Icons of Madras

by Kamala Ramakrishnan

A book that remembers yesteryear Madras through a selection of its iconic establishments that remain in living memory and became a part of its social fabric, its institutional memory, shaping its growth and evolution. The essays were published in The Hindu between June 23, 1989 and December 8, 1989 and then from July 6, 1990 to October 12, 1990. In each instance, additional photographs and a brief status update have been added.

150 pages, Unknown Binding

Published January 1, 2018

Reviews

[Shreethigha · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was initially super excited to read it because it talks about the big establishments and businesses that persisted through the 19th and 20th centuries in Madras and all the then and now pictures that came along with it. But it's just a compilation of businesses and establishments started and run by uppercaste people. Either no one else started businesses and establishments (which speaks volumes about the situation of the non-upper-caste), or they just chose to write about these ones because of their "standard." Either way, you can sense a clear condescension for things that are not upper caste or upper class, in how, for example, it calls the artform "koothu" degeneracy. The only thing I learned besides these "icons" is which caste communities held power back then. Expected better since it's published by The Hindu - I'm tempted to justify it by saying these articles are from the 80s, but I'm still disappointed. I wonder how many good icons were just not classified as icons because of this, and it's sad how history is just what people with the means of power write. Regardless, there were still a few icons that I did enjoy reading about.

[Raja Sunkara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a must read for all Madras/Chennai lovers. I have only stayed for brief periods in Chennai and mostly in State Guest House, Wallajah Road but never noticed Curzons, which I realised is an institution in itself. This book gives us a glimpse of many such 'easy to miss' buildings with a great history. It is sad to see that many of the 'icons' mentioned in this book no longer exist. Others too might perish but this book has inspired me to visit them all while they still exist.

[Vivek Anandh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating book about the historical landmark institutions of Madras. As a person from a small town, Madras was unending fascination for me. It was my first exposure to a big city. I may have travelled to many major cities across the country. But none gives me the same sensation that Madras does. An obvious bias on my part. So picking this book was involuntary action the moment I saw this on the shelf of a bookshop. I devoured the book with eagerness and I am still trying to physically go to all those places that are written about. Unfortunately, many of the places and institutions have been lost to time. May be the pages of this book are the last surviving fragments of those institutions.

Now coming to my criticism of this book. This obviously a collection of those privileged upper class/caste institutions that dotted the city. With an exception of one or two almost all of them are controlled/regulated by privileged caste elites. While it may not be a problem on its own, this paints a picture as if it is these institutions which created the Madras in its present form, which is far from the truth. As much as these institutions played a role in the growth of the city, the contribution of the subalterns are unfortunately erased. There is neither an institution nor a business of such a character has been noted in this book. It is impossible that not a single such institution from the subaltern inhabitants such as the fishermen, whose existence contributed to the rich culture of this city. May be they are consciously avoided. This is not a problem that is confined only to this book, this contributes and further exacerbates that problem.

Other than this problem, this deserves a place in one's library.