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.

On a Heritage trip in Kerala

( http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/liststory.php?sub=579   Posted on: 08 Oct 2010  )

Bina Thomas Tharakan

A typical holiday to any touristy destination is replete with ways to satiate the `been there done that' itinerary made popular over the years by the tourism industry. Then be it a visit to a region of pristine natural beauty or some ancient ruins with charming structures or some town or city with famous historical monuments. Destinations get labeled into air-tight compartments of beauty, adventure and history respectively. And in the process often sidestep the not-so-spectacular in these compartments. And this is especially true of the vast repertoire of heritage structures at each and every city in our country, which are given a miss not just by visitors because these don't feature in destination catalogues and brochures, but sometimes even the locals are not aware they exist, because for them, they are too common place. But these heritage structures are just as interesting and
illuminating of a vintage past.

And God's own country - Kerala is no different. The `enchanting natural beauty' that Lord Curzon in 1900, and many other officials and travelers before him recorded, including Alberuni in the 11th century, Marcoplo in the 13th century, Ibn Batuta in the
14th century, and many more, is still the most powerful attraction to the state. Kerala's lush green mountains and valley's, the biodiversity therein, the exhilarating ride of its backwaters on fancy kettuvallams, relaxing stays at exclusive beach resorts, with visual delights of some of its performing art forms, and martial arts while enjoying an elaborate spread of authentic local cuisine are the chief highlights of a few days holiday in the state. And of course, add to this the growing popularity of Ayurvedic massages, and we are done.

But what often goes unnoticed and unheard of is Kerala's wealth of Heritage structures and the history that envelops them. This small stretch of coastal land has attracted traders and travelers for over 2000 yrs including the Greeks, the Romans, the Arabs and the Chinese resulting in not just a tumultuous and fascinating history of activities from ancient times, but also a series of colonization in the 500 years of recent history which included the Portuguese, French, Dutch, and British. The 13th and 14th centuries were periods of intense sea trade concentrated at Kollam, Kochi and Koyikode. The resultant integrative tradition of Kerala is well reflected in its structural heritage with regional variations which are very unique to the state. Although there are some structures of monumental dimensions from different periods in Kerala history, there are many more small and big heritage structures spread all over the state that often goes unnoticed.

Monuments like the protected forts in the Northern districts of Kerala like Kannur, Kasargod and Palakkad , some well know cathedrals and temples spread all over the state, the famous few state museums and the cluster of `star monuments' in the
Ernakulam District including the Dutch palace, Bolgatty palace, and the Jewish synagogue, are well known. But there are many more State Department of Archaeology protected heritage structures that are deserving of some attention and appreciation by
locals and tourists. Also the many stray `unprotected' gems from very recent colonial history that need not only be appreciated but also guarded from being swallowed under the waves of urban development.

Take palaces, for instance. There are many in and around Trivandrum. Within the premises of the old fortified town itself, spread around the famous Sri Padmanabha temple, the only temple that resembles the Dravidian `gopura' temple architecture style in Kerala, there are a series of fabulous royal residences and halls including the Puthen Maliga Palace Museum complex, constructed in the traditional Kerala `naalukettu' and `ettuketu' style architecture in wood and laterite, with multiple tiled roofs and fine decorative carvings. The structural compositions are unique in its elegance and reflect simplicity. Unlike the opulent and elaborate palaces in the Deccan or North India, these structures are restrained in the use of space. Many of such quaint royal mansions all over Kerala now house museums, including the grand Hill Palace in Ernakulam. The Koyikkal Palace museum, on the outskirts of Trivandrum is one such charming structure, complete with a central courtyard, a pond, shrine, and even a secret tunneled passage!! The architectural features of these structures, including the old churches, temples and
mosques in Kerala are important markers of a peripheral sub-culture away from the strongholds of contemporary dominant ruling powers of the times in the Deccan and Tamil Nadu.

Most of these buildings are not more than 400 years old. Or they house an ancient core rebuilt several times. In a tropical zone like Kerala, it's difficult for structures made in wood, mud and laterite to sustain the vagaries of weather. Renovation was also a
means to strengthen the structures. For example the Cheraman Perumal mosque in Trissur district, believed to be the oldest mosque in India, dating to the 7th century was renovated several times. Similarly the magnificent Tali Temple of Koyikod, dated to the 12th century has undergone renovations over the centuries, including the addition of painted floral patterns on the outer walls of the inner shrine. But the sculptures and carvings on the lintels of the sanctum sanctorum hasn't been tampered with.

Then there are the famous bungalows in the major towns of the state which often go unnoticed. Like the `town house' Vasco de Gama resided in at Kochi till his death in 1520 AD. Or the one in Kannur District which was occupied by Dr. Herman Gundert, the revered scholar and lexicographer from 1839, for a period of 20 years, while he worked on the very first Malayalam dictionary.

Equally enchanting are the Early Historic rock cut caves at different parts of Kerala. Believed to be remnants of Buddhist and Jaina faiths prevalent in Early historic Kerala, most of these now house shrines dedicated to Hindu gods and goddesses. An even more ancient past is showcased at Rock shelter petrogylps or engravings in the districts of Wayanad and Idukki skirting Kerala's Eastern Ghats and the vast numbers of Megalithic monuments spread all over the state.

Even more fascinating are the snippets of information from local lore attached to many natural features. For instance, how often does a traveler to Koyikod hear of the huge boulder called Velliamkallu, 10 km into the sea from Payyoli beach. Local people will tell you that during the Portuguese rule, murderers and serious law offenders were executed here and thrown off the rock into the sea. Or that the cluster of huge rock boulders called Jatayupara at Kollam district, was where Jatayu, the vulture in Ramayana, fell wounded while trying to stop Ravana from abducting Sita to Lanka. Some even say that Hanuman
took his final leap to Lanka atop this hill!! Or of the interesting debate that surrounds the journey of the Chinese fishing nets which people love to watch by the sea shore at Fort Kochi Whether the idea of such fishing nets was a direct import from China or did the idea travel around in other regions of South East Asia before reaching the Kerala coast? And that too only at Fort Cochin!!!

And for the interested, all it takes is an exploratory drive down the coastal NH 17 and 47 with a few detours into the mid lands of this thin strip of land. It's a pity when heritage is thought to be only that what is showcased. At the heart of our modern cities are very old streets and bazaars with charming public and private buildings which are soon fading out giving way to the new. Only a planned `heritage walk' through these mazes will enliven its historic value.

(Bina Thomas is an archaeologist working on heritage issues. She can be contacted at binatho@gmail.com )