Mylapore, which was synonymous with temples, tanks, and Tiruvalluvar, was famous for one more aspect in the beginning of this century. That was the presence of lawyers. The renowned lawyers and judges of Chennai were living there: Alladi Krishnaswami, Sir T Muthuswami, V Krishnaswami, Bhashyam, Sir Desikachari, Subbarayar. And on the fringes of Mylapore lived Sir C P Ramaswami Aiyar, V C Gopalaratnam, K S Jayaraman, residents of Mylapore.�

Even the streets and roads named after these renowned persons have been changed. Today there are a lot of court clerks here. The half-a-kilometre-long Luz Church Road had just ten houses then. In the middle of a vast expanse of one or two acres there used to be a single bungalow. Added to this were horse-driven coaches, lots of trees and large, beautiful tanks in those houses. All of them have vanished now.

Today there are three big hospitals here. Many offices have come up. There is a telephone exchange too. The Nageswara Rao Park is still there. To remind us of old Mylapore we still have Amrutanjan.�

There was a time when all the people, irrespective of caste, creed, religion and language, used Amrutanjan as the only remedy for their headache. Mylapore not only provided remedy for headaches but also offered a unique liver cure system. That was the Jammi Venkataramana�s Liver Cure for the treatment of jaundice and liver enlargement in children. In those days, most of the newborn children died of jaundice. Some children died even after the Jammi treatment. But there are certain exceptions too, like me.

Today, what decides the fame of Mylapore? Is it the Kapaleeswarar temple? Mylapore Benefit Fund? The tasty food items? Or the Amrutanjan Pain Balm? We feel that all these have lost their charm today. Even now you get good quality betel leaves, aromatic tobacco, and tasty arecanuts in Mylapore. In these days of Pan Parag there are still people who relish the chewing of tobacco.

Let us scan Chennai again....

Ashokamitran