Being very new to the ever popular city of Chennai everything seems new and well it is also an exercise in getting to know all the umpteen different things that I have heard people harp over and over. To me the city is just another one of those cities that have been extremely popular during the British Raj and yeah the influence has certainly rubbed off on the city, this is quite evident in the architecture… Sadly it’s only the architecture that has the influences of the our European motherland, the people are still the same old same old.
The interesting aspect that I found quite pleasurable is the fact that no matter which locality you are in, in Chennai you always have that one house, shop, building, company, arch etc that seems to have forgotten time. In most cases any of the above said real estate stands in this little pocket of nostalgia, reminding everyone about the days gone by. Each having a story to it and each enriched as the days pass by.
Every day I pass by one of the cities exclusive locales and it’s just lovely to see old house as they jostle for position with sprawling modern bungalows… The modern houses although look fantastic and futuristic it still pales in comparison with the artistic grandeur of the age old bungalows. The intrinsic carvings and the elaborate awnings of the old buildings are unmatchable. The craftsmanship is outstanding. Not that I am biased about the modern way of doing things, but it’s just that the modern has a very artificial feel to it, not being too inviting in execution, not being too warm and comfortable and well very factory-ish if ever there is a term like that.
In a way I can say that we are partly biased to some feelings of nostalgia as it represents a set of memories that we choose to cherish and not let go of. I look at a old hose and think of the grandeur it once had I also stare in admiration at the fact that it is still holding good in these times of change and I applaud the owners for not giving in to greed and helping in maintaining that oasis of memories.
