CHENNAI: A heritage walk at 6.30 on a Sunday morning is generally not looked upon as a favourable indulgence by youths and adults alike, especially after a night of heavy rain. The rather sprightly crowd of elderly alumni from the College of Engineering, Guindy, professors in their walking garb and a lone child were set to prove that notion false. “Back in 1947, walking up to Elliots and back, was an easy stroll,” announced 1951 alumnus Adhiraj, who kept walking with the group despite protests from the organisers to use the waiting car to go from venue to venue. The Heritage Walk may have been to commemorate the start of Madras Week, but for the small group of alumni, it was a time of fond memories and revision of campus history.Beginning with the main ‘red building’ at the College of Engineering, Guindy, the group went to the terrace that is “kept under strict lock and key as per the Dean’s orders” — the bell room! “The harmonic bronze bell that was instituted there was made by John Taylor and Company, brought here and installed in 1922,” explained the guide, Anand David, from the batch of 2006. While showing off the old lechlanche cells that once powered the mighty bell, Adhiraj reminisced how the gong could be heard from Adyar to Guindy. “We would know we’re late for class when he hear it ring. Of course, being late was completely different in those days,” said the former boxer and member of the territorial army. Incidentally, a bell still chimes every hour, except that it’s an electronic one fashioned by P Orr and Sons. When pulled, the aged old one still packed a punch.While there were about 10 dedicated souls from the alumni forming the backbone of the walk through anecdotes and embarrassing stories, their number was bolstered with people who walked around CEG every morning for fitness’ sake. Keshav Kumar, who runs a private firm, commented on how the history of the campus compelled him to join the walks, for an early-morning heritage tour of this walkers’ paradise.After peeks into the departments of highways engineering and mechanical engineering, the alumni quite unabashedly took their seats in the nicely-renovated classrooms with a tinge of joy. “They have changed the boards, painted the walls and improved the flooring but the same folding seats that we sat on in 1966 are still here,” said a visibly happy Ramanathan, as they spent time in the ‘X Hall’, attached to CEG’s EEE department. A batchmate of former Indian cricketer Venkataraghavan, he looked at the ammeters in the EEE lab and said with mock disdain, “Don’t tell me they haven’t changed these yet!” He was appeased when informed that they were only two decades old.While there, Adhiraj was reminded that this was the first department that had women students admitted, “Thrisha, Lalitha and Jones,” he announced to roars of laughter, “Those were the favourite three, though, the first woman student, Mary Matthew, was much sought after too,” he added with tact.Moving past the swimming pool, Anand, who has been researching the history of his alma mater explained how there were four trenches filled with water during the air raids in 1942. “If the sirens came, people would just jump in to stay safe from the bombs,” he said. His research for the alumni association is in the hope of maintaining the individuality of the 217-year-old College of Engineering, Guindy, that is “getting lost within Anna University” these days, he added.Finally, after a visit to the now-defunct steam power lab at the Cartwright Memorial centre, the walkers headed for the canteen for a “well-deserved round of breakfast”. At the last minute, the surprisingly sprightly Adhiraj broke out into song, “Glad to be a boy of Guindy...Until my dying day”, bringing fond memories of the Cliff Richard classic Bachelor Boy. He wasn’t too worried about remembering the words this time apparently, half-a-decade ago, he would have been given a ‘holy dip’ in the Adyar River for that travesty.
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