Urbanised Mint Street loses heritage sheen

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It is known as the hub for wholesales, retailers, importers and exporters of all kinds of goodies, naturally attracting people for the variety of commodities and affordable prices.

This highly congested Mint Street, which got its name in 1840s when the British East India Company established its coin making facility, nurtures multi-lingual and multi-ethnic groups now.

The din, the crisscrossing rickshaws and vehicles, the crush of people are the quintessential elements of this oldest major street in Chennai.

The street runs from north to south through George Town. Though it sports an ultra modern look, the rapid urbanisation is making the street gradually lose its heritage value.

Some of the old structures are being pulled down and are getting replaced with modern buildings. The street also accommodates residential apartments.

The Company’s mint, which later became the Government Press and is still functioning; is an endangered heritage building. Initially many Telugus dominated this stretch and gradually it became the home for Gujaratis.

People from the Saurashtra region, associated with the cloth trade moved in as early as in 1740s. As pawn brokers and money lenders, Marwaris too joined the list of settlers here.

It was here that the historic Tondaimandalam Tuluva Vellalar (TTV) School, (1854), which is the home to one of the earliest music sabhas – the Tondaimandalam Sabha and the Hindu Theological School (1889) were established.

It also saw the first performance of Harikatha by a woman when in 1909, C. Saraswathi Bai, gave the first public performance of Harikatha, much against the stiff opposition to her taking the stage.

The old Post Office, a combination of classical Greek and Indo Saracenic architecture, Ekambareshwarr temple, Sree Chandraprabhu Maharaj Juna Jain temple, Sri Chandra Prabhu Jain Naya Mandir, Sree Gujarati Swetamber Murti Pujak Jain Sangh, Kandhaswamy temple, Renuka Parameswari temple besides a mosque and a church are found here.