Parantharami Mani

       The Marghazhi  bhajans  reverberating the  Mada  Veethis of Mylapore.  Devotion and Divinity visible on the  streets. House fronts  dotted with beautiful  Kolams with flowers in the  middle. One has to be present there to feel it.

     A high society woman of Madras in a studio portrait of late 19th century.  Jewellery personified.

       The Screw pile pier the  first harbour of Madras  constructed during the years 1858-61. Although proposal for a Harbour for Madras was mooted during the period of  Warren Hastings it took nearly 100 years to materialise. A description of the harbour in the Handbook for Madras published then.

      The Madras  Law College and the junction in front of it around  1960s

       A picture postcard photograph of Mount Road in early 1970s with Ambassador cars and Fiat cars plying  and Willys Jeep advertisement on Gove building.

A different view of Kapaliswarar Temple,  Mylapore in early 1940s.

      The  parade ground  Fort  St George  with the  Kings Barrack in the  background.  It was constructed in 1756 as a single  storeyed structure  and has been housing the Kings Regiment  for more than 200 years and hence the name. The  parade ground in its present shape took shape in 1825 after major  renovation to the Fort House.

It happened in 1830. A woman who committed  adultery was punished by a Kangaroo Caste court on the advice of Police  for conciliatory measures. The  Supreme  Court found the defendants guilty inspite of the court wanting to help them.  The police  superintendant   Mr. Elliot is the same on whom Edward Elliott road was named.  Supreme Court in 1828 by Gantz.

Queen  Victoria  and Mylapore  Connection.  This is a rare photo of  the Queen in 1854 when she was 35 yrs old with sharp  features.  The  triangle cupola  is the  one on the  corner of  North Mada  street  opposite Indian Bank. A close look at the  cupola reveals  an inscription  " Diamond Jubilee  Gift P. Subramania Iyer 22nd June  1897". The  person is none other than  Pennathur  Subramania  I yer on whose  endowment the  P.South. High School  was founded in 1904.

      Bentick  building  First  Line  Beach. This  building  was  constructed in  1793  intially  as a building  to accommodate the  merchants who were forced out of Fort St  George  due to space constraints.  It was named  after William  Bentick  who was  responsible  for  abolition of  Sati in India.  The Supreme  Court was shifted to this  building  in 1817 and continued there till the  High Court  was formed  in 1862. The  High  Court continued  here till the new premises  was constructed  in Esplanade in 1892.  It then was occupied by Chennai  Collectorate  till it was demolished in 1990s  inspite of opposition.

    The Kapaliswar Temple around 1930s.  A village like atmosphere. Love to go back to those days. No shops abetting the temple compound.

       The beautiful  Nallu Kal mandapam in front  of the main tower of  Parthasarathy  temple in this  photo  by Frederick  Fiebig in the  year 1851. See the  beautiful  stone  rings an architectural aspect of  Vijayanagar era. The  same mandapam recently photographed. Only  the  Vahana mandapam remains and the  rest have changed.

       Guindy Lodge, Rajbhavan in 1875 in this Bourne and Shepherd photograph.  The original building was  built during 17th cenury when Governor Langhonre created a hunting lodge with beautiful gardens. The bungalow changed many hands until it was acquired by Sir Thomas Munro in 1821 as a country house to transact public business since the area around Government House , Mount Road was overcrowded because of development of city. The house was extensively renovated during the Governorship of Lord Elphistone and took its present shape. I suppose the cupola like structure is no more there.

       The second and third Light House of Madras wihin the complex of Madras High court.  The Doric column light house made of Pallavaram granite stones was constructed during the period 1838-44 and was opened on 1st January 1944.  The cost of the granite itself was Rs.60000/-.  A description of the light house in the handbook of Madras published in 1870s describes about it. The third light house was inaugurated on 1st June 1894 on top of the tallest tower of High court complex constructed during 1890-92. It had argand lamps and reflectors imported from Birmingham.

         Alfred  Duke of  Edinburgh  photo taken during his visit to Madras in 1870. In a letter written to his brother  Prince of Wales  (future king Edward  VII)  he describes about his stay in Madras.  Quite interesting. He was the fourth child  of Queen  Victoria.

        A precursor to the Coast Guard  now protecting the  Sea coast. In 1830s there was a Marine  Police headed  by a Beach  Magistrate  to protect the  sea shore having its jurisdiction  from Fort to the  village of  Royapooram in the  north. It main function was to see that no illegal activity is done in the incoming  ships. It had a well entrenched  set up as seen in the  notification issued at that time.

     Mowbrays Road. This major  thoroughfare connecting  Royapettah with Mowbrays Cupola near Adyar river was developed in early  19th century. As per the " Environs of Madras" map of 1814 this road is well marked with fields on both sides.  The  " Sadr Adalat"  the Court of  Appeal for Hindu and Islamic  law cases during  Nawabs  period upto 1860 was abetting the  road near Alwarpet junction.  The building  was recently demolished.  It must have been a pleasant  drive  in those days with avenue of trees.

       St.Matthias Church,  Vepery.  This was originally a Catholic Church constructed by Armenian Merchant  Coja Petrus Uscan around 1730s and was his private chapel. After the  rendition of Madras to British in 1749 the  British thought that the Catholics aided the  French and removed them from the Fort except Uscan and Madeiros the  Portuguese.  The  Catholic Church inside the Fort on the  North side was also demolished.  After the death of  Uscan in 1751 the  Vepery church was taken over by SPCK a Danish  Mission. Extensive repairs alterations were made to this  church  in 1821-22 and it was consecrated as an Anglican  Church. The  East India Company  govt. also  chipped in with some money. Coja Petrus  Uscan was buried in the  church yard after his death in  1751. Some of the streets in Vepery like Hunters Road,  Jeremiah  Road and Rotlers Street  are named after the Prebysters of the  church.  It is also said Robert Clives marriage was solemnised here by Fabricious  a German mi

       The statue of  Edward VII king of England  (1901-1910) was installed in the  year 1906 opposite  Government  Estate.  It was a gift to the city by Lodd Krishnadas Balamukundadas  a Gujarathi  businessman. It was sculpted by George  Edward  Wade. Edward VII  toured Madras in 1875 as Prince of Wales.  The  statue now lies in the premises of Museum.  As per the book Statues and Monuments of Madras there was a Cupola like  structure  near this statue  erected in  memory of John  Cummings  Anderson  a Soldier and Engineer  who was the man behind construction of  Red hills reservoir. He died in 1870 and the  Cupola was erected by his brother officers.  It is  not  clear  when it was demolished. Photo : Kings own Royal  Regiment  Museum

 This is  a rare and unseen  photograph of  Sir Thomas  Munro taken  by Bourne  and Shepered  during the year  1875 when  Prince of  Wales visited  Madras  in 1875. A native  sits on the  pedestal  waiting for Munrolappa to be born again  for  redressing his grievances.  The statue was erected by subscription by inhabitants of Madras and the  statue  was sculpted by Francis Chantrey in 1834. The  statue was brought to Madras by the  Ship " The Asia" assembled and erected on Island ground on 23rd October 1839. Photo : Bourne and Shephered

       Sea Customs  House, Madras.  Since the beginning of  Fort St. George the sea customs was situated near the  Eastern  Sea Gate. The  sea used to lap the walls of  Fort St.George  and the  goods from  England  used to be brought  ashore in Masoola  boats from the  ships anchored 1 miles away on Madras  roads. When  Edward  Clive  became  Governor of  Madras due to space  crunch in the  Fort he wanted to  shift the  sea customs to Old Granary godown now occupied by French prisoners of war in Black town. Chief  Engineer  Patrick  Ross did extensive repairs and renovation  the north portion  for accommodating Sea Customs and south  portion for Marine  Office.  There was lot of  opposition  by the  merchants of the  day to the proposal to shift the sea customs. But inspite of the  opposition the sea customs was shifted out of  Fort St.George to black town in Nov 1799. Photo :  Lithograph by Maxwell dated 1825 AD

    The 72nd birthday celebrations of King  George  III on 4th June  1810 at Fort St.George  as reported then. He was king of England  for 60 years  from  1760 to 1820. Guns  roaring in the  batteries both at Fort.St.George  and Chepauk.

    A different view of  Senate House inaugurated in 1879. The  place where the house is situated was ealier part of  Nawabs Palace  and a saluting battery was situated there.  Whenever any high ranking dignitary used to visit the Palace  the guns will roar as a mark of respect.  The sea abetting the palace was home to a vibrant fishing community who were later shifted to  a place north of  George Town and thus was born Royapuram fishing village.  St.Peter used to be referred as Rayar and St.Peters church was constructed in 1828 by migrant fishermen community.

   The war memorial was constructed in memory of the allied soldiers who lost their life in first world war  (1914-1918). The memorial was completed in 1933 and handed over to  Madras Corporation in 1937. Before the construction of  this memorial this area was called  " Cupids Bow" upto end of  19th  century.  The high and mighty of British  society from white town Fort.St.  George  used to come  here for entertainment  and in search of their future partners. The  sandy stretch south of  Fort St.George  was due to accretion of sand because of construction of  Harbour  from 1881. Previously the sea used to lap the walls of  Fort. St.George.  The  governors band used to  play on holidays near Cupids Bow.

    A double bullock cart ( Double  Bandy) with  a white  man ready to board  in 1870s. This was the common mode of transport in those days. A roadside temple can be seen in the background.  The rates for  Double Bandy from  Black Town  to various places in Madras in 1830s.

     This is  a photograph of  road to Chepauk  in the later part of 19th century.  I have read somewhere that there was a direct road to  Chepauk direct from  St.George  bridge  through  Govt. Estate garden. Whether this is the  same  road or  the avenue of trees  mentioned by H D Love  from  Government House to Chepauk.

     This is the temple of Kanda Kottam in Rasappa Chetty Street, Park Town dedicated toTamil Kadavul Murugan. The temple has been in existence for more than 350 years.  The legend behind the temple goes like this.Two friends Mari Chettiar and Kandappa Achari used to visit the Murugan Temple at Tiruporur 40kms away from Madras.  Once after having darshan when they were sleeping under a shadow tree when  God came in their dream and said there is a idol of him in the Ant hill nearby.They found it true and brought the idle to Madras and installed it in a Vinayaka temple in the Garden of Muthialu Naicker in Peddanaickenpet. When mari Chettiar wanted to build a separate temple for the Lord  Naicker gave him a  piece of land in Park Town and the temple was built in 1673 AD.The Utsavar is called Muthukumaraswamy.  The temple is under the hereditary trusteeship of Ayira Vysya Beri chetty community.

     This is a photo of the temple taken in the year 1951 of Sannadhi Stret, Mylapore. when the main tower was not built.The tower on the western side is the old one. The Mckenzie map of the temple of early 1800s also does not show the tower.The main tower was built in 1906. Legend says the temple was originally a Murugan temple with Singaravelar as main deity and Lord Shiva shrine came later after it was destroyed in the 16th century by Portugese when it was near to the sea shore.  Even now there is a separate Dwajasthambam for Murugan shrine. The main Dwajasthamba on the west side was gold plated in August 1947. A lot of coconut trees and low height tiled houses can be seen on the Sannadhi Street.  The second photo is the picture in 1920s and the third one is of 2015.