The untold true story

The untold true story as to how the prestigious Cape Comorin Railway Station consultancy was won by me.
In 1976 when I was only 25 years old and still a budding architect, I was approached by the Great Railway Chief Engineer Late Shri Anwar Varghese to design India’s most prestigious Post Independence Railway Terminal in Indian Subcontinent’s  Southern most tip ie; Kanyakumari.
But there was a catch that my design will have to compete with Railways own Architectural Division under RDSO, (Research Designs & Standards Organization), Lucknow.
Both the terminal designs & scale models were presented to the Prime Minister Shri. Morarji Desai in the presence of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran at the Residency Building in Thycaud on 30TH March 1978.
Chief Architect Toye of RDSO Railways, made a tactical mistake of telling the Hon’ble Prime Minister that his design glorifies  Indian Architecture as he had incorporated ‘Dome’ Roof and other Mughal features.

The chief minister of Tamil Nadu M.G Ramachandran immediately reacted and said: “this young boy’s (Mahesh) Design is best suited for Tamilnadu as it is conceptualized in line with Dravidian Architecture”.
At this moment, Railway Architect Shri. Toye tried to push his case further saying that the previous Prime minister Smt. Indira Gandhi has already approved his design and this infuriated both Prime Minister  Morarji Desai & Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Shri. M.G Ramachandran.  All others including Madhu Dandavate, Union Railway Minister appreciated my versatile concept of modernized Dravidian Architecture and asked the Railway officials to accept my Design.
I was fortunate to be among newsmakers and the sore RDSO Architect Toye even got an M.P from U.P to raise the issue in Parliament stating that the Prestigious Kanyakumari Railway Terminal is awarded to an ‘Inexperienced Local Architect Mahesh’.



Comments

  1. Nice start! In your early career. Blog makes other to know about your knowledge . Lets people's be benefitted from it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nice start! In your early career. Blog makes other to know about your knowledge . Lets people's be benefitted from it.

    ReplyDelete

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