Parantharami Mani

     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.

      An interior street of Black Town in this photograph taken by John Nicholas in 1865.  The beauiful tiled houses  can be seen with Thinnais outside for chit chatting and an era when no electricity was there. The new Black town developed after 1760s was originally made up of Muthialpet where the Left hand castes lived (Traders, Artisans, Oil Mongers, Leather workers and Weavers) and Peddanickenpet where the Right hand castes lived(Land owners, Accountants etc Dubashes and Merchants).  The Telugu speaking Arya Vysya and Beri Chetties generally lived west of Pophams Broadway while Tamil speaking Sengunda Mudaliyars lived east of Pophams Broadway and Moors to the North. The Black town was highly congested overpopulated and extended over 850 acres from NSC Bose Road in South to Old Jail Road in North and from Wall Tax Road on the West to North Beach Road in the East.

         A panoromic view of St.Thomas Mount in 1920s.  The church at the top of the mountain was constructed by the Portugese in 1523 and the steps to the mountain were built of charity made by Coja Petrus Uscan the Armenian merchant in 1740s.

    Visited St.Marys Church on Christmas day on 25th Dec 2015 along with my daughters to show them the heritage church and of the city.  The morning service were done by Rev. Father Kripa Lilly Elizabeth and there was a good congregation inspite of the fact that the church is inside the Fort in high security zone.She blessed us from her heart.  The 335 year old church has to be seen at least once to know the heritage of the city.  Had a satisfactory prayer and meditation.

      This is the advertisement given by Nicholas Bros who had taken many photos of South India including Madras in the second half of 19th century.  They had their studio in  Western Castlet, Mount Road,  Their Madras studio opened in 1861 and were in business upto 1905 although John Nicholas left India in 1890s. He also opened a studio in Ooty in 1869 in partnership with H.V.Curth.  One of th panoramic views taken by him of the Black Town in 1865.