Founded in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1825, Standard Life
Assurance was a pioneer in life insurance for British subjects living in India,
and the other colonies. This was at a time when most insurance companies would
discourage travel to the colonies thanks to the extremely high mortality rate.
Standard Life Assurance, was, in it’s heyday, the best known life insurance
company in the colonies.
Like many other colonial buildings, this one also looks like
it has simply been plucked out of Victorian England, and placed here. The
building can be identified from a distance thanks to the large domed tower on
it’s North East corner.
Exquisitely detailed, the building contains some very fine
stucco work above the windows.
Like it’s cousin in Bombay, it features Standard
Life's logo of the biblical Ten Virgins in statue form in the main pediment.
Derived from the parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13,) this was thought
to be an appropriate motif for an insurance company with the message of always
being prepared for future contingencies.
Sadly, the building is now in an almost derelict state, even
though it continues to be used as government youth hostel. Several trees have taken root all
over the structure, and one of the upper balconies looks like it is beginning
to cave in. The overall sooty and grimy appearance of the building also does
not inspire confidence.
When we visited the building, we were happy to see scaffolding, which might mean that long overdue restoration work on the
building has finally begun. There has been talk of restoring all heritage
buildings in this part of town, to revive interest as a tourist attraction. Let
us hope something concrete is done before it’s too late.
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