A lost garden and a forgotten square in Chennai

While wandering (or rather stumbling) around George Town the other day, I saw the sign displayed next to Badrian Garden Street. The fact that this name appeared several times in my research took me on a journey to the past. However, the first of these concerned historian S. Muthiah, not me.

He was informed that an obelisk had been discovered at the intersection of this street and NSC Bose Road in the late 1980s. A private house was being demolished and a 15-meter obelisk was revealed among the ruins. The chief ran there with excitement, as I always say, and saw that the obelisk was also destroyed. The owner did not apologize. He feared that his property would be confiscated if the government learned of the pillar’s existence.

The obelisk was one of six erected in the 1770s to mark the southern boundary of George Town. Their location is precisely stated in a 1961 census survey in Madras; which says they were in China Bazaar, Parry’s Corner, Kondi Chetty Street, Stringer Street, Broadway and Badriah Street (the name changed significantly over time; they were Budreeah, Badraiya, Badriah and Badrian). According to the census, four were still standing in 1961, but no details were given as to which ones they were. As we know today, only one person survived in the shadow of Dare House, guarded by the Murugappa Group.

Badriah Street, which I mentioned above, is not Badrian’s Garden. from love Ruins of old MadrasWe know that as early as 1718 there were six guardhouses for the protection of Madras; four of these were on the north side, facing Royapuram. The name of the fifth one overlooking the sea was unknown. Only the sixth was to the west, near the river; which meant Elambore, now part of the Buckingham Canal. In later years these guardhouses became known as block houses and later batteries. Except for the one overlooking the sea, the others were named after dubas: Sunkurama, Gangarama, Balu, Kalasti and Badriah. In peace his battery became a garden probably named after him.

Who was he?

In 1717 he became known, along with Gangarama, as the leader of the Left Hand Castes in the city. Their predecessors, the Kalavai and Kalasti Chettis, were instigating caste riots, which seemed to be the favorite occupation of dubashis when they were not earning money, and were dismissed. Other than this, not much is known about Badriah.

In the 1830s Badriah Garden became a residential area and one of the prominent landlords there was Vambakkam Raghavachariar, the first Indian to be appointed as a Police Magistrate in Madras. He also graduated from Pachaiyappa’s school and thus became one of the first managing trustees. Badrian’s Garden became unofficially known as Polis Raghavachariar (PR) Square. The family lived in a huge house known as Vani Vilas, and it was curious that the upper floor was shaped like a ship. The reason for this was that one of the family made a fortune as a ship pilot. Raghavachariar’s grandson was VV Srinivasa Aiyangar, a prominent advocate of the Madras High Court and a member of the Suguna Vilasa Sabha of Pammal Sambanda Mudaliar, in whose theatrical productions he played leading roles.

Walking in Badrian Garden turns into an adventure today; Life and limb are put at risk. But as far as I could manage, I could find no trace of Vani Vilas or its neighbor Terrace Mahal, which was once a hostel for students of Pachaiyappa College. Like the obelisk, they too are gone. History is fading fast in George Town.

(Sriram V. is an author and historian.)