தர்மம் மிகு சென்னை........

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Chennai, being one of the oldest Cities in India has lot of land marks... amazing landmarks with interesting history behind each .... and today it is Ripon Building and Greater Chennai Corporation.

Chennai Corporation Building!​

[h=1]Chennai - the 2nd oldest Corporation in the world

This year, when our city turns 375, the Corporation becomes 325 and its landmark headquarters, Ripon Buildings, turns a 100.[/h]by Sriram.V

It was on September 28, 1687, the dynamic and domineering chairman of the East India Company, Sir Josiah Child, penned a detailed minute on the necessity for a Corporation for Madras. The Charter came into effect on Saturday, September 29, 1688, when the Corporation was inaugurated with all due solemnity, the Mayor and eight Aldermen taking their respective oaths.

After dinner, towards three in the afternoon, the whole Corporation marched in their robes, the Aldermen in scarlet serge gowns and the Burgesses in white China silk, with the Mace carried before the Mayor in procession to the Town Hall at Fort St. George. Three of the Aldermen were Indians.

The first Mayor was American-born Englishman — Nathaniel Higginson. From then on, the Corporation has had a continuous existence, making it the second oldest such body in the whole world. Not so continuous has been the history of its mayoralty and council. The office of the Mayor was abolished in 1801 and then revived in the form of a non-executive president in 1919, with Sir Pitty Theagaroya Chetty becoming the first incumbent.

Read more at: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities...t-corporation-in-the-world/article5180124.ece

 

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Chennai Corporation has many parks...

Music to the ears

Five facts about The Madras Corporation Band, commissioned in 1946.

The Corporation's Music Band performing at the Chennai Corporation's Ripon Building premises during the Republic Day celebrations in Chennai on 26/01/2016. Photo B. Jothi Ramalingam.
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Five men in crimson-and-blue costumes with gold/silver braid stand in the front corridor of Ripon Building, holding a saxophone, cornet, two bass drums and hand cymbals, and play Carnatic music for an audience of one — me. As the flawless, brisk notes of ‘Brocheva’, ‘Enna Thavam’ and ‘Kuraiondrum Illai’ soar to meet the high ceiling, people gather to listen — in surprise and wonder. Can the Madras Corporation Band play all this?

G. Chandrasekaran (trombone), M. Saravana (cornet), K. Raghavan (bagpipes), C.K. Vasudevan (hand cymbals), A. Palani (saxophone) and C.K. Kesavalu (clarinet) are all from musical families and were recruited to the Band in 1997. Once with AIR, they now play for Government functions and teach school children. The mini concert ends and I congratulate the men. “We can do better,” says Palani. “From 12, we are down to six, unable to play all instruments together.” With a thavil and a full contingent, they are sure to make their beats heard — be it ‘British Grenadiers’ or ‘Bhavayami Raghuramam’.


Read more at: http://www.thehindu.com/features/me...he-madras-corporation-band/article8214109.ece

 

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[h=1]From Madras Railway to Metro Rail [/h][h=1]Author: sriramv[/h]

“On the occasion of the inauguration of Metrorail, why don’t you write something on rail heritage?” asked my good friend, K. Saravanan. It’s well-known that the first railway line of South India was from Royapuram to Arcot and that the train was flagged off on June 26, 1856 by the then Governor of Madras, Lord Harris. The Metro had its inaugural run in the 210th year of the Railways’ debut in Madras, starting off on June 29, 2015.

The Madras Railway Company (MRC) began its work in 1853, when a team of three — George Barclay Bruce, Chief Engineer; Edward Smalley, Agent and Major T.T. Pears, Consulting Engineer, took charge. Construction proceeded at a brisk pace thereafter, Bruce designing the Royapuram Station and much of the civil structures. The arrival of the first four steam engines, each weighing 13 tonnes, was quite an event, for they were the heaviest consignments till then to be delivered at Madras. These “ponderous masses of iron”, all made at Glasgow, arrived on board the ship Haveling on June 13, 1855. The Governor, a number of gentlemen and a “fair sprinkling of ladies” proceeded to the Royapuram beach to witness their offloading. There was no harbour then, and the ship was docked two miles at sea. The engines had to be hoisted by cranes from the ship, lowered on to a waiting raft and then rowed ashore. The process of offloading took a day for each engine, and by Monday, June 18, all four were safely on the beach. How they were taken to the railway tracks is an unresolved mystery.

