Paricipants during Pulianthope Walk at Don Bosco Tech Campus in Chennai on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: Ravindran_R
In the tight lanes of Pulianthope, where pedestrians and vehicles jostle for space with cattle and hens, lived a sculptor who crafted many bronze statues we see today in Chennai. S.P Pillai, the sculptor of many important statues in the State, was a resident of Pulianthope. His workshop came to be known among the locals as Bommai Kottai, revealed historian and author Nivedita Louis during a heritage walk around Pulianthope on Saturday, Madras Day. The walk was organised in association with the Information and Resource Centre for the Deprived Urban Communities (IRCDUC).Mr. Pillai also sculpted the Anna Statue displayed at Anna Salai junction, which was overseen by former Chief Ministers M. Karunanidhi and M.G. Ramachandran. “Anna visited Pillai’s house at midnight to pose for the sculpture. As M.G.R. could not visit during regular hours due to film shoots, he would come early in the morning to oversee the progress,” she added.IRCDUC founder Vanessa Peter stated that the walk is an attempt to break the stigma surrounding Pulianthope and North Chennai. “Historically, people of North Chennai have been shown as criminals. This needs to be challenged. There’s more to Pulianthope,” she added.Beginning at India’s second-largest technical institute, St. Joseph’s Industrial Training Institute, the walk took over 15 participants to a Siddha practitioner’s house, who gave free treatment to the people, then to S. Pakkirisami Pillai, a two-time MLA from the Socialist Party, who was active in the labour movement and constantly raised questions regarding its development.Many of the descendants of these prominent families have now moved out of Pulianthope. “Those kinds of people have now melted away from the population. We also fail to acknowledge and recognise such people,” said Nivedita.The walk also threw light on the many civil society-led interventions in the community. It also touched upon the history of Padisonpuram Lane, named after the then British Labour Commissioner of Madras Presidency, and Powder Mills Road, which was named after the gunpowder manufactured and stored in the area by the British.The walk also took the participants around two settlements in Pulianthope, classified as developed settlements under the Madras Urban Development Project. However, these settlements still await drinking water connections, pattas, and sewage connections.“As many as 10 of the settlements were rebuilt over two decades ago, but they continue to remain without basic amenities. It’s important that infrastructure audits are conducted so that ways can be developed to bring about basic infrastructure and amenities to the people,” said Ms. Vanessa. Published - August 23, 2026 12:31 am IST
