Stories of a bygone era in the micro history of Trivandrum.

It was lovely meeting Ms. Madonna  Devaiges, an 84 yr old Anglo Indian lady, Great grand Daughter of  Dr. Samuel Sawyer (physician to Sri Moolam Tirunal Rama Verma,  1857-1924). Although Ms. Madonna didn’t have much to share in terms of history and heritage of Pettah, she sure gave nuanced insights into the life and times when there were many lovely bungalows around Pettah and how there were no one of `pure stock’ anymore and how the `locals’ have intermingled and are busy writing their own versions of Pettah and its church history! The plaque on the arched entrance to the St. Annes church bears the names of Dr. Samuel Sawyer, Mrs. Sawyers,  and  three other members of the family. Dr. Samuel was from England, who married a `pure blood’ Portuguese lady and made Pettah his home.

The best part of the visit was discovering this `palace’ that Ms. Madonna mentioned they lived in long ago, with 14 (or did she say 40?) rooms and 8 toilets!! In 1999, she and her younger sister  moved to a nice modern bungalow, by the main road. She said that the Palace belonged to Sethu Parvathi  Bai, and the Palace and some acres of land surrounding it was gifted  to her Great grandfather Dr. Sawyer. So, after saying our goodbyes  Riju and I went around the church compound wall looking for this Mansion. And at the dead end of the narrow lane stood this huge majestic mansion, which is now home to a few tens of tenants, including an office of some Driving School!!

The wide porch with gabled roof and lined with 4 huge pillars had surely seen better days. We could not make out the details of its architectural features in the dark, but it was evidently a grand structure once…straight facing the Pettah railway station in the west  and with the St. Annes church to the north. Very clearly the entire land in between and around belonged to the Sawyer family, which was subsequently sold off or snatched by others. Ms. Madonna also clarified that the land for the construction of the church was also given by Dr. Sawyer (“unlike the stories what some of the `locals’ were trying to make every one believe!”). Except for the narrow lane leading to it, this mansion is now surrounded by modern construction, in all shapes and sizes.  Incidentally, some of the new houses also belong to Doctor families! I am waiting to explore Dr. Sawyers mansion in daylight.

We could not meet the younger sister Ms. Joan Devaiges.  Both sisters are unmarried. Both have health issues. Their siblings and other family members migrated to England, Canada and Australia long ago. Ms. Madonna had a job with LIC and chose to stay rooted to Pettah.  I was hoping she’d show me some old photographs, in which we could get a glimpse of Pettah or Trivandrum of the yore. But instead she has a room full of portraiture photographs of her family members. She has some lovely furniture and some really old framed prints of Jesus and other Catholic Saints. And a very well kept house with the typical arrangement of  planter chairs, porcelain curios and lace curtains, a small manicured garden with a cage full of pretty birds, and a maid, driver and a security man for help.