By 1856, there were 65 miles of operating track. The railway earned 5,196 pounds sterling in the first three months of operation — 39, 903 passengers contributing to 3,101 pounds out of the total revenue. The Metro has seen that many passengers on the first day itself! Like the Metro, the railway took forever to build to its final length of 450 km. In the initial days, it was criticised, as beginning nowhere, running through nowhere and ending nowhere, for Royapuram and Arcot were relatively unknown destinations. Bruce was more or less the E. Sreedharan of his times, for he completed the 65 miles of the Madras railway line in record time. But his health broke down in the process and by December 1857, he returned to England. Being an active Freemason, his brothers in the order gave him a grand farewell, an event presided over by the Chairman of the MRC, Robert Stephenson. Back home, Bruce had a long and illustrious career, and eventually received a knighthood.


Read more at: https://sriramv.wordpress.com/2015/07/13/from-madras-railway-to-metro-rail/

 

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Chenna Kesava Perumal Temple and Chenna Malleeswarar Temple at Park Town

A dainty look to temple in Park Town

Entering the Chenna Kesava Perumal Temple at Devaraja Mudali Street, Park Town, the smell of fresh paint seizes one's nose. The entire temple plastered with paint looks colourful and the idols and statues look shining after more than 10 years, which was the time the temple was painted, including the numerous shops lined on both sides of the entrance.

To mark the renovation of the temple, Samprokshanam' was performed at the temple. The festival was celebrated in a grand manner for five days from February 8 to 12, with the festival coming to an end with the sprinkling of sacred water on the ‘Rajagopuram' on February 12.

Excerpts:

Origin of the temple

The temple though not considered ancient temples at Thiruvanmiyur, Thiruvallikeni, Thirumayilai, Thiruvotriyur or Thiruvetteeswaranpettai, the history of these shrines dates back to 1646 A.D. The temple was actually located, where the Fort St. George now stands. The temple was demolished by the East India Company to construct the fort. This caused unrest among the residents and the Company authorities sought the help of some prominent persons who were serving in the fort.

Manali Muthu Krishna Mudaliar, who was translator for Lord Piccode, suggested re-building of the temples and gifted Perumal Koil Thottam, Chekkumedu and Tondiarpet garden for this purpose.

The Company offered 3,500 sovereigns but Mudaliar accepted only the land and refused to take the money. He built the two temples with his own funds in 1700 A.D. When Thomas Monroe was Governor, he installed the Moolavar idol, which was found amid the rubble of the demolished temples.

The Utsavar idol of Lord Chenna Kesavar and His consorts could not be found and Manali Muthu Krishna Mudaliar set out in search . He went to Thiruneermalai but the priest who had brought the idol passed away. Others could not identify the idol of Chenna Kesavar so Mudaliar brought an idol from the Thiruneermalai temple and arranged for its installation in the temple.

The temple has the main shrine dedicated to Chenna Kesavar and His consort Sengamalavalli Thayar and shrines for Anjeneya, Vishvaksenar, Garudan, Venugopalan, Rama, Andal and the Azhwars and Acharyas.

At the Chenna Malleeswarar Temple there are shrines for Vinayaka, Subramania, Navagrahas, Somaskandar and Chandikeswarar. The Goddess here is known as Brahmarambikai.

