It is a treasure hunt for stories about peoples and places, of tales, past and present, about the city we live in. It is about discovering the city that we see but did not know existed. Thanks to Trivandrum Heritage Walk and its indefatigable group of enthusiasts, the city is revealing its secrets that are concealed in its tiny bylanes, crowded bazaars, places of worship and heritage buildings.
On a Sunday, almost every month since October 2013, this diverse group lace up to find tiny pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that fill the missing spaces of a picture of a city that grew around a magnificent temple.
Sifting through fact and fiction and multiple layers of written and oral history, they are tracing the different accounts of people and communities who have made the city what it is today.
Leading from the front is consultant archaeologist Elizabeth Thomas Tharakan (Bina to all the walkers), Special Officer, World Heritage Listing Project, Government of Kerala, who managed to organise the walk and make the city’s history come alive for the participants.
“When I came to Thiruvananthapuram in 2010, I wanted to learn more about the city and her denizens. I found that there was little literature in English that I could read to understand the growth of the capital city, its evolution and the people who shaped its development. Moreover, both in Vadodara and in Pune, where I lived prior to coming to Kerala, there were active heritage walks that introduced residents to their city. I wanted to do the same here,” says Bina.
She points out since this is a city in rapid transition, each day is vital as we lose a little of our built heritage to structures that have nothing to do with our vernacular architecture or topography. Moreover, she wanted to open people’s eyes to the fact that heritage is more than temples or old buildings. “ In fact, heritage includes the markets, schools, houses and streets that once made up the city. That is why I was keen on organising walks outside the walled city. Yes, that is heritage but so are these and each walk has yielded a wealth of information,” says Bina.
Scientist and academic Achuthsankar S. Nair, also a history buff and a keen follower of the micro history of the city, says the walks revealed many insights that have not been documented. Many local residents came forward to share the oral heritage with the enthusiasts. “For instance, Pettah, which we all think we know so well, has so many stories to tell about the Portuguese, Dutch, Anglo Indians and Indians who lived there. It corrected many impressions we had about the city. The first church and, perhaps, the first mosque too was built there. Local residents insist that Kayamkulam Kochunni, a Malayali Robin Hood, was buried in the cemetery attached to the mosque. There are residents whose ancestors did much for the growth of the capital as a centre of academic excellence. Even for those of us who thought we were on top of the history of the city, the walks proved to an eye-opener, revealing facets of the city that is all too soon fading way,” he points out.
In fact, Asha Gopinath, a neuroscientist and an ardent ‘heritage walker’, is campaigning for Chala and the entire area, including the heritage Attakulangara school, to be turned into a heritage zone with several attraction for tourists to catch vignettes of the city’s interesting past.
“So much has been lost. I hope at least now some action will be taken to preserve what remains of our traditional architecture and legacy of craftsmanship. Look at Chala bazaar. There are just a few goldsmiths who still ply their trade. Very soon, all them would have gone since many have not taught their children their craftsmanship. Many of the old traders and retailers are shutting shop and selling to make way for concrete and glass blocks,” she says.
Students, scientists, medical practitioners, engineers, teachers, writers and mediapersons… it is an interesting group of walkers who fan out to find out more about the men and women who lived in Thiruvananthapuram.
“It is the multi-disciplinary approach and the diversity of the group that attract me. As an architect and urban designer, I might have concentrated on the architectural aspects, the materials used in the buildings and the planning of the streets and so on. But this is such a wholesome view that I get. I encourage my students of Bishop Jerome College of Architecture to join in the walks. They have done something similar in Kollam and so it would be useful for them to see how such walks throw light on the past,” says Ganga Dileep.
Achuthsankar adds that it would be a good idea to come out with booklets after each walk so that it would be documented for posterity. “Much of our oral heritage is also getting lost with the passage of time and I hope we are able to document it.”
As the Heritage Walk completes a year, Bina is looking forward to ensure that the trail is inviting for others to follow and take the story forward. “We are not against urbanisation but it must not be at the cost of our heritage. It is not enough to photo document the city. We need to write down all that has been discovered and learnt during our walks. As a coffee table book would be too expensive, I am looking at a book that can be compiled and bought by anyone who is interested in the city. I also hope school students get involved in the project because they are tomorrow and it is their legacy,” says Bina.
In fact, Bina has already received invitations from other districts to organise heritage walks. “I have requested her to start one in Kollam. My students explored Chinnakada and Paikada in Kollam and it would be nice if we could get a heritage walk in Kollam too,” adds Ganga.
Looks like Trivandrum Heritage Walk has put its best foot forward.
