News on high court order 27-11-2016

Those Tripunithura years

NOSTALGIA Tripunithura holds a special place in the hearts of the three musical maestros:T.N. Krishnan, T.V. Gopalakrishnan and K.J. Yesudas

First three notesMusic virtuosos with deep connect to Tripunithura, from left, K. J. Yesudas,T. N. Krishnan and T. V. Gopalakrishnan at TripunithuraPhoto:Thulasi Kakkat

Two of them carry Tripunithura in their names , while the other holds it close to his heart. And when they, Tripunithura Narayanan Krishnan, Tripunithura Viswanatha Gopalakrishnan and Kattassery Joseph Yesudas, got together at the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of the RLV College of Music and Fine Arts, it was time to share memories of the town from where their musical journeys began.

And T. N. Krishnan has even chosen to celebrate his 84th birthday (October 6) in his home town!

“This birthday plan was just accidental. Being here, in my home town, I thought it best to celebrate it here with family and a few close friends. A visit to the temples, lunch… that’s it,” says the violin maestro after a mesmerising solo performance.

Krishnan was eight-years-old when he accompanied Kittan Bhagavathar (T. G. Krishna Iyer) at theootupura (dining hall) of the Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple during the annual festival. “That was, if you could call it, my ‘arangetam.’ It was not a publicised event as these days. And since then, every time I perform in Tripunithura, I can feel the positive vibes; I feel inspired.”

Rewind to the past

Krishnan then switched into flashback mode—of times when there was no electricity and Tripunithura used to be a favourite haunt for almost all the great musicians. “We moved to Ernakulam when I was still a child. But I used to accompany my father for every concert held in Tripunthura. The first time I heard Semmangudi (Sreenivasa Iyer), Tiger (Varadachari), Chembai (Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar) and other greats were at Tripunithura. Even while walking back to Ernakulam, the music could be heard in the silence of the night.”

“He (Krishnan) has been our inspiration,” Gopalakrishnan chips in. “For me, who started off in Tripunithura, listening to people like him was education in itself. I must have been 10 when I gave my first vocal recital. Those days, for the temple festival, the first day’s concert was by the members of my family. There was so much interest in music then. And even today I find that passion here,” he adds.

There is a reason why Yesudas keeps coming back to Tripunithura and Kochi, in general. They fill him with living memories. “I have always thought if there is one place that does not change as rapidly it is Tripunithura. I was shocked to learn that the old RLV College buildings have been pulled down. Personally, I would have loved to keep them undisturbed, as a heritage monument. But that’s how life is,” he says.

Tripunithura brings back for Yesudas memories of days of struggle, hunger, not being able to pay college fees; more happy memories of his teachers, music lessons, the kind hotel owner who fed him free so many times. “And talking of Krishnan Sir, I have been amazed at his dedication. I have watched him practise for more than two hours in the hotel room before a concert even now. That’s how one should approach music.”

Krishnan’s experience and meticulous training came to the fore during his concert. When one of the violin string’s broke, Krishnan went on playing not bothering to change the instrument. For the rest of the concert it was magic on three strings. “Strings tend to break when you practice, it is usual. Instead of trying to repair it one should continue playing,” he advises.

It was late into the night and still there were people waiting to meet these masters, chit chat with them and others to seek their blessings. “I can tell you more about those great days. Maybe another time,” says Krishnan, as T. V. Gopalakrishnan and Yesudas move towards their cars.

Old Oottupura in Sree Poornathrayeesa temple -Tripunithura

Heritage Structures not preserved in Tripunithura

History rusts in Tripunithura

TRIPUNITHURA: A few years ago, nearly 21 ancient structures in Tripunithura were  declared protected monuments by the Archaeology Department. The list includes some palaces, the Oottupura Malika, the western gateway of Sree Poornathrayeesha temple, an ancient structure at Nadamel St Mary’s church and the Puthen bungalow, which was already in a bad state after it was attached to the RLV College of Music and Fine Arts.

 Soon after declaring the 21 structures as “protected monuments,” the Archaeology Department conducted a get-together of the members of the Kochi royal family at Kalikotta Palace to discuss the renovation of the palaces. The members who realised the vested interest of the department in ‘protecting’ the monuments of Puthen bungalow opposed the move. Soon the department excluded

palaces from the list.

Four years after the official declaration of the monuments being “protected,” nothing has been done for preserving the ancient structures like Oottupura Malika, which is in the possession of some Government departments. It is an attractive building  with a spacious nadumuttam (central courtyard) and a two-storeyed structure with spacious rooms. “Its typical Kerala architecture is a huge attraction and I tried to get it converted into an art gallery of the Kerala Lalita Kala Akademi,” said T A Sathyapal, secretary of the Akademi. But the Oottupura Malika is trapped in a legal battle between various departments regarding its ownership. “So the Akademi is yet to make use of this beautiful structure,” Sathyapal  said.

P K Gopi, former curator of the Hill Palace museum, also visited the structure and tried his best to bring its sad state to the notice of the Archaeology Department. Then, too, the tussle between some departments prevented the move to protect the

building.

Tripunithura is a municipality which is desperately in need of a performing theatre for more than half a dozen cultural organisations to stage their monthly programmes. If the authorities concerned take a decision to make use of the spacious Oottupura Malika as a stage to present programmes, its central courtyard can be used as an indoor performing centre and the small cabins around the courtyard can be used as an art

gallery to hold exhibitions.

The western gateway of Sree Poornathrayeesha temple is yet another architectural wonder. The structure itself is moulded with a unique mix of lime, jaggery and other building material. The first floor has six wooden pillars with carvings of Lord Ganesha and other Gods. “The year in which this beautiful structure was built is yet to be traced,” said Raman Namboothiri, a retired Archaeological Survey of India official. Namboothiri said that during his days in office, he tried to get it include it in the protected monuments list. A timely intervention of the related departments will certainly give a new lease of life to this gopuram.

“We expected some steps to be taken by the Archaeology Department to preserve the Oottupura Malika and other structures,” said Murali, a native of Tripunithura, who shares a nostalgic bond with these structures.

http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/article371080.ece

In memory of a palace

The Puthen Bungalow Palace at Tripunithura was an architectural splendour. For long it stood as the proud symbol of the erstwhile Cochin State. Official apathy and a lack of genuine concern for heritage conservation has today left this magnificent structure in ruins.

Built nearly 140 years ago by Rama Varma XIV (1864-1888) Mithuna Maasathil Theepetta Thampuran (the maharaja who died in the Malayalam month of Mithunam), this palace was where he stayed. And it was during his reign that many other landmark buildings in Tripunithura were constructed.

“It is said that the Valiya Thampuran (maharaja) constructed the palace close to the Puthen Bungalow temple where the family deities are installed. Another reason to choose this spot was because it was directly opposite to the Valiya Padinjare Kovilakam (Palace No. 41) where his mother stayed. And Mithuna Maasathil Theepetta Thampuran stayed here throughout his reign,” informs Rameshan Thampuran, a member of the Cochin Royal Family and one who written extensively on its history.

To catch a glimpse of what remains of this grand edifice you need to peep through the locked rusty gate or through the hole in the wall on the western side. The grounds and the crumbling shells of buildings are overtaken by wild growth. Wooden beams, broken window panes, part of the terrace, and the more recent structures with its horrible tin roofs are all that you can see.

“This was such a beautiful palace. Built in the Victorian style it had floors with Italian tiles in floral and geometric designs, stained-glass windows, and lovely chandeliers. From the porch there were three flights of stairs. The main steps led to a hall that opened out to a few rooms, the living quarters of the maharaja. There were steps from here that led to another small hall above that had a wonderful view of the town. Two other staircases, one on either side of the main steps, led to a terrace. On the western side there was a long hall, again with decorative tiles, chandeliers, and a veranda that ran right around the hall. This was used by the maharaja as a durbar and later members of the family used it for weddings, birthday functions etc. On the eastern side there was huge nadapura or an open hall, which was used for the feasts. This also became our badminton court later. The palace’s driveway had a lotus pond with a fountain and a well-maintained garden. And on the left side of the gate stood a guard room,” remembers Ramabhadran Thampuran, former member of the Palace Administration Board.

Everything was intact till the palace and the compound was handed over to the State government. In December 1982 it was acquired for the RLV College of Music and Fine Arts. “When I joined the institution in 1984 the faculty of Fine Arts had already begun functioning from this palace. It was such a beautiful place. I remember teaching the first year students in the hall at the top. The ambience was amazing.

“We had a painting exhibition in the main hall and it was a great event. Children from various schools queued to see the works and also the palace. I think the PWD was responsible for the rot of the buildings. When it leaked and there was need for urgent repair all they did was support the structure with two coconut tree trunks. The callousness of the government departments and their insensitivity to heritage led to the destruction of precious history,” says Sidharthan, former head of the department, Fine Arts, RLV College.

The durbar hall was used by the college for music and Kathakali performances. “The college had something called Arangu Parichayam where students were trained to perform on stage before an audience. This happened in this hall. In the early 1970s a five-day folk and traditional art festival was held here to coincide with the visit of Jayendra Saraswathi. Perhaps, the government could salvage what remains of the structure and utilise this space as a sort of cultural centre,” feels Ramabhadran Thampuran. Some writings reveal that the parade during Athaghosham halted at this ‘royal quarters’ on its way to Thrikkakara. “One is not sure if this happened as the procession, as far historical records go, began either from Hill Palace or from the Kalikota Palace. Of course, during Mithuna Maasathil Thampuran’s time, there must have been ceremonies as he prepared to go for the parade,” feels Rameshan Thampuran.

Puthen Bungalow Palace, what remains of it, stands in glorious disrepair as a memorial to a maharaja who was responsible for its construction, and also for some of the landmark structures in Tripunithura. K.T. Rama Varma in his book Kairali Vidheyan Rama Varma Appan Thampuran writes that this maharaja modified the thattumaalika (the balconies meant for the royalty, the pandal for the elephants, huge dining hall (inside the Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple), Padinjare Kovilakam and the famous clock tower, which remains the town’s signpost.

And this palace, this memory, this slice of history, that was handed over to the government in the hope that it would remain safe and carried over to posterity has now been brought down piece by piece.

http://m.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/history-and-culture/in-memory-of-puthen-bungalow-palace/article6360637.ece

Tale of apathy etched on Puthen palace’s ruins

Residents of Tripunithura recall how the seat of the old Maharaja of Kochi was brought down piece by piece.

Here is a monument to official apathy. All that a visitor to the Puthen Bungalow Palace sees is wild growth. Under the thick foliage of decades of governmental neglect lies the seat of the old Maharaja of Kochi, which was graciously handed over to the new Republic by the old rulers of the kingdom. It was here that the ruler met the people.

As the creepy climbers keep the rusty gate locked, the access to the old palace is through a hole in the wall on the western side. Inside the plot, what is left of the structure is just a few brick and mortar scars on the riotous green overgrowth.

The wooden beams on a wall here and some broken windows and arches there remind the old timers of a beautiful palace with a landscaped garden. The palace, built about 140 years ago, was intact till it was given to the government for safekeeping for the posterity.

“We used to enjoy playing at the palace grounds,” recalled Dr. Nirmala Thampuran, secretary of the Valiya Thampuran Kovilakam (VTK) Trust that manages the common properties for the former ruling family of Kochi.

The palace’s driveway had once skirted a beautiful lotus pond and a manicured garden that had some rare flowers, she remembered. Built in the Dutch architectural style by the British, the imported Italian tiles lent an air of opulence while the brass sheets and locks on the doors made it look imperious.

It had a small durbar hall for the Valiya Thampuran (the ruler) to meet the people, explained R.V. Kunjappan Thampuran, president of the Palace Administration Board. The stairs around the main entrance used to be the way up to the first floor and then the terrace, which had a grand view of Tripunithura. The well-appointed guard room to the left of the gate too is just a memory, now.

Rama Varma, known as the ruler who died in the Malayalam month of Mithuna, had got it built during his 24-year term, which was perhaps one of the longest between 1864 and 1888.

Staying at the Bungalow Palace, a wholly Dutch building that had living space only on the first floor, the ruler got the new palace built. And that was the reason why it was called the new palace or the Puthen Bungalow.

The government kept to itself the Puthen Bungalow when the ruling family’s assets were partitioned. For long, the fine arts department of the then RLV College of music functioned out of this palace, till time brought the structure down with the authorities showing their disrespect to a building that witnessed so much of Kochi’s history. It is just a matter of time before the remaining skeletal ruins too come crushing down, point out the members of the Kochi royal family.

Efforts, no doubt, were made to retain the structure before elements consumed it. P.K. Gopi, archaeology expert who for long was the Hill Palace Museum curator, had in 1992 submitted a report on conserving the Puthen Bungalow Palace.

But the Department of Public Works, which was supposed to maintain the structure, struck it down saying that it was not feasible. Tripunithura residents still remember how the palace was brought down piece by piece.

Local miscreants vandalised it, stealing the Italian tiles, the brass locks on the doors and whatever else was of any use.

And the authorities watched nonchalantly, as if the past was of no consequence to them or to Tripunithura.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/tale-of-apathy-etched-on-puthen-palaces-ruins/article4301288.ece

Where music once echoed

 

Remains of historic building which used to house the RLV Music College at Tripunithura | The Hindu

The old campus of RLV College of Music and Fine Arts lies forgotten

There was a time not so long ago when anyone crossing the old iron bridge to Tripunithura would hear the strains of violins and the beats of mridangam. On their way they would have seen a group of young artists and sculptors honing their skills on the banks of the narrow river flowing quietly.

It was here that the famed RLV College of Music and Fine Arts once stood. The Shanti Niketan as the college was called spread across 84 cents of land with trees all around and three blocks of tiled buildings complete with a stage at the centre. The Puthen Bungalow, located adjacent to the college was an extension which housed the Fine Arts section where occasionally other departments conducted classes.

The college was established in the late 1930s by the then Maharaja of Cochin, Kerala Varma Midukkan Thampuran and his wife Lakshmikutty Nethyaramma. It started off in a small room and there were experts who trained women in stitching, kaikottikkali, painting and other skills. The intention was to impart learning to young women and also help older women utilise their leisure time fruitfully. This institution was named after the Maharaja’s daughter Radha and his wife Lakshmi. Once music was incorporated it got the name Radha Lakshmi Vilasam Academy.

The institution came under the control of the government of Kerala in 1956 and was renamed RLV Academy of Music and Fine Arts. In 1998, it was upgraded and affiliated to the Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam.

Space constraints following the addition of many new courses, lack of regular maintenance and the need for improved facilities forced the government to move the college to a new campus sometime in 2008. The land with its buildings was returned to the Cochin Royal Family.

The college celebrated its Platinum Jubilee in 2012 but amidst all the festivities and events the place where it all began was forgotten. The buildings, a valuable heritage, were pulled down and today the place is overrun by weeds. The plan envisaged by the Tripunithura Municipality to build an open-air auditorium and waterfront park has not taken off.

Many people, including the college’s most famous alumni K. J. Yesudas, were not happy that the place where it all began was not preserved. Speaking at the Platinum Jubilee celebrations and later to the media Yesudas did not hide his displeasure at the state of things.

Tripunithura, according to him, is a place that fills him with living memories and he always thought that if there was one place that did not change drastically it was this town. He is on record saying that he was “shocked to learn that the old RLV College buildings have been pulled down.” And he personally “would have loved to keep them undisturbed, as a heritage monument.”

The college has produced some illustrious students like Thiruvizha Jayashankar, Mayyanad Kesavan Namboodiri, Vaikom Vasudevan Namboodiri, Tripunithura N. Radhakrishnan and eminent ‘gurus’ like Nellai T. V. Krishnamurthy, Parassala B. Ponnammal, Mavelikkara R. Prabhakara Varma, Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair, Neyattinkara Vasudevan among others.

“I joined RLV College rather late in my life. By then I had a job and had also begun playing mridangam and ghatom professionally. In fact, I had played for a couple of concerts in the college even before I was a student. I was part of the first mridangam batch. We were four students, of which one dropped out. Parassala Ravi Sir was our ‘guru.’ I did the four-year Ganabushanam course and later the Ganapraveena at Swati Thirunal College of Music at Thiruvananthapuram as we did not have this course here,” recounts Tripunithura Radhakrishnan, who has the unique distinction of studying and teaching in this institution.

Looking back Radhakrishnan feels that the old college campus, with all its limitations, had a charm of its own. There was unlimited enthusiasm among the students. Though there were two blocks, one for music and the other for fine arts, it was united in life and action.

“The campus lacked common amenities like hostel, canteen and even adequate sanitary support. We had space constraints, only around 22 small classrooms when the actual requirement was much higher, the roofs leaked during rains but all this did not dampen our spirits. The classrooms were cramped but strangely none of us were disturbed by the sound from the other rooms. In the new building, when the chenda was sounded in one room we, in the nearby rooms, found it difficult to concentrate. This did not happen in the old campus. Scrapping the old courses for the sake of regular degrees and post-graduate degrees has somehow ended the long line of genuine performers,” Radhakrishnan opines.

RLV College of Music and Fine Arts has moved to a posh campus with state-of-the-art facilities. Good for the institution and for the students who get regular degrees and demand value for money in education.

But spare a thought for the old campus where the college grew in fame. The river flows on, crossing the iron bridge will never be the same again. The violins have ceased to play, the mridangam beats have stopped. Even the small tea shop that functioned from one of the rooms of the old building has shut shop. It is memory today, like most of the heritage buildings in the royal town of Tripunithura.

http://m.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/society/where-music-once-echoed/article6151714.ece

Pazhamayude Naduvodiyunnu - Oottupura at SreePoornathrayeesa temple

A massive heritage building in Tripunithura, Kerala falls apart due to our collective neglect. A quick, introductory tour; and an appeal to save it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kpJ0oIV9bc