Dark Earth and Church of the Assumption in Chennai
Church of Our Lady of the Assumption in Chennai | Photo credit: Special arrangement
Every time I write an article or make a video about the history of Madras (that’s Chennai), I get some more information on my head. Last week was no different and I am grateful to those who have so generously shared their knowledge.
The first relates to the subject of my last article in this column – the goddess Nimishamba. Karthik Bhatt, who knows everything there is to know about our city, gently directed me to the Census of India 1961, Volume XI D, which deals with the temples of Madras State. Going through the names of those who put it together was a pleasure in itself, as there were hallowed names from the IAS, including my dear friend P. ‘Bob’ Murari, who was then Deputy Superintendent of Census. And many of the articles in the book undoubtedly bear the stamp of Bob’s writing.
The Sri Nimishambal Ishwari Temple is said to have been built in 1836 or thereabouts. Current claims that the shrine is four centuries old are therefore patently false. The builder was Krishnaswamy Raju, about whom nothing further is known. He built it on a plot of 3 cents – 1300 square feet off Kasi Chetty Street. In 1884, Venkatalakshmi Ammal donated the mandapam. The two shops in the front pay rent to the shrine and help with its upkeep. I was also wrong in assuming that it was one of the Chitrakars who endowed the temple. By name, Krishnaswamy Raju appears to be one of the Rajapalayam Rajus.
The second story is about a YouTube episode I shot of Madras Viewpoint as seen in the 1977 Tamil film Adu Puli Attam starring Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan and Sripriya. Much of it was straightforward – bits of T. Nagara and Mount Road and a nice shot of Fort Station with the clear Cooum flowing by. However, the rather dilapidated church confused me. It was like a movie somewhere in Kancheepuram. I left it as a question for the viewers and many responded, one of them said he used Google lens to locate the place. It was Our Lady of Assumption Church, Dharkast, Kancheepuram District. As the city is now expanding, the Chennai area has a PIN code – 600045.
The church, about which I could find nothing but the date of its construction in 1894, is happily preserved. It has not fallen victim to the madness of modernization with a lack of regard for heritage that pervades many others of its kind. And compared to what I saw in the movie, it looks very good. But it was the word Dharkast that caught my eye.
What does ‘Darkhast’ mean?
In Urdu, Darkhast (and not Dharkast) means petition or request, and in East India Company terms it meant, especially in the Madras Presidency, the grant of poromboke lands to homeless or oppressed individuals. By the way Poromboke has nothing to do with Lord Pembroke as some would have us believe. This Madras sword is of early Tamil origin, coming from the purampokku – the land that is outside the boundaries of a town or village, and therefore of some kind.
A scan of court records reveals that the granting of lands to Darkhast was always preceded by a request (Darkhast) from a needy individual/institution. It was an absolute sale by the government to the recipient and the recipient had to meet certain conditions – the end use was specified. And there was also a lock-up period during which the recipient could not sell.
Chengalpattu, being a vast area of water bodies and fields, seems to have had a lot of Darkhastu lands. Interestingly, Chengalpattu was also the pioneer district for Panchami lands. This was the brainchild of JHA Tremenheere, the collector of Chengalpattu in the 1890s. Acting on his advice, the government permanently transferred what became known as the Panchami lands to the Dalits. These are inalienable when it comes to selling outside the community.
Not so it would seem, the land of Darkhast. The Catholic Church, according to records, was the main beneficiary of this scheme. The plot on which the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is located was one. It is just off Chennai Outer Ring Road and Darkhast Road leads to it.
An internet search reveals that this is now an area with “an active real estate and rental market offering residential land and rental properties.” In the 1977 film, it was a wilderness and the church stood somewhat deserted. Welcome to Chennai, Our Lady of the Assumption. You have enjoyed the pastoral views for a long time and soon you will exchange them for residential colonies and multi-storey buildings.
On the brighter side, it was fun to see signboards announcing the place as Darkash, Dargah and Darkasthu. But his origin of grace and favor was interesting.
(Sriram V. is a writer and historian)
Published – 1 Jul 2026 13:08 IST