All the 64 Saivite saints are enshrined here. So is Lord Dakshinamurthy, God of Learning, who is seated beneath a banyan tree carved in stone. There are shrines for Bhikshandanar, Natarajar and other deities too.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-pape...ook-to-temple-in-park-town/article2908655.ece
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[h=1]Chennakesava Perumal Temple, Chennai[/h][h=1]Chennakesava Perumal Temple is a Hindu temple situated in the George Town neighbourhood of Chennai city, Tamil Nadu, India. It is dedicated to Chenna kesava Perumal. There is the nearby Chenna Malleeswarar Temple. They are twin temples.The temple was the first to be built in the new settlement; since the construction of Madras city by the British East India Company.Chennakesava Perumal is a manifestation of the Hindu god Vishnu. And considered as the patron deity of Chennai, Chenna pattanam may be named after the Chenna Kesava Perumal Temple. The word 'chenni' in Tamil means face, and the temple was regarded as the face of the city.[/h][h=1]Read more at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chennakesava_Perumal_Temple,_Chennai[/h][h=1][/h]

 

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A Brief History of Fort St. George in Chennai, India

By Arun Venkatraman

Every year, Chennaiites celebrate the date August 22 with great fervor and enthusiasm as the day that marks the founding of Madras, the city that now known as Chennai. However, what many forget is that February 20 is equally important as it marks the date on which Madras became a physical entity with the first stones being laid for the construction of Fort St. George, a structure more crucial to the city’s history than any other.

Indeed, there can perhaps be no conversation about Chennai’s history without first mentioning the Fort, which even today serves as the seat of power for the Tamil Nadu Government. However, the importance of Fort St. George is not just restricted to the history of Chennai, but also plays an important part in the overall history of the British Raj in India.

Birth of Fort St. George

By the mid-17th-century, trade in the Coromandel Coast was already prospering with the British East India Company vying for monopoly over its French and Dutch counterparts. To protect English trade interests in the area, it was decided that an English Fort was needed in the region. And so, in the year 1639, Francis Day and Andrew Cogan, representatives of the British East India Company, purchased the strip of land along and inward from the present Marina Beach from the then Nayak rulers of the region, for the construction of a new Fort that was dedicated to St. George, the Patron Saint of England. On February 20, Day and Cogan arrived at the site with two ships and a few dozen workers and began work on a settlement that would later become Fort St. George. The Fort was finally completed on April 23, 1644, and had cost the crown nearly £3,000.


Read more at: https://theculturetrip.com/asia/india/articles/a-brief-history-of-fort-st-george-in-chennai-india/

 

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[h=1]The founding of Fort St. George[/h]By S.MUTHIAH

v


As the New Year begins, may I suggest to the Government, which wanted governance returned to Fort St George from what has now become a super-specialty hospital, that it considers celebration of the 375th anniversary of work beginning on the Fort?

Last year, August 22nd marked the 375th anniversary of the land grant to the East India Company where today’s Fort had its beginnings. After several visits to the site from the time of the grant, Andrew Cogan and Francis Day arrived on February 20, 1640 with about 100 or so men to lay the foundations for a settlement neighbouring a fishing village or two. The party included two factors, Humphrey Tompkins and John Browne, two writers, a surgeon, a gunner (at the time considered an all-round engineer of sorts), Lt. Jermin and Sergeant Bradford in charge of 25 aged soldiers, sundry carpenters, blacksmiths and coopers, and some domestic staff, all English. There were also a few Portuguese merchants and the only Indian appears to have been Nagabatthan, a gunpowder-maker. They landed from the Eagle and the Unity, both 100-tonners and each with a crew of 25 Europeans who pitched in with the early work, which comprised building temporary accommodation with local wood and palmyra thatch. Work began on March 1st to a plan drawn up by Cogan, Day and the gunner.

On April 23rd, 375 years ago this year, the construction underway was dedicated to the patron saint of England, whose Day it was, and named Fort St. George. The plan was for an almost square enclosure, with walls about 100 yards on each side, bastions in each corner and a central building diagonal to the square. All this was to be built without any foundations. By the end of 1640, the southeast bastion was completed. Work was far from complete when Cogan decided to transfer the seat of Agency from Masulipatnam to Fort St. George on September 24, 1641 and Madras became the chief factory of the Company on the east coast of India.

With delays for one reason or another — no doubt the example followed to this day when Government construction or restoration is involved — the final wall, the sea wall linking the eastern bastions, was put in place in 1653. The centre of the Fort at that time was 190 yards from the Bay of Bengal on the east and 110 yards from the North River, which in time was to become the Buckingham Canal, on the west. This fort, with what was called ‘The Castle’ in the centre, survived till 1714.

