When my family moved to Chennai in the year 1952, we were facing a very big family problem. My brother-in-law had deserted my twenty-year-old sister to marry another woman. Since my father was no more we didn?t know what to do further. We were advised to seek the help of a holy man, Mouna Guru Swami. So we commenced our journey to Ambattur where the Swami resided. The Ambattur area was devoid of a well-knit bus transport network in those days. We boarded the electric train and reached Park station. From there we went to Central station, got into another train to reach Ambattur and it took us four hours to reach the place. From the station we engaged a horse-driven carriage and started looking around for Mouna Guru Swami?s abode. After great efforts when we reached the ashram of Mouna Guru Swami it was two in the afternoon. All that we had taken in the morning was a cup of coffee. We were so famished that we felt like asking for some water from the Swami rather than a solution to our problem. The Swami was kind enough to offer us the little water that he had for himself.

But my next visit to the Swami?s ashram was neither personal nor did I take any great efforts to reach there. The Tamil film director Bheemsingh?s brother and a sadhu from a foreign country took me to the abode. It was again a hot day and we visited the ashram located in a barren place. I just wondered what that lean and weak Swami was doing in that God-forsaken place.

But today Ambattur has developed to a great extent and I am sure no one will be annoyed if I say that the development has taken place in a haphazard manner. Be it a small street or a broad road, none of them are straight enough even for a distance of 100 feet. If this is the situation in the older parts, the newer areas are also in no way spared from this pattern of development. Multi-storeyed residential apartments have sprung up everywhere. Apparently in a place where there was just one household there are about six households today. And above all a proper drainage system is absent. So we should always be prepared to walk on streams of sewage water running on the streets. The vehicles that come to collect the sewage water should be regular and the vehicles should also be in proper condition. Only the Mouna Guru Swami can come to the rescue of the Ambattur residents.

                                                                                                                              Ashoka Mithran

Retro Chennai from Asoka Mithran looks back at Chennai, in fact the Madras as it was known and existed. The column traces the city's lifescape at various points of time.