During a discussion recently about landscapes, someone remarked that “the landscape of India is her people”. This is true. No matter where one happens to point one’s camera, one finds someone doing something. Chennai is no exception. The city is literally bursting at the seams. Everywhere, builders are hard at work adding floors to existent buildings or tearing down single family dwellings to make room for apartment complexes that reach to the clouds. Besides its beaches (only second in total ocean frontage to Rio de Janeiro), the city has only one botanical lung. It is the 28 acres along the south shore of the Adyar River, owned by the Theosophical Society. It is said to contain the largest Banyan Tree in the world (one full acre) along with other botanical rarities from around the globe.
Unlike Chennai proper where every house and building has a wall surrounding it - where living and working space is measured in inches - here at the Society the only wall is the one surrounding the property. Inside, there are houses, administrative offices, libraries, places of worship and gardens set randomly throughout its sprawling, overwhelmingly pristine woodsy areas. It brings to mind a time when India’s population was considerably less than it is today, when even her great and fabled cities could boast of having green, open spaces and life moved at a much less desperate pace.
There is, of course, a foreign connection to the Theosophical Society - charitable NGO’s in fifty-eight countries to be exact. The grounds are open just a few hours in the morning and then again in mid-afternoon. There is no entrance fee. The organization and the maintenance of its facilities survive on support from rich benefactors abroad. Moreover, much of the routine work that is required is done by volunteers.
According to its website http://www.ts-adyar.org/ the Theosophical Society, which was founded in 1875, “is a worldwide body whose primary object is Universal Brotherhood based on the realization that life, and all its diverse forms, human and non-human, is indivisibly One. The Society imposes no (singular) belief system on its members, who are united (only) by a common search for Truth and desire to learn the meaning and purpose of (human) existence by engaging in study, reflection, purity of life and loving service.” Needless to say, this encompasses the wishes of most of us.
The Theosophical Society enjoys a rich and interesting history involving the occult and various influential and eccentric personalities, including the founders, H.P. Blavatsky and Col. H.S. Olcott. Details are readily available in libraries and on the net. I cannot escape the fact that all these people would first and foremost have had to have been independently wealthy as to be in a position to even think of dabbling in other-worldly matters.
The extent of our own involvement is likely to mirror your own should you ever decide to come here: a leisurely stroll through the gardens with camera poised. We noted with great relief that the notorious Chennai hammer-and-anvil sun did not intrude as lethally as it does everywhere else. There were to be other distractions however.
As soon as we had signed the register at the gate and taken a few steps, there was a great rustling behind the hedgerow that lined the path. It turned out to be a mountain of a boar, happily crashing through the underbrush. It would run along with us, first to the right of us, then to the left; crossing the path within easy shouting distance both in front and behind us. At every turn, it seemed to be getting closer. It snorted as it ran. I could clearly see its yellow eyes; hooked teeth protruded from both sides of its mouth. At one point, it stopped just a few yards ahead of us, stamping its hooves. We stopped as well. We'd become concerned. Perhaps it was getting ready to charge.
It turned out to be an 'enlightened' swine, obviously healthy and well fed; black as night. It meant us no harm. We would see it frolicking about throughout our visit.
Peter Koelliker; pkoelliker8@yahoo.com
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