Readmore at: http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/the-founding-of-fort-st-george/article6751675.ece

 

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Fort St.George: The pillars of power

By S.Muthiah

Those gleaming black pillars of the Fort deserve more than the passing reference I made to them speaking about Charnockite an January 29. Embellishing the portals of power, the Legislature-cum-Secretariat building, their granite only adds to the impression of power contained behind those brick-and-chunam walls. At the same time, as you pass by the handsomest building in the Fort, the pillars are what first capture the eye. They probably have hundreds of tales to tell, but mine are just what the records narrate.

These pillars were once part of a 32-pillar colonnade built in 1734 by Governor Morton Pitt from the Sea Gate, the Fort’s main entrance, to Fort Square fronting the Inner Fort. There were four rows of pillars, with a Madras terrace roof shading those coming on business with the Government. But whether the colonnade was really necessary, was long debated. In fact, when proposed, it was a project taken up as is so often done today: Have money, let’s use it as I please.

In fact, this was said in almost such words: “There being now in Cash upwards of one thousand six hundred Pagodas under the head Town Conicopoly’s Duty, it was proposed by the President, and unanimously Approved of, to make a Coverd Walk from the Sea Gate to the Back Gate of the Fort with four Rows of Stone Pillars, as being a thing would Conduce very much to the Beauty of the Town…” London, while not saying ‘No’, commented, “… but the words Commodious and Ornamental are what we don’t so well like, and are poor reasons for parting with Sixteen hundred pagodas….” To which Pitt’s Council replied, “The Seagate is now near finished… and as the building at the Seagate is by Farr the greatest ornament of Madras, We hope that you will not think the Mony misapplied.” Nothing changes in the world, does it?

When the French occupied Madras in 1746, they dismantled the colonnade and re-erected it in Pondicherry. Obviously there was no disagreement over its beauty. But when the British captured Pondicherry in 1761, they sent back to Madras the pillars before razing the French town. In 1762, the Chief Engineer, Madras, reported, “The noble Stone Pillars which formerly composed a usefull Colonnade …having been brought back from Pondicherry… have been set up in the Position they formerly stood…”

Read more at: http://www.thehindu.com/society/his...orge-the-pillars-of-power/article22855941.ece

 

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[h=1]Know Fort St George – 23, The Exchange Museum[/h][h=1]Author: sriramv[/h]

We are almost done with our tour of the Fort. As we walk from North Gate towards the main entrance, we cross Gloucester Street on our left. This is a narrow thoroughfare, its chief point of interest being what is now called Fort House, which dominates it. One of the older residences of Fort St George, not much is known of its history and it should certainly not be confused with the Fort House which was the first building constructed in this precinct and which gradually gave way for what is now the Assembly and Secretariat. The present Fort House is nevertheless impressive. It is 19th century in architecture, with a large courtyard, Mangalore tiled roof, thick lime-plastered walls and natural stone flooring. It serves as the residence of the Fort commandant today.

Crossing Fort House, we come to the Fort (or Exchange) Museum. This again is a historic building. What stood here once was the residence of Peter Massey Cassin, a free merchant of Madras – a term that requires some explanation. Technically, none other than the East India Company could be involved in the business of import and export. But in reality every one of its servants was involved in it. The Company paid very low salaries and encouraged its servants to indulge in what was termed ‘private trade’ and the higher you grew in the Company’s hierarchy, the more the opportunity.The Governor was supposed to accept a commission for virtually everything, ranging from goods supplied to the Company, be it arrack or betel leaf, to cloth that was being exported by the free merchants. Several of them also lent money at usurious rates of interest to the Nawab of the Carnatic, who, through a series of clever manoeuvres had been reduced to a puppet, living close to the Fort in the magnificent Chepauk Palace. Those who were rapidly on the make hoped to take their earnings and retire to a life of peace and politics in England. Such men were rather derisively referred to as Nabobs, a corruption of the Indian word Nawab and their practice of making money was termed as ‘shaking the great pagoda tree’, pagoda, a currency being severally used as a term for money. Even the few women in the Fort were said to be in business and according to one source some were “so forward as to have invoices, accounts current etc in their own names.” The most notorious among these was Mrs Nick, a woman was considered close to Governor Elihu Yale and so made money at a galloping pace. To hide any indication of their direct involvement, Company servants encouraged the coming in of several of their friends and relatives from England and set them up as free merchants. These were, as the name suggests, allowed to trade in a set of commodities not controlled by the Company.


