Last week, I attended the annual day at the Sri Kanyaka Parameswari College. Soon after, I visited the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM). They invited me to their Heritage Centre’s 20th year celebrations. At both places, I received caricatures of myself. Interestingly, both showed me with more hair than I actually have. That aside, I left with a deep sense of satisfaction. The Heritage Centre does meaningful work and truly reflects the excellence that IIT stands for.
Heritage Lost Through Poor Record Keeping
For over 25 years, I have worked on compiling institutional histories. During this time, I often noticed how easily records disappear. Government departments should lead by example, but they often fail. Documents and photographs go missing due to neglect or lack of continuity. Then come office relocations, fires, and increasingly frequent floods. While the plague belongs to the past, other risks remain.
At times, people even destroy records to “save space.” In other cases, officials dismiss them as unimportant. Then comes another barrier secrecy. Institutions often label everything as confidential, as though every file could build a missile.
Heritage Exceptions Among Institutions
In all these years, I have seen only a few exceptions. The Reserve Bank of India stands out. The State Bank of India is another example. Now, I would add IIT Madras’ Heritage Centre (IITMHC) to that list. It is, in fact, the only IIT with such a facility. Professor R Natarajan, the eighth director of IITM (1995–2001), conceived the idea. He believed the institute needed a central archive for its built, natural, and cultural heritage.
He entrusted the project to Prof Ajit Kumar Kolar. Later, in 2006, Prof A Ramachandran inaugurated the centre.
Heritage Centre Functions and Collections
So, what exactly does the IITMHC do? It preserves material of historical and heritage value from IIT Madras. Photographs form a major part of the collection. It also houses a complete set of campus newsletters. In addition, the centre publishes its own journal, *Glass Panels*. Located on the ground floor of the administrative block, it serves as the starting point for campus tours.
The centre even operates a battery-powered vehicle for visitors. It also runs a small exhibition space that highlights IITM’s story. Unlike most exhibitions, it regularly rotates displays. This keeps visitors engaged and curious.
Natural Heritage and Creative Preservation
What impressed me most was the focus on the campus’s natural heritage. The team has documented it with great creativity. For instance, they represented lepidoptera through detailed hand-painted illustrations. They avoided the usual method of pinning insects. I also saw their latest project on birds’ eggs.
They created the specimens using 3D printing and then painted them carefully. Experts from the Bombay Natural History Society guided the process. Each egg matches real-life dimensions. Not a single nest faced disturbance. Meanwhile, monkeys played in the portico, and deer calmly crossed the road as I left.
Oral Heritage and Documenting Memories
The oral history project is another strong initiative. It records personal memories for future generations. In 2011, the centre published “Campaschimes”, a coffee-table book marking IITM’s fifty years. Kumaran Sathasivam, who leads the centre, wrote it. The book traces the institute’s journey and growth.
Currently, Prof Arun Menon oversees the centre. He has also contributed to studies on structural stability, including work on buildings like Gokhale Hall. His involvement adds further strength to the initiative.
Expanding Heritage Centres Across the City
This raises an important question. When will other city institutions create similar heritage centres? Bodies like the Greater Chennai Corporation, the PWD, and historic colleges should consider this seriously. Medical institutions too can benefit from such efforts. If these centres come up, Chennai could become one of the best documented cities in the country. That would be a legacy worth building.
This article appeared in The Hindu-https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/when-an-institute-of-technology-preserves-precious-madras-heritage/article70725278.ece
My book, Chennai, A Biography can be ordered-https://sriramv.com/2021/12/27/how-to-buy-autographed-copies-of-chennai-a-biography-from-outstation/20.ece
