There are two easy routes to reach Ponmar and each of these introduces the visitor to one of two features that largely define it.
So, I enter this semi-urban village through one and head out of it through the other. From Old Mahabalipuram Road, I reach Thalambur Koot Road, which forks into two roads, one of which leads to Ponmar.
As I enter the village, I am greeted by a board, which announces the place’s living link with the past. Ironically, what keeps Ponmar's connection with a long-gone era alive, is its dead.
In parts of Ponmar, ancient burial grounds lie hidden; boards installed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) call attention to this fact. Driving down Malai Theru (also known as Mount Street), I reach a hillock, which has a 104-year-old church atop. ASI boards are found on sections of this hillock, from where one gets an arresting view of three striking features of the neighbouring locality, Ottiambakkam — a lake, an abandoned quarry and a massive power installation. Walking down Mount Street leads to the abandoned Ottiambakkam quarry. The Ottiambakkam panchayat has installed a board, warning visitors off the waters in this abandoned quarry. There are many rocky protrusions under the waters, which are said to have claimed many lives. According to the board, swimming, washing of clothes and bathing are prohibited. Every day, one can see this message being ignored. It’s a Sunday, and I see people swimming in these waters.
At one point, I hear a swimmer yelling out a word of caution to another — “There are rocks there! Don't dive there!” A little distance away, I come upon another defining feature of Ponmar: The defiant presence of agriculture amidst real estate development. On a stretch leading off Mount Street, I see a paddy field and a multi-storey building under construction, stand cheek-by-jowl. While heading out of Ponmar, taking Periya Street and Easwaran Koil Street, which leads to Medavakkam-Mambakkam Main Road, I get some more glimpses of agriculture.
(Hidden Trails is a column that shows you how to be a tourist in your own city.)
