THIS
PART of the city once sheltered rulers' horses, housed British
administrators and planters, and played host to national leaders.
Though it is no longer the quiet residential grove it used to
be, memories of history linger amid its commercial growth.
Race Course, one of the few parts of the city that has seen development
since British rule, is now not just a mix of modernity and heritage,
but also of shops, institutes, eat-outs, clubs, and group houses.
As it struggles to retain its old world charm, be it even in
bits, it is still one of the few places in the city that can boast
of better infrastructure.
If a time machine can take us 50 years backwards, Race Course
was:
Dense with foliage (thanks to the Valankulam nearby), had ground
water in plenty and was home to birds, butterflies and dragonflies.
Nannies clad in white pushed around prams, the melody of the
church organ echoed in the neighbourhood and elders wheeled around
children on their bicycles.
In the soothing evening breeze, men drove, cycled down or even
walked to the Coimbatore Cosmopolitan Club and a group gathered
every day under a tree at the club (Wisdom Tree Group, which later
became the Verandah Club) to talk everyday matters. Charities
too came out of this meeting. The area had lots of banyan trees
and even now has an "Alamarathu Bungalow."
Most of the old-time residents believe that the place was never
used for "competitive horse racing." It had a wide circular
path as the regiment horses went around.
Apart from the Government bungalows, the major landholders before
the entry of the Indians were: Robert Stanes, Pierce Leslie and
Brooke Bond.
With the exodus of Europeans from India after Independence, the
lands were available at low costs and this saw more Indians making
Race Course their choice for a residence. Even then, just a handful
of families lived in Race Course, each of them holding more than
10 acres.
"Each house is a landmark. The properties were raised in
such a way that they were spoken about for the next 40 or 50 years,"
says Rajesh Govindarajulu, Editor of The Wisdom Tree, the in-house
journal of the Coimbatore Cosmopolitan Club.
For instance, having great admiration for a former British Prime
Minister, William Ewart GladstoneMr.
Shanmugam Chettiar had named his house - Hawarden (after the
residence of Mr. Gladstone). Leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi
and Chittaranjan Das, Maharajas, religious heads and artistes
have visited many of the houses in Race Course.
"Coimbatore was originally a cluster of villages. Unlike
places like Madurai, it is a modern city," says R. Sundarraj,
grandson of the late Shanmugam Chettiar.
Planned by the British, Race Course saw well-thought out infrastructure
even then.
That explains the wide roads (which are believed to have been
there even before 1910), individual houses having drainage systems,
a park on the eastern side and a club for the British.
"Some
of us in the Tea Estate compound had decided even in those days
not to have buildings of more than two-storeys and planted trees
in front of the houses," points out L. G. Ramamurthi, Chairman
of the Sara Elgi Group. Between the 1960s and now, the population
growth in the area is over 1000 per cent, says R. Rammohan, a
third-generation resident. (From the days of large plots held
by a few families, Race Course now has over 350 property tax .
Even as it sees incredible development, what is of concern to
many is retaining the charm of the place by upgrading infrastructure
and accommodating growth.
It is one of the few places that had diverse structures in such
a small area. Sustained development will help retain its charm,
says Mr. Rajesh.
"Planning is a continuous process and it has to be rejuvenated
to keep with the times. Now, we have technology that will help
people adopt waste management systems even inside the house premises,"
adds Naren Rajan, Managing Director of Tristar Accommodations
Ltd.
"A small thing like garbage segregation will go a long way
(in keeping the place clean)." Mr. Naren Rajen points out
how such old houses continue to exist even in countries such as
Singapore. He stresses the need to preserve them here. Some old
structures
The CSI All Souls' Church: The building
was consecrated in 1872 and was built to commemorate the 40th
anniversary of Queen Victoria-II, who was also the mpress of India
then.
The church and the adjoining buildings have the features of an
Anglican Parish. The arched openings lead to a 12-feet wide hall
culminating in the raised sanctuary. The low-roofed chancels on
either side were to accommodate the choir on one side and the
members on the other.
Coimbatore Cosmopolitan Club: Its foundation
was laid in 1891. Spread over four acres, the club had a reading
room and a tennis court even in the early 1900s.
,,A high-ceiling billiards room was built in 1923 in memory of
A.T. Thiruvenkataswamy Mudaliyar, one of the main founders of
the club. In 1951, it got a library hall with 1,200 books.
