When heritage has no market value

CHENNAI: The reek of fish is pungent, around the Kal Mandapam, but the stench of dereliction and neglect is heavier. Set in the heart of Royapuram in north Chennai, the market is said to date back to the British era, when it once thrived.
The market derives its name from the Kal Mandapam at the Angala Parameshwari Amman temple situated close by, says historian Vakula Varadharajan."Royapuram grew and flourished after the railway station was built in 1857 — the first ever station in south India," he says, adding that it was unusual for a fish and vegetables to be sold together. With the setting up of a hospital, tram lines, and a police station, the market could not be far behind.
A once-bustling place that was spread over 17,000sqft, the market now finds itself tucked away in obscurity, in the middle of a busy street that threatens to engulf it. Nestled among crumbling buildings with exposed brick walls and layers of peeling paint, are 40-odd shops that sell fish, meat and vegetables and are still holding out. "It was very different 40 years ago," says Shenbagavalli, a fish seller who has been at the market her whole life. "She’s right, there was much more life. You should have seen the crowds," says Machagandhi, another fish seller. Proud of the place they point to the tiles, above a meat shop, which they say shows the history of the structure.
Sure enough, beneath the soot and dust blackening the script, the letters stand out- ‘Basel Mission Tile Works’ and ‘Patent 1865’. The firm was set up by German missionary Plebot in 1865 in Karnataka and was said to be the first of its kind in the country. Known as Mangalorean tiles, they were recommended for government buildings during the British period.
M Jayakumar, a tender coconut seller, sits in front of the rusted gate. "The land is owned privately, and embroiled in legal dispute," he says, adding that despite its history the market will never be considered a heritage structure.