Read more at: https://sriramv.wordpress.com/2016/04/04/know-fort-st-george-23-the-exchange-museum/

 

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[h=1]St. Mary’s Church - Where stones tell a tale[/h]By Anusha Parthasarathy

[h=2]Anusha Parthasarathy visits St. Mary’s Church in Fort St. George and is fascinated by its over-three-century-old history[/h]Just beyond the crowded Assembly building in Fort St. George is a quiet corner, surrounded by tall neem trees with dangling creepers and a metal gate with an antique lamp at the top. This is the rather quaint entrance to what is claimed to be the oldest Anglican church East of the Suez and the oldest British building in India. St. Mary’s Church is a history book in itself and every step inside seems like a step back in time.

The church is now part of the Church of South India, Diocese of Madras. The presbyter, Reverend J. Krubha Lily Elizabeth, points to a booklet on her table about the church’s history.

“The St. Mary’s church was built in 1680 when those who lived in the fort needed a place of worship. Earlier, the chaplain would conduct prayers in the dining hall or some such place.” On March 25, 1678, work on the church began under Governor Streynsham Master. As it was Our Lady’s Day, the church was named St. Mary’s Church. It is said to have been built with voluntary contributions from the English who inhabited the fort. According to the booklet, ‘It will be 80 feet long, 50 feet broad and built with 3 aisles arched with brick and stone’.

Read more at: http://www.thehindu.com/features/fr...h-where-stones-tell-a-tale/article3803310.ece

 

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It is Sri Kapaleeswarar temple at Mylapore.

Ancient and enduring landmark

Sri Kapaleeswarar temple at Mylapore getting ready for the consecration to be performed on August 30.
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INCREASE IN population and commercial activities has not changed the status of Kapaleeswarar temple as the epicentre of the cultural and religious life of Mylapore and its neighbourhood.

Mylapore, in fact, has always been an important place, being one of the 32 holy centres dedicated to Lord Siva in Thondainadu, comprising the present day districts of Chennai, Kanchipuram and Chinglepet. Now the residents of Mylapore are looking forward to the Mahakumbabhishekam scheduled for August 30. The temple has been spruced up and the Rajagopuram looks radiant painted in five bright colours Tamil literature from as early as the sixth century A.D. mentions Mylapore and several poets and authors have written specifically on the temple and Lord Kapaleeswarar and His Consort Karpagavalli.

Brahmasirachethamoorthy is one of the forms of Lord Siva. He got the name after plucking the fifth head of Brahma when the Lord of creation began considering himself equal to Siva as he too had five heads. As Siva carried the skull or the `Kapala' He was known as Kapali and the place He dwelt in became Kapaleeswaram. Saint Thirugnanasambandar mentions Kapaleeswaram in his verses. Another reason given for the name is that this temple belonged to the kapalikas, members of a branch of Saivism. It is believed that kapalikas lived in Mylapore and Thiruvottriyur in ancient times.

The present temple is believed to have been built during the 16th century and before that it was near the Santhome Beach. It is believed that the old temple went under the sea during a deluge. Remains such as pillars, inscriptions and sculptures were found during an archaeological excavation in the Santhome Cathedral in 1923 conducted by the Archaeological Survey of India. The inscriptions including one by Raja Raja Chola I also reveal this fact. One of the Thiruppugazh verses of Saint Arunagirinathar (1540 AD) on Lord Singaravelar in this temple also refers to this temple's proximity to the sea.

Read more at: http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/fr/2004/08/27/stories/2004082702600600.htm

 

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[h=1]Kapaleeshwarar Temple[/h]

Kapaleeshwarar Temple[SUP][1][/SUP] