The Story of Besant Nagar

Sometime back, I wrote an interesting post on the street cricket culture & my experiences with it.

And I quote "I was a street-cricket-playing kid brought up in a middle class (back then) neighbourhood, a paradise for retirees & ex-central government officials. The reason I used the "(back then)" was, nobody will believe you if you try saying "Besant Nagar is a middle class area". Anyone who owns a house here can now sell it & buy an island in the Seychelles."

Besant Nagar is now a hub for commercial outlets, and is buzzing with activity till 11PM which by the standards of our area is very late into the night. But what is the story behind this place? Part of me always wanted to be a historian, or just someone who put many facets of a place/people on paper. I always loved doing it & will try to tell you about the history of Besant Nagar as I know it.
Wikipedia gives only the bare minimal account of what my neighbourhood is. Having lived for 23 years in the same place, I have first hand knowledge from talking to retirees, morning walkers - ol' mens club, reading Chennai historian Vincent D'Souza and best of all, my alma mater Kalakshetra Foundation (although the sources I'm linking in this post are from Wikipedia, because no other website has detailed a write-up about these topics). I studied in the 'Besant Arundale Senior Secondary ' school that was founded by Theosophist & noted Bharatnatyam revolutionary, Rukmani Devi Arundale. Rukmani Devi, fondly called as 'atthai' among the students, was a revivalist who re-invented the culture of the Bharat Natyam dance form. She was an everlasting presence in the serene campus that is Kalakshetra. She didn't live long enough for me to see her in person, but her philosophy & words are still repeated on every Founder's day. The anecdotes that were recounted by various speakers used to enchant the audience, gripping them in the tales of an extraordinary woman, who worked towards a more peaceful world.

Annie Besant, from whom the name "Besant Nagar" originated and Dr.George Arundale were visionaries in the Theosophical movement, around which the area in South Madras (ne Chennai) developed. The Society is still a landmark in the South Side of the city. Dr.Arundale married Rukmani Devi before they started the Society in Adayar. Jiddu Krishnamurthi was a protege of Annie Besant, who was marked to takeover the reigns of developing the Theosophical movement. However, Krishnamurthi went his own way in his spiritual beliefs which led to Annie Besant being disappointed. To make sure he had something to fall back on, if he didn't succeed, Annie Besant purchased 6 acres of land around Adayar river;in his name. The other parts which surrounded the Besant Arundale Senior Seconday school & the Kalakshethra Campus that wrapped around the school, were purchased by Dr.Arundale and given to Rukmani Devi, to run the schools under the banner of Theosophical Society of India. The Besant Theosophical High School (BTHS) still exists sandwiched between Besant Nagar & Thiruvanmiyur, the road adjoining it being a lifeline for motorists to commute between the two areas.

In current day South Chennai, Kalakshethra Colony, i.e the land extending from Kalakshetra gate till Spencers Daily (the erstwhile Food World) or Church Road as it is referred or the more recent Karaikudi/Dhaba restaurant, fell under the border of Rukmani Devi's land. The stretch from this junction till Theosophical society was bundled into what became "Krishnamurthi Foundation of India" or KFI. Presently, KFI is a school (following ICSE) beside the Society. All the other parts (which comprise of present day Besant Nagar as we know it) were sold in the late 70's to raise money to run the schools. Rukmani Devi was running the Kalakshethra College of Fine Arts & the CBSE school (Besant Arundale Senior Seconday) while KFI trust ran the KFI school. Most of present day Besant Nagar, from the beach & its parallel roads came from the land that these two visionaries sold to the Government of TamilNadu.

To this day, I have fond memories of growing up around the Kalakshethra Campus. Climbing trees, sitting with your legs folder in class, addressing the teacher as "Teacher"was common instead of the "Ma'am or Miss" followed in most schools. Fine arts which were compulsory for all students (I actually learnt Carnatic music as a rule :p, but have forgotten everything).The uniforms which followed Indian tradition; pyjama kurtha for boys & half-saree/pavada-dhavani for girls; were a highlight. No footwear was allowed inside class. Punishments included watering the garden & ringing the bell at the end of the day. The classrooms were huts or cottages which had polished stones for flooring & hay stacked roofs. We did not have fans or lights as the roof kept most of the heat away while the small pockets on the walls let natural light in. Once in a week, upon nagging by the students or by choice, the teachers used to take classes under trees. The art classes we had were always held under trees & landscape drawings were a big hit among students.

Besant Nagar has its charm, the slow uneasiness with which life moves on. The fierce urgency of office-goers, the chirpiness among the morning walkers, the camaraderie among retirees who meetup everyday along the beach, the community bonding that poured out during the earthquake & tsunami and much much more. Although I do have qualms about the current status of Besant Nagar, becoming more commercial and destroying the peace & quiet that once existed, one visit to the above mentioned places rejuvenates me. The Olive Ridley turtle walking in Elliots Beach is one of the activities I thoroughly enjoyed during my schools days. It is one of those quests where you go around the beach looking for turtle eggs & store them safely in a safe house, where the turtles will safely hatch. They are then re-released into the sea thereby making sure the eggs are not eaten away by predators.

For a place that has so much history packed around its origin & name, this area of Chennai will always remain etched in the memories of its residents. The memories of living here are bound to remain in the hearts & minds of residents for eternity. I hope this little tidbit article enhanced your knowledge on some little known aspects of the heritage we proudly wear on our sleeves.

P.S: If you want to do a write-up about your neighbourhood, please publish. I am a junkie when it comes to reading the history of various places from first hand experiences/sources. Thoughts & your comments are highly appreciated