The Natesa Nagar Civic Association – an Introduction

Location: Natesa Nagar, a well laid out locality, in Virugambakkam, is situated in the outskirt of Chennai. Asia’s biggest vegetable market (Koyambedu) and Central Bus stand (CMBT) is located near by. The Nagar is 3 KM away from Vadapalani.

The history:

The history of Natesa Nagar Civic Association is a tale of two institutions bonded together, namely the Temple Management and The Civic Association, which plays a major role in the day to day life of the residents of Natesa Nagar, right from day one. The Association has celebrated its “Silver Jubilee” in 1995 and is now marching towards “Golden Jubilee”.

To those who are interested to know the genesis of our Nagar, let us begin from 1968.

In 60’s, Natesa Nagar was a land full of paddy fields, mango groves, shrubs and bushes, located in Virugambakkam, part of Senjeri Village, in Saidepaet Taluk.The Nagar is named as “Natesa Nagar”, a respect bestowed upon the person who was the owner of this area and M/S Madras CitiLando Corporation prepared a well planned layout out a part of 45 acres of his property in to 378 plots/houses in the later part of 60’s and thus our Nagar was born.

The Nagar was brought under Chennai Corporation in 1978. It is a matter for our admiration; the founders of our Nagar visualized a beautiful layout of Natesa Nagar, with 5 long straight main roads of 30’ to 40’ width, parallel to each other, all starting from one main road, the present Kalliyamman Koil Street, with connecting cross streets. The beauty of the layout is that there are no lanes or dead-end by lanes inside Natesa Nagar. On this score alone, Natesa Nagar stands above all other neighbouring colonies in Virugambakkam area. Now you can see many flats coming up, which is a sure sign that people love this area and settle for the better part of their life.

To protect their rights and get some basic amenities, the earlier occupants of this area numbering 17 and some out station owners, formed an Association and registered it in 1968, under the name of “The Natesa Nagar Civic Association”.

Activities of NNCA: The Natesa Nagar Civic Association (NNCA) was registered in 1968, with well defined bye-laws. The President of Virugambakkam Panchayat was inducted as the Vice President of our Association and was helpful in developing this area. Elections will normally be held once in every two years and an executive committee of 20 members will be selected. The managing committee consists of 5 members. (List of current Executive Committee and Managing Committee for the period 2009 to 20111 is listed hereunder)

We have to admire the devotion and untiring efforts of the founder members of the Association, to have performed the kumbabishegam for Sri Prasanna Vinayagar, with in a year of its registration, considering the total lack of any facilities, including transport and communication. People in early 70’s, some 40 years before, either have to walk or ride on horse pulled carts, from Kodambakkam. Only a limited number of busses were flying through this area (ie17A, 17T & 5D) to Parrys and Mylapore, even though there are lots of Central (P&T, LIC and Railways) and State Government employees (Secretariat, Transport & TNEB) having their houses built in this part of Chennai over the years.

Till date, Natesa Nagar has no post office or Telegraph office. Even now to send a registered letter or money order (remembers that there was no courier service or cell phone or email facility in the early 70s.), one has to walk 2-3 KM either to Saligramam or Vadapalani. An extra Dept. branch Post Office, by the Post & Telegraph Dept. was functioning and one of our life members Mrs Uma Sugavanam served as the Extra Dept. Branch Post Master, to cater to the needs of basic postal services for 11 continuous years. Even today with an increased population and increased Business activities like Banks and Hospitals, P&T Dept. never felt the need to provide a Branch Post Office in our Nagar! The worst affected persons are the Senior Citizens for whom Post Office is the only reliable point of savings and to get their monthly pension amount, they need to carefully walk through the thick traffic of Arcot road. Since CMBT is nearby, we still have only few buses (15F & M27) flying through our Nagar. Peak hour service includes a bus in each namely M12B & 59M routes. Thanks to Share Autos. The current economic conditions are also helping in a way that almost every house has a four wheeler or a two wheeler for their transport needs.

In the early part of 70’s, the Association Office bearers used to collect subscription and kist from the plot owners. The then respectful President of the Association, Mr Ranganathan, who was partaking in the Association from the beginning as a founder member, had to walk several kilometers to collect the subscription of Rs 1/- (one rupee only) and was collecting it even in installments of 4 annas!!

Though this part of the Virugambakkam area became a part of Chennai Corporation in 1978, only in Sept’92 Metro Water started laying sewer pipes. Thanks to the active role played by the Association in completing the individual house connections for sewerage lines and water lines.

Because of the continuous efforts taken by the Civic Association, the Nagar is blessed with a well maintained park and a Temple. Regular TV serial viewer could have viewed some part of our Nagar, Park and other places in one serial or the other.

The park development needs special mention in that, volunteers formed a Park user’s Association and developed the park to what it is today. The Park User’s Association was instrumental in planting different kind of rare trees, inside the park, a good gesture by one of the retired Forest Officials Varieties of forest trees were planted and the maintenance is now carried out by the Association itself. The Park users will be busy walking and doing exercises right from 5.00 in the morning. Yoga classes are also conducted daily in the park.

Special thanks are due to Mr Suriyan Namboothri who took the initiative of not only planting trees on either side of all the roads in the Nagar and also took the responsibility of watering them daily, making the Nagar green all the way. He has also adopted a main road, where his house is located and keeps it clean and tidy at his own expenses.

The Nagar is blessed with a Family Welfare Center, a Noon meal center

People in this area live in harmony and peace which can be confirmed when you hear “Sai Bajan”, or “Bhagavath Geethai” or Nhama Sangeerththanam and “Sanskrit Slogams“ sung by children and ladies of this Nagar, on different deities, on any day when you walk through the streets of this Nagar, in the morning or in the evening. Location of Chinmaya Vidhyalaya School in this area is also a reason. Thanks to the ladies of this area that the temple will be conducting one function after other, every month.

The main objective of the Association is “To ensure that the people of this Nagar have a pride of possession, a life time investment of their hard earned money - their sweet home, located here.”

NNCA is doing all that is possible to achieve its objective and request members to support NNCA effectively.

Apart from Civic issues, every year NNCA organizes cultural events, Debates, Music & Kolam competitions during Pongal holidays and distributes prizes on the Republic day. Academic excellence awards are also presented to eligible students of schools and colleges. Prominent members of the Nagar, who is contributing to the Nagar and its people, will be given the honour of hoisting the National flag on Independence Day and Republic Day.

Thanks to the tireless and selfless services rendered by all the office bearers of the Association till date, that this Nagar is one of the most sought after place for investment. Now individual houses in this part of Chennai, are becoming thing of past and may be even a luxury, in days to come.

Being the entry point of Chennai city, with ample space, well connected to the national highways, we had the privilege to get the CMBT and Koyambedu Market at our end. Thanks to the efforts of the Government and CMD. Today flyovers are also coming up fast.

Multi storied buildings are coming up like anything. May be Natesa Nagar is stretching beyond its limits, that acquire perennial problems like accumulation of Garbage, Mosquito menace, sewage water flowing on the streets, traffic congestion etc. Water table is fast depleting. Every good thing has a bad side also. With all these infrastructure improvements, today our area is gradually becoming congested, filled with garbage, Traffic congestion etc., loosing its grace and peace, day by day. Green trees were felled to make way for tall multi story buildings, to widen the roads; for under ground cables etc. May be this is the price we need to pay for development, in the Indian contest!! The Association has taken the responsibility of removing the garbage and keeping the Nagar clean and tidy. Keeping the Nagar garbage free is a Himalayan task for the Association, right now. Co-operation of the residents is the most wanted one in this regard. The Association is busy fighting on all these issues.

The Association used to regularly interact with all officials of various Government Depts. and ensure that this Nagar gets appropriate facilities, in time. Moving the Government machinery is not that easy and requires lot of support from residents of this Nagar. With more and more new flat owners coming up, the Association’s role is becoming more and more critical and demanding. The Association has 650 registered members and some more flat owners are in the process of being included. More awareness needs to be created about the Association and its activities. Membership drive and collection of subscription will have to be given a fresh thrust.

The Temple activities always dominated the Association’s agenda. Those who prepared the initial layout were so thoughtful that they earmarked a vast chunk of land for a Temple and the then Panchayat President Sri Kanagasabai, laid the foundation stone for Sri Siva – Vishnu Alayam Complex . A small shrine was built for Sri Vinayaga, the God who will remove all hurdles in our life – a very good beginning indeed. The Moolavar idol was installed in the name of “Sri Prasanna Vinayagar” and kumbabishegam was duly performed, on 29th August, 1969 and lots of activities were seen from 1987 to 1990. As the thatched roof in front of Sri Prasanna Vinayagar sannadhi was damaged beyond repair, during a cyclone, the people of the Nagar spontaneously came forward to replace it with a beautiful building with sparkling tiled floor. The Mandapam is an embodiment of our inner strength and commitment to the well being of our Nagar.

The Sri Siva – Vishnu temple currently having 12 sannadhies is also equally busy from morning 6.00 to night 8.00. Installation of Sri Prasanna Maruthi, Sri Prasanna Harihara sudhan, Naagar Prathishtai under Aswaththa Vriksha, Marriage Peepul and Neem tree, Goddess Vishnu Durga, Development of Nandhavanam are some of the highlights of these activities during 1987 to 1990.

Major part of the temple is now covered with RCC roofing and new individual sannadhies for Sri Kalyana ramar, Sri Chakaraththaazvaar, Sri Ramanhatha swami Sri Dharmasamvardhani amman, Sri Murugan, Sri Hayagrivar, Sri Bairavar, Sri Dhanvandhri and Navagragangal are all created over the years. Thanks to the people of this locality who are helping the temple financially and otherwise, whole heartedly. The temple is busy celebrating all festivals that you can name it. Aradhanas of Sri Purandhara dhasar, Sri Thiyagarajar were held. Residents of this area have formed different spiritual and social organizations to serve needy people inline with the principles laid down by Maha Periyava. & Sathya Sai Bhaba.

Now that the temple is well developed, having a regular income, it is being taken over by the HR&CE Dept. of Tamilnadu Government.

A public library, play ground and a community hall is the immediate requirement of this Nagar.

It is a story of 30+ years of a Nagar, now retold in a few pages, reveals two factors. The Association and the Temple have been the rallying point of our residents, in time of joy or difficulties. The unity of purpose has been its bonding strength.

However, in today’s context, temple activities need no special efforts. Thanks to the atheists. But the Civic activities need lot of coordinated efforts.

The current Executive Committee of NNCA takes this opportunity to thank all those doyens of this Nagar, who were part of NNCA and relentlessly strived for the wellbeing of this Nagar

We have to go a long way to reach a “Model Nagar” and are working towards the same. We Will do it…………..

ஸ்ரீ குருபாதுகா சமாஜம் அறக்கட்டளை
Plot No 369/2, முதல் பிரதான சாலை, நடேச நகர், விருகம்பக்கம், சென்னை - 600092

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