An interesting piece of history has found its way from the State Bank of India, Thrissur, to the Bank House, the current State Bank Learning Centre, in Fort Kochi. It is the 1922 Chubbsafe, strong room door that locked within its invincible interiors wealth for close to 90 years. “When the bank in Thrissur had to change location we did not want to lose this rich piece of history. It now has its rightful pride of place,” says Suresh Kumar, AGM, State Bank Learning Centre. He is as much a banker as he is a history buff and revels in the historicity of the Bank House that till 1992, when it became a Training Centre and a learning centre thereafter, used to be the residence of the agent or branch manager.
The well-maintained building stands overlooking the beach and the sea beyond. It was acquired in 1870 from John Hutchinson of Aspinwall Company, who were leading Managing Agents in the Malabar Coast. Abhik Ray, Retd. Deputy GM, and currently heading the Bank’s History Project has written extensively on the vast and rich history of SBI. He is set to release his latest work, a coffee table book SBI’s Living Heritage, Edifices and Beyond on the residences of the bank on Bank Day, July 1. He says, “During the British times there were three Presidency Banks - Bank of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras. In 1921, they were merged to form the Imperial Bank. This branch was opened before that as a branch of The Bank of Madras. In 1862 March, when government of India notes were introduced, the three banks lost their right to issue notes. As compensation they were encouraged to open a branch in the interior parts of the country. The Diwan of the State of Travancore was instrumental in bringing the branch of Madras to Cochin. Initially, it was located in the treasury building but later moved to the current location, near Calvetty Canal. The agent in those days used to reside in the bank premises but in 1870 this Bank House was bought and the agent’s residence moved here.”
Suresh Kumar hazards a guess about the treasury building where the bank and the agent’s quarter must have stood. In his first tenure in Fort Cochin he remembers visiting the building next to the present Post Office near Parade Ground and seeing clear evidence of an iron cellar, which could, possibly have been the strong room, though this line of historical investigation has not been undertaken.
The Bank House was bought in two stages. The bungalow as it stood was purchased from Aspinwall and later its Eastern portion, the side facing Elphinstone Road and the Napier Side was bought from the well known Jewish family, Isaac Hallegua in 1919. Until 1992 the bungalow served as the residence of the agent after which it was converted into the Staff Training Centre. Later, this was renamed as State Bank Learning Centre, as it exists today. Suresh Kumar says that architecturally small modifications were made to the building’s interiors but its colonial façade remains untouched. It is seen in the charming semi-circular patio with twin columns, a feature that is typical of the era. The large rooms, almost halls, open spaces, corridors and big windows too signify the period. An academic section and a hostel block were added over time to its one acre premises that maintains a tended garden and an old well. These were made over existing staff rooms and an outhouse that were part of the bungalow.
In its current state, as an academic centre, functional changes have been sensitively brought in. A regal wooden staircase proceeds to a heritage gallery on the first floor, where the bank’s history is showcased through interesting photos, illustrations and curios. To highlight the important location where the building stands Suresh Kumar commissioned a local artist, Cochin Sithara, to paint colonial Cochin with its historical landmarks. These works decorate the foyer and the ante room.
If on the one hand the building flags it antiquity with precious remnants it also harbours a modern digital library where books can be read on hand-held devices.
Suresh Kumar, whose idea it is says, “The Bank House is centuries old and now has to serve the needs of modern day banking, hence its history has to be in touch with functionality.”
