Will Theosophical Society protect its heritage at Thiruvallikeni?

Explore the history of Mani Iyer’s Hall in Thiruvallikeni, highlighting its significance in the Music Academy's heritage.

Last Sunday saw a group of Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Madras East exploring the heritage of Thiruvallikeni. As always, when leading such a walk in that area, I took them to Mani Iyer’s Hall on Raja Hanumantha Lala Street. I was shocked at the way the place had degenerated and seemed to be suffering from lack of even the most basic maintenance.

The photograph that I present alongside was taken by V. Ganesan of The Hindu in 2008, when I was working on the history of the Music Academy, Madras. Mani Iyer’s Hall forms an important part of that institution’s history. It was here that between April 18 and 21, 1930, the Academy held its first annual conference. The session was of significance for several reasons. First, it was decided that a musician or musicologist of significance would be invited to preside over the annual conference each year, the honour going in 1930 to T.V. Subba Rao, a young (he was 38) lawyer, who was better known for his scholarly writings on music. This recognition would become synonymous with the awarding of the Sangita Kalanidhi from 1942. Secondly, it was at Mani Iyer’s Hall that the Academy decided that it would henceforth hold its annual conferences in December, thereby kick-starting what would become the Music Season.

For the record, Mani Iyer’s Hall was the Triplicane Lodge of the Theosophical Society (TS). In 2008, when this photo was taken, the Hall was still reasonably well-maintained. But I had seen it in better shape in 2000 when I led my first heritage walk at Thiruvallikeni. Then the TS had specially opened the building for us and those in attendance could see the magnificent lecture hall and a jewel of a balcony almost completely crafted in wood. Inspired by the ambience, three young singers — Amrita Murali, Sandeep Narayanan, and Swarna Rethas — sang impromptu, and we marvelled at the acoustics. In 2008, permission was not forthcoming to photograph the interior and now, in 2024, it seems nobody even comes to clean the place.

The building, constructed in the classic style, commemorates in name Dr. S. Subramania Iyer, a legal luminary. Among the earliest Indians to become a Judge of the High Court of Madras, he was also the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Madras and a statue of his stands outside the Senate House, facing the Marina. Such high offices earned him a knighthood, but he chose to surrender it. That was when following the outbreak of the First World War, he wrote to President Woodrow Wilson of the United States, asking as to how it was fair for that country to support Great Britain when the latter did not believe in liberty for its colonies. There was a hue and cry when the letter was published, and Subramania Iyer gave up his knighthood in protest. Surprisingly, this is not remembered at all, though Tagore doing the same in 1919 keeps getting spoken and written about.

To revert to Mani Iyer’s Hall, the TS needs to focus on its upkeep. It is also necessary for the Society to think of how best it can put the place to use. A locked-up heritage building degenerates, while one with footfalls thrives with just some minimum maintenance.

While we were standing at the place, an elderly man came out of a house opposite. “You are back, are you?” he asked. “You come each time with groups and take photos, but you don’t do anything to clean up YOUR building.” If only that were true.

(V. Sriram is a writer and historian.)