Now, you can explore the iconic Ripon Buildings through guided heritage walks

A view of the Ripon Buildings’ clock tower
| Photo Credit: S Shiva Raj, shot on OnePlus #FramesofIndia

The chime of the clock at the Ripon Building is heard near the entrance, and Muhilan Murugan is ready. “This is usually my cue to start. We begin our heritage walk on the dot,” he says. 

Surrounded by a small group of people, Muhilan waits near the statue of Eric Conran-Smith, Commissioner of the Madras Corporation from 1928 to 1931, by the entrance. This is a great starting point for the guided tour of this iconic building, as he tells his curious audience about how the Corporation moved from Errabalu Chetty Street to the iconic Ripon Buildings as it stands now. 

Earlier this year, the Greater Chennai Corporation threw its doors open to the public; to delve deeper into its history through guided tours conducted four times a week. “While we curated guided tours with the GCC’s support and encouragement last year, it has truly taken off this year with structured registration and a schedule. We have completed over 100 walks, and have people who have registered till June this year already,” says Thirupurasundari Sevvel, architect and founder of the city-based organisation Nam Veedu Nam Oor Nam Kadhai. 

Curating these walks has meant keeping in mind not just the history that the building and its many corners hold, but also acknowledging that the Neoclassical structure houses the second oldest functioning Corporation in the world. The first is in London. 

Sunlight filtering in through large panelled windows at the Ripon Buildings
| Photo Credit:
S Shiva Raj

“As an organisation, we have always been committed to highlighting living heritage structures, and there is no better example than the Ripon Building,” Thirupurasundari says. This has meant that the hour-long heritage walk also includes many present-day facets of the building, including the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC), a sprawling centre that handles hundreds of complaints and grievances, and works on real-time monitoring and tracking of data from across the city. 

It is a happy coincidence, Tiruppurasundari says, that the team of four guides who lead the tours — Muhilan, Prasanna, Srishti and Aafreen Fathima — are all architects. On the guided tour, Muhilan encourages the group to experience the central staircase on their own, and to take their time as they make their way up the first floor.  “There is so much to this building that fascinates all of us. I often ask people on these tours to notice the intricate wooden jaali work on the banisters, and come back at the end of the walk and talk to me about the differences they spotted. Everything from the majestic central staircase to the views of the Ripon clock tower and the central courtyard are lovely,” Muhilan says. 

While the walks have eight stop points which encompass the history and modern-day functioning of the GCC, there is considerable awe when we walk past large wooden doors and peek inside the council hall where the periodic council meetings take place.  

College students at the Integrated Command and Control Centre of the Greater Chennai Corporation, during the heritage walk
| Photo Credit:
S Shiva Raj

The group on this day includes college students, young entrepreneurs, and even a couple who has brought along their baby. “This has been the most heartening aspect of organising these walks — to see different people who do not usually go on heritage walks or tours come for this one. The crowd is significantly different, and this means more people are finally getting interested in the history of the city,” Thirupurasundari says. 

When Muhilan ends his walk at 9am, staffers are beginning to trickle in, and cars are pulling up on the driveway. The adherence to the 8am start time now makes sense. 

While the building does hold its charm even amidst all the din from the offices, and people trooping in for appointments, there is something surreal and immersive about seeing the sunshine filter through the large windows on each floor, empty corridors blanketed in stillness, and being able to hear nothing but the calm voice of your guide. This early morning trip to experience a slice of history should be on your agenda. 

The heritage walk at the Ripon Building takes place from 8am to 9am on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. To register, log onto https://gccservices.chennaicorporation.gov.in/heritagewalk