Chennai: The Madras High court has passed several milestones in its 154-year old history. Currently it is crossing another landmark, as the Heritage Committee has taken up a commendable task of renovating the Indo-Saracenic style of architectural buildings in the High Court premises. The conservation work is now nearing completion.
The government had sanctioned funds in the 13th Finance Commission grants-in-aid for restoration / rehabilitation of the High Court main building, Small Causes Court building inside the High Court campus and the Metropolitan Magistrate court building, George Town, Chennai. The committee has also taken up renovating two lighthouses standing majestically in the campus.
In its history, India was ruled by leaders from different religious and cultural backgrounds - Guptas, Mughals, Britishers. All of them had left their distinct marks on the soil in the form of monuments and sites. The Indo-Saracenic style – made most prevalent in Madras by British architects Robert Chisholm and his successor Henry Irwin - is one such architectural style left behind by the colonisers, their architectural distinction still evident in the magnificent edifices we see in modern Chennai.
During British colonial rule, a charter granted by the Queen of England in the 16th century in favour of the East India Company giving powers to make laws, orders, ordinances, constitutions and to establish courts. By efflux of time this changed hues and colours resulting in the establishment of the Choultry Court, Cutchery Courts, Court of Judicature, Admiralty Courts, Mayor’s Court, Sheriff’s Court, Recorder’s Court, Sadr Adalat, Sadr Diwani Adalat, Sadr Faujdari Adalat, Sadr Nizamat Adalat, Court of Request, Presidency Small Causes Court, Mofussil or Provincial Small Causes Court.
In the 18th Century, the Supreme Court of Judicature was created, abolishing the Court of Records and Sir Thomas Strange took over as the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The High Court of Judicature at Madras was established by the Letters Patent dated 26.6.1862 for the Presidency of Madras, along with High Courts at Calcutta and Bombay.
The High Court of Judicature at Madras, which was constituted as a Court of Record, came into existence on 15.8.1862 with Sir Colley Harman Scotland as its first Chief Justice along with other judges, and thus began the long march of this Chartered High Court. The magnificent edifice of the Madras High Court was inaugurated on 12.7.1892 by the then Governor of Madras, Baron Wenlock and handed over to the then Chief Justice, Sir Arthur Collins.
The buildings had been constructed with a strong foundation with red brickwork and granite, embellished with minarets, mini-towers and domes. Two lighthouses – one on the top of the High Court and the other a standalone tower within the campus - are imposing structures that have withstood the ravages of time through the 19th and 20th centuries and still stand tall as beacons of light of the Chartered High Court.
Doyens of the bar who left their imprint in the history of the Madras High Court, conducted several landmark cases like (i) Sedition Case [1 Ind Case 36] against the famous freedom fighter V.O. Chidambaram Pillai; (ii) The Ashe Murder Case [1912-MLJ-490 (vol.22)] relating to 14 Freedom Fighters who supported famous patriot-Vanchinathan; (iii) The Child Custody Case involving adoption of philosopher J. Krishnamurthi by Dr Annie Besant [1913-25-MLJ-661], etc.
Many of these stalwarts later adorned the Bench as Judges and Chief Justices and their contribution to this institution is now part of history and they were instrumental in the transformation of this court from Madras Presidency to modern times. This Chartered High Court, after Independence, marched towards securing social justice as well as other objects enshrined in the preamble to the Constitution. Like a mother, the court nurtures the seekers of justice from the 18th Century to modern times.
The 175-ft tall old lighthouse in Madras High Court campus getting face lift. (Photo: DC)
Hundreds of thousands of cases – from high profile to those relating to common man’s issues were resolved by this court all through these years as a court of record with huge volumes of case bundles being stacked in the English records rooms in the campus. After completion of 150 years, the Heritage Committee of the Madras High Court had taken up the renovation of this heritage structure to strengthen the magnificent edifice, conserve and restore the building, which had suffered due to vagaries of nature and time, to its original state.
The Rajamannar Hall, located between Court Hall 3 and Court Hall 4, is the centre point of the heritage building. The hall showed the strain due to use and vagaries of nature. Similarly, the terrace also suffered due to weather conditions and the structures put on it due to necessities like air-conditioner installation. All these were removed to enable the building to breathe without strain. Even in the main building, the woodwork, ceilings, rafters and beams became brittle due to seepage of water. The cracks and voids in the building caused a lot of damage in various locations.
The Heritage Committee headed by Justice R. Sudhakar under the patronage of Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, after a hiatus between 2006 and 2011, took up the daunting task of conservation and restoration. With the funds provided by the Central government under the 13th Finance Commission, primary focus has been accorded to the restoration and conservation of the terrace of the building, the domes and minarets. These works are being carried out at a fast pace.
To showcase the nature of conservation work that is being undertaken, the Heritage Committee had completed renovating the Rajamannar Hall, with Chief Justice Kaul having inaugurated the hall recently. The Senior Advocates aver that the restoration work has been done in an exemplary manner and the hall looks exactly as it looked years ago.
Justice R.Sudhakar, Chairman of the Heritage Committee, states that the lighthouses, though not functional, are still the beacons of justice and this institution will never fail in its duty to live up to the peoples’ mandate enshrined in the preamble to the Constitution.
The heritage conservation and restoration work has been carried out as per the advice of experts in the Archaeological Survey of India and professors of IIT-Madras as well as other experts, using modern techniques such as Infra-Red Thermography (IRT) to assess the damage throughout the entire building.
‘In–situ’ video endoscopy has been done using a ‘borescope’ on the roof slabs.
The Public Works Department (PWD) took up the project using technicians who are conversant with the method of construction of such buildings in the 18th century. They are using traditional lime plastering for ceiling and Mughal plastering for the walls. Wooden structures were replaced, wherever required, with protection measures.
The heritage conservation work was taken up recently in the lighthouses. The conservation work in Small Causes Court Building in the High Court Campus and Metropolitan Magistrate Court Building, George Town Court Building were also undertaken. The Heritage Committee has proposed to appoint a Conservation Architect to oversee the restoration and conservation work.
The Heritage Committee has left no stone unturned in safeguarding the heritage structure. The committee has not limited its efforts to these buildings but has also taken up the ambitious task of restoring all the heritage buildings housing Subordinate Courts in different districts throughout the State.
“Restoring heritage structures is to bring back to life the history as it was, for the present generation to re-live the past in harmony with the present” says Justice R.Sudhakar. World Heritage Day is to be celebrated on April 18 with gusto. The institution is open for visitors to relish this marvel by participating in the regular Heritage Walk conducted on Sundays. It is the wish of the Heritage Committee and the Chief Justice that this Chartered High Court with a great history behind it will stand beyond the present to serve the cause of justice for centuries to come, said Justice R.Sudhakar.
