The Heritage Walk Trivandrum on Sunday explored Barton Hill, the environs, history and people of which are indispensable to any discussion or study of the city’s heritage.
According to members of the coordinating team of the walk, the highlight of the day’s exploration was a meeting with one Mr. Pereira, a Barton Hill resident who celebrated his 100{+t}{+h}birthday last month, and who is one of the oldest former employees of Kerala University.
Mr. Pereira, they said, shared with the group his stories and memories of the city, including the visits of Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore, the first convocation ceremony of the University and the atmosphere in the city on the day of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination, to mention a few.
The group also visited the Barton’s Bungalow, right on top of the hill, and the Government Law College housed in the Highland Bungalow on the lower reaches of the hill. The youngsters and history enthusiasts of the group got acquainted with the contributions of William Barton to Thiruvananthapuram, learning that he was the first chief engineer of Trivandrum, and how he is credited with the design and construction of some of the monumental structures in the city, including the Secretariat and its Durbar Hall, and some structures in the neighbouring Kollam district.
