British built the Fort St. George and established the modern city of Madras or Chennai that gradually expanded by including, within its fold, all the neighbouring villages, one by one. These villages such as Triplicane, Mylapore, Nungambakkam and Egmore, constitute the main residential and commercial localities of the present city. 

Each of the local and foreign powers associated with Chrennai, at different times, has contributed to the city’s rich heritage, which is uniquely vibrant, colourful and multi-layered. Sadly, during the last 50 years, the very survival of this heritage is under threat, due to various factors including sheer negligence and willful destruction.  

Some of the heritage-related problems are common to many parts of the city. However, the threats are more acute in the older areas such as Mylapore and Tiruvottriyur. Unfortunately, none of the heritage buildings in these historic areas are protected by the Government Archaeology department. Traditional houses in these areas are being ruthlessly pulled down, to be replaced by ugly and crammed multi-storeyed apartment blocks. Sometimes, such apartments are built too close to the historic temples and churches thereby impairing the aesthetic charm and rarely, even the structural stability of these important monuments. The streets in these older localities are often too small and narrow to house such huge apartment structures and the resultant human and vehicular footfalls.  

In recent years, many government and voluntary organisations have initiated steps to preserve some aspects of the city’s heritage. Simultaneously, there is an urgent need to create more awareness about the city’s heritage and the threats to this heritage.