Vadassery Amma Veedu being demolished

By T. Nandakumar

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, MARCH 25. The Vadassery Amma Veedu, a proud remnant of the city's architectural heritage dating back to the Travancore era, is being pulled down as the Government and the Heritage Commission fail to check the relentless assault on history.

The demolition of the stately mansion which commenced about a month back is almost complete.

Currently under private ownership, the building, located near the West Fort on the old airport road, was the residence of the wife of the Travancore Maharaja. The two- storied tiled building was constructed in the indigenous Travancore style with carved wooden ceiling and staircase.

Made of laterite stone and mortar, the building was a complex structure with nalukettu, anganam and tank. The sunshade windows and `poomukhom' were unique features.

Believed to be more than 100 years old, the house reflected the splendorous traditions of the royal family and contributed to the old-world charm of the city.

The historical significance of the building extends to the pre- Independence period. According to Mr. Kizhakkemadhom Govindan Nair, historian, Jawaharlal Nehru stayed at the Vadassery Amma Veedu on his visit to Thiruvananthapuram in 1931.

He recalls that Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer was the First Class Magistrate at that time.

"Pandit Nehru was prevented from entering the East Fort since it was taboo for a person who had crossed the seas. He then made his way through the South Fort and Perunthanni to reach the Vadassery Amma Veedu where he stayed for a day," he remembers.

The Art and Heritage Commission which was set up by the Government last year had identified the Fort area and environs and the Agraharam at Karamana as heritage zones in Thiruvananthapuram and earmarked them for preservation.

The commission was constituted to identify heritage zones and enforce architectural regulations.

The commission had directed the City Corporation to prevent demolition or reconstruction of any existing structure in the zone without its consent. But the Corporation maintains that it could not impose restrictions without legislative sanction.

The construction boom in the city has resulted in the mindless destruction of a large number of buildings in the traditional style of architecture, some of them over a century old.

Social problems engendered by the break up of the joint family system have forced several families to sell off traditional houses while the lure of big money offered by real estate developers and builders has tempted many others to trade ancestral property.

Many of the old houses with sprawling grounds and a large number of rooms have turned into financial liabilities for the owners due to the huge cost of maintenance.

City residents were outraged by the demolition of the 80-year-old Padmavilasom Palace at East Fort by the Government for the construction of a building to house the Directorate of Technical Education.

Many oldtimers felt that a slice of history had been destroyed with the palace.

A number of magnificent old buildings under private ownership have also been razed to the ground or earmarked for destruction by land developers.

The City Corporation has allocated funds in its budget for protection of heritage structures. But the absence of a clear strategy and lack of Government support pose problems for the local body.

In 1991, the Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) carried out a study of standing monuments and buildings of historical importance in the capital city.

It listed 133 structures, a majority of them in the Fort area. The list was handed over to the Government in a bid to launch a conservation effort which, however, never materialised.

In the absence of adequate powers and legal backing, the Government and the Heritage Commission remain silent spectators as the blind destruction of the priceless architectural heritage of the city continues unhindered.

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