The Real Story of D’Monte Colony is as given below:
D'Monte was a Portugese Businessman, who had come to India in the mid 1900's and stayed at Pondicherry and then at Madras/Chennai. D’Monte had been one of the directors of ‘Arbuthnot Bank’, a leading Bank in Madras, which went down in the year 1906.
He had acquired many landed properties in various places of Madras/Chennai.
He had been living with his wife in one of the houses in the D'Monte Colony, situated in TTK Nagar, Alwarpet, near St.Mary's Road, Mylapore.
D’Monte’s personal life had been tragic, as his mentally ill and pregnant wife died before delivering a baby in the house of the colony.
His son, who had come from their motherland-Portugal, also died in a mysterious way in the same house of the colony.
Subsequently, D’Monte is said to have commited suicide in the same house.
D'Monte's body has been burried near the church, 'Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church' built by him in Covelong/Kovalam, near Chennai.
The Details of the Landed Properties of D'Monte, covered under D'Monte Trust created in the year 1820:-
D’Monte had created a ‘Trust’ in his name-‘D’Monte Trust’ for his very huge landed properties of many acres of land, situated at various places of Madras / Chennai as as briefed below, including, the D'Monte Colony at RA Puram:
- Adyar,
- Alwarpet,
- Covelong/Kovalam,
- Egmore,
- Poonamalle High Rod,
- Raja Annamalaipuram,
- Royapettah and
- Santhome.
The Value of the Landed Properties of DMonte Trust would in several crores of Rupees.
Given below are the values of land of two of the landed propeties covered under the DMone Trust, for example:
Place of Landed Property/Extent of Land/Value of Land as per Government's Guideline Value, of Rs 8 000/- per Sq.Ft
D'Monte Colony, RA Puram / 186 Grounds=4 46 400 Sq.Ft.=10.24 acres / Rs 357.12 Crores
Ben's Ground near Madras Boats Club/257 Gronds=6 16 800 Sq.Ft.-14.15 acres / Rs 493.11 Crores
The details of the other landed properties covered under the 'D'Monte Trust would be available in the Trust Deeds of the DMonte Trust.
In the last will and testament of D’Monte, the Roman Catholic Arch-Diocese/Arch Bishop of Mylapore was appointed as the ‘Trustees’ for the huge properties of D'Monte.
D’Monte Colony near St.Mary’s Road, in Alwarpet has been deserted and abandoned since many years.
Strange happenings, such as the locked doors of some of the houses getting opened themselves and getting locked again are reported to be witnessed by some people.
An auto driver, who used to waiting near the colony died/committed suicide after witnessing some paranormal activity in the colony.
The D'Monte Colony is believed to be haunted by the evil spirit/ghost of the late owner of the colony, D'Monte.
The taxi drivers who used to stand in the corner of the road near the D'Monte colony who used to stand there even upto 10 pm, started to away after the sun set, in fear of the haunted D'Monte Cololny.
However, the ghost of the late D’Monte is said to be harmless.
The colony originally had about 20 independent similar houses, in two streets with two lanes on each road.
.More than 10 of the houses deserted by the inhabitants were in ruins and were already demolished.
Only 10 houses have been remaining, those also in deserted and ruined conditions, till recent times, and they also have been completely demolished very recently in October 2015.
All the landed properties of the D'Monte have been properly leased out, except the 'Ben's Garden in the Madras Boats' Club ares - of 12 acres and the 'D'Monte Colony of 10 acres, which are said to have been leased out only recently.
‘Ben’s Garden’ and the ‘D’Monte Colony’ are said to have been given earlier on leases for 99 years.
It is also reported that the ‘D’Monte Colony’ has been given to a fresh lease to some reputed company, and the details of the lease are not publicly known.
The last remaining 10 houses have been demolished in October 2015, probably by the new lessees of the landed property.
Now, as the D’Monte Colony is fully vacant, the haunting evil spirit/ghost would have to perform any para normal activity only in the vacant land of 10 acres.
The Lessees of the landed property might be afraid of the haunting of the place by the ghost of the late D’Monte to haunt the place, even if they build new building on it.
Only. as and if the Landed Properties of the D'Monte Trust, valued at several crores of Rupees, are leased out at the real/market value to sound/honest parties, the income from the same can be utilised for the benefit of the needy/poor in India, as wished by the late Portugese Land Lord D'Monte.