To break the confines of the classroom and dispel student passivity while making learning fun, we took  25 children from Lady Sivaswami Ayyar Girls Higher Secondary School, Mylapore on a Heritage Walk on Mount Road. 

Students were regaled with interesting stories about commercial establishments such as Chellarams, the Gove Building, LIC and Higginbothams which have an entrenched association with the eclectic Anglo-Indian community.

Madras Inherited, an initiative by a group of architects and volunteers with the aim to unravel hidden architectural gems through heritage walks and documentation of the fast disappearing residential structures in the city, facilitated this walk.

This immersive heritage walk served as a time travel for our young children who were particularly enthralled by a 115-year-old building with domes, spires, 100-foot minarets, arches, and verandahs. They felt like they were back in time, to the era of Anglo-Indians in Chennai, experiencing the city through a new lens. 

This enriching multisensorial learning experience introduced a new dimension to history, a subject that is often hard to relate to. We are certain that this walk successfully sparked curiosity in these young minds. Our heartfelt gratitude to Madras Inherited and its volunteers!

Contributor: Gnanapushpam, Changedriver

Bhumi’s School Transformation Programme supports low-income schools on their journey to becoming exemplary schools in their communities. Currently ongoing in 15 schools across Chennai, and supported by corporates like Qualcomm, FLEX, SEW Eurodrive, and Greenergy, the programme also focuses on building the capacities of the teachers for improved content delivery.