Thiruvananthapuram: Repairs cost Freemasons big

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The historians in the city have lamented the recent unscientific renovations done on the 19th century Freemasons club building situated on the premises of the Directorate of Public Instruction  at Jagathy. The building, constructed in the late 1890s during the reign of Sri Mulam Thirunal, was a hangout of some of the oldest names in Freemason fraternity in Travancore. It was made under the watchful eyes of Minchin, the first chief engineer of the capital who designed and supervised Pechipara dam and Thiruvananthapuram railway station.

The road in front of this building was also called Minchin road which was later rechristened as K. Anirudhan road.   The club was established  around the same time of Sri Mulam club and European club which was later rechristened as Trivandrum club. Later,  the Freemasons club became bankrupt. With this, the Maharaja took over the premises at Jagathy and it became the DPI. In its place, he allotted the fraternity some land at Vazhuthacaud where the Freemasons hall presently exists.   People who were part of Freemason fraternity in the capital included Diwans like C.P. Ramaswamy.

The building which was similar to a ‘nalukettu’ now resembles a shed. With DPI staffers complaining about leaks, the contractor under Kerala State Industrial Enterprises (KSIE) had recently replaced it with sheets. “It should have been protected and brought under the control of archaeology department,” said historian Malayankeezhu Gopalakrishnan. D. Santhi Kumar, who was a senior member of Lodge Trivandrum of Freemason fraternity expressed concern about the plight of the building.     Archaeology department director G. Premkumar, said he had sought a report on the matter and was in talks with DPI K.V. Mohan Kumar to preserve the site.