A 21-member delegation from the Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, has evinced interest in cooperating on heritage conservation in Puducherry, and is considering the restoration of the Pensionnat De Jeunes Filles (Government Girls French High School) on Beach Road.
The delegation consists of CEOs of private firms involved in restoration, and is headed by Raziah Locate, Director and Teo Narayanin, Treasurer of the international wing of the Chamber of Commerce, Reunion Island. They met with French Ambassador to India François Richier, French Consul General Philippe Janvier-Kamiyama, and the team of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) Puducherry. They were in Puducherry on Friday, after attending the Global Investors Meet in Chennai.
Reunion Island is administered by the Overseas Department of France, and a quarter of the Réunionnais are estimated to be of Indian origin, and a majority of them are of Tamil speaking-origin. “With its cultural ties, Reunion Island has a significant part to play between France and India. The island has similar climate and buildings like Puducherry. Reunion Island has expertise in restoration of heritage buildings and use of durable materials,” said Muriel Bertile, Regional Cooperation Coordinator, Reunion Island at the French Consulate here.
“Completing a pilot project will give visibility and credibility to the cooperation on heritage conservation. This is why we suggested the Pensionnat De Jeunes Filles. The school serves the education of poor girls and the building is in a prominent location,” said Ashok Panda, Convenor, Puducherry chapter of INTACH.
The delegation’s visit follows the visit of architect Raphael Gastebois, Head, Department of Architecture and Heritage, Department of Cultural Affairs (Indian Ocean region), Reunion Island, in February this year, to study the collapse of the Mairie building last November. In the aftermath of the Mairie’s collapse, students of three schools in poor condition, including Pensionnat De Jeunes Filles, shifted out to other schools as a precautionary measure.
Teams of experts from the ASI and IIT Madras have examined the Pensionnat De Jeunes Filles, which was established in 1826.
A Grade IIA heritage building, it has French architectural styles, including a colonnaded portico, a teak staircase and wooden louvered shutter. The school building was donated by Mrs. Smith who expressed a wish that the building must always be used as a school for girls.
