MADRAS AND MY GREAT GRANDFATHER

Here’s a historical overview of the area you asked about — Mylapore, Kutchery (Kuctheri) Road, and the place known locally (and historically) as Farhat Bagh — with context from colonial Madras’s layered past: ⸻ 📍 Mylapore — Ancient Roots of Madras/Chennai Mylapore is one of the oldest continuously inhabited parts of what became Madras (today’s Chennai). Historically it was an ancient port and settlement with mentions going as far back as the 1st century BCE. It had maritime connections with Romans and other Western traders and figures prominently in early Tamil and Christian traditions — including links with the poet Thiruvalluvar and the Apostle St. Thomas. Later it became a destination for Portuguese, Dutch, Golconda Sultans, and British colonial administration, before being incorporated into the Madras Presidency in 1749.  Mylapore evolved into a commercial and cultural hub in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, especially noted for its community of lawyers, intellectuals, and professionals during the British era.  ⸻ 🛣️ Kutchery Road (also seen as Kutcheri/Kuctheri Road) 📌 The name Kutchery comes from the Tamil/Urdu word “kutchery” (court / administrative office) — referring originally to nearby colonial courts or judicial administrative offices in the area.  • Function & character: Historically and still today, Kutchery Road is a lively thoroughfare in Mylapore, lined with shops, old establishments, commercial and residential buildings, and numerous heritage structures.  • Heritage and commerce: Walking tours and heritage walks often highlight this stretch as reflective of Mylapore’s mercantile past, with traditional shops (like country drug stores, shorthand institutes, ayurvedic dispensaries, and legacy businesses) still operating or in memory.  ⸻ 🌳 Farhat Bagh — Local Legacy on Kutchery Road Farhat Bagh is not a formal historic landmark commonly featured in most city histories, but it does appear in local recollections and heritage accounts as a named residence on Kutchery Road. Here’s what’s known from local sources: • Farhat Bagh appears on an old manse/gatepost along Kutchery Road with the name inscribed on it.  • It was associated with V. Ramadas, identified as Vemavarapu Ramdas Pantulu — a vakil (a lawyer) specializing in real estate and land rights during the early 20th century.  • He was involved in regional politics, speaking at the First Andhra Conference (1913) and supporting a resolution for a separate province for Telugu-speaking areas within the Madras Presidency — foreshadowing later movements like Madras Manade.  • He went on to be active in the cooperative movement, holding leadership roles in the Indian Co-operative Banks Association and founding editor of the Indian Cooperative Review in 1935.  • Local memory suggests that part of his residence/library may have been donated to the Institute of Co-operative Research and Service, though it is unclear if that was at Farhat Bagh itself.  👉 In short: Farhat Bagh seems to have been a named private residence of a prominent early-20th-century lawyer and community figure in Mylapore, whose name endures mainly through architectural remnants and recollections, rather than through formal historical records. ⸻ 🧠 Why the Name Matters The existence of a name like Farhat Bagh reflects: • Cultural blend: Gardens and residences with Persian/Urdu-influenced names (e.g., “Bagh” means garden) in colonial Madras hint at the cultural and linguistic diversity of elites in the city — often incorporating Hindustani, Urdu, and other influences. • Local prestige: Naming a property — Bagh suggests not just a home but a garden estate or compound, a mark of status during the colonial era. ⸻ 🗺️ Mylapore’s Broader Heritage While Farhat Bagh itself is a small part of Mylapore’s fabric, the neighbourhood around it includes: • Kapaleeshwarar Temple — a major ancient Dravidian temple around which much of old Mylapore evolved.  • Historic mosques and community traces pointing to Muslim influences and mixed heritage in Mylapore.  • Other heritage buildings, clubs, parks, and old institutes reflecting the long and layered colonial and pre-colonial history. ⸻ If you’d like, I can map nearby heritage landmarks or give you a walking tour guide for Kutchery Road and surrounding Mylapore!