A COTTAGE IN SWAMI HILLS *
16. PORTER TOWN HALL
one of the evening programmes of my grandfather is to go for a walk up to some landmark in the town. During these walks, I invariably accompanied him.One of our terminating points for evening walks was Gandhi park. We sometimes would listen to the Tamil news which was broadcast at that time around 7 15 PM from the loudspeakers in Gandhi Park. Sometimes, we went to the majestic building opposite Gandhi Park named Porter Town Hall.
Porter Town Hall was named after the first principal of Kumbakonam Government Arts college Mr William Archer Porter. When he came to Kumbakonam, he was the Headmaster of the provincial School and in a few years, it was converted to a college. probably it was the second Government college after The Presidency College in Madras. In 1874 he became the principal of the college.
The buildings for the college started coming up in the land acquired on the northern bank of the cauvery. The construction started modelling the college building after the then famous Cambridge. The buildings might have been completed by 1880. Soon, the college became the talk of the town. "The new college found its place even in the " Kolatta pattu" of the young girls on 19th century and early 20th century in Kumbakonam. the song goes thus:
"காவேரி அக்கரையில் கட்டிடங்கள் கட்டி
அழகான காலேஜி வைத்தார்கள் பெண்ணே... "
In memory of Mr Porter the town hall constructed in 1883 was named after him. Many famous speakers had come and delivered lectures here. The most famous and the most respected person was Swami Vivekananda who visited Kumbakonam in 1897 in February. A news item appeared in the news paper The Madras Mail about his visit.
http://wikimapia.org/1894481/Porter-Town-Hall#/photo/37688
Adjacent to Porter Town Hall, Gopal Rao Library stands proudly and my grandfather was a member of this Library. We used to visit the Library and take books for home reading. there used to be a small annexe where all sanskrit texts were kept. I think this was called Sundarrama Iyer Library. My grandfather took National Geographic books and I was amazed to read about the tribals and their customs in various continents. We also used to take the Reader's Digest books on World Wars. I read about the Luftwaffe and Goebbels in those books. I read about the day Bombay burnt.
I miss those curiosity filled days where every visit to the Library was an adventure which could unfold an unexpected treasure.
* Cottage in swami hills refers to the house in which we lived in Kumbakonam. This phrase was used once by my grandfather when I asked him that as some people go in summer to Kodaikanal and Ooty where they have a cottage whether we would also be able to go and stay like them one day. My grandfather replied that he already has a cottage near swami Hills (swamimalai) and he referred to his house as the cottage.
The buildings for the college started coming up in the land acquired on the northern bank of the cauvery. The construction started modelling the college building after the then famous Cambridge. The buildings might have been completed by 1880. Soon, the college became the talk of the town. "The new college found its place even in the " Kolatta pattu" of the young girls on 19th century and early 20th century in Kumbakonam. the song goes thus:
"காவேரி அக்கரையில் கட்டிடங்கள் கட்டி
அழகான காலேஜி வைத்தார்கள் பெண்ணே... "
In memory of Mr Porter the town hall constructed in 1883 was named after him. Many famous speakers had come and delivered lectures here. The most famous and the most respected person was Swami Vivekananda who visited Kumbakonam in 1897 in February. A news item appeared in the news paper The Madras Mail about his visit.
http://wikimapia.org/1894481/Porter-Town-Hall#/photo/37688
Adjacent to Porter Town Hall, Gopal Rao Library stands proudly and my grandfather was a member of this Library. We used to visit the Library and take books for home reading. there used to be a small annexe where all sanskrit texts were kept. I think this was called Sundarrama Iyer Library. My grandfather took National Geographic books and I was amazed to read about the tribals and their customs in various continents. We also used to take the Reader's Digest books on World Wars. I read about the Luftwaffe and Goebbels in those books. I read about the day Bombay burnt.
I miss those curiosity filled days where every visit to the Library was an adventure which could unfold an unexpected treasure.
* Cottage in swami hills refers to the house in which we lived in Kumbakonam. This phrase was used once by my grandfather when I asked him that as some people go in summer to Kodaikanal and Ooty where they have a cottage whether we would also be able to go and stay like them one day. My grandfather replied that he already has a cottage near swami Hills (swamimalai) and he referred to his house as the cottage.
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