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R. Sujatha
CHENNAI:, APRIL 29, 2012 23:10 IST
It is well-ventilated with wooden beams or terracotta tiles for the ceiling and wooden
staircases.
https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/history-and-culture/agraharam-time-virtually-stands-still-here/article3367816.ece 1/2
4/3/2019 Agraharam — time virtually stands still here - The Hindu
The tenants see no reason to vacate. “I was born and raised here,” said one 70-year-old woman,
who retains her 400-sq.ft portion. She would return to it but for her son. Vedavalli is also 70
and became part of the household after marriage.
“My daily ritual includes going to the temple,” she says. Her children have bought apartments
nearby but she wants to live here.
The tenants pay around Rs.750 and most of them have not renovated their portions. There is no
piped water supply but the residents are not complaining. The rent collected is used to improve
facilities for the temple devotees, they say.
Some tenants have spruced up their portions and even installed air-conditioners.
On Mundahakanni Amman 4th Street in Mylapore, around 12 houses retain their 19th century
charm despite the cars and SUVs parked along the Madhava Perumal temple wall.
Residents here say in the last 50 years the character of the agraharam has changed. Here too,
the rent collected is used for the temple upkeep.
“The land belongs to the temple. My mother-in-law became the first tenant and paid a rent of
Rs. 45,” said a resident, who has been living there for the past 18 years. The agraharam has
been in existence for over 60 years.
https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/history-and-culture/agraharam-time-virtually-stands-still-here/article3367816.ece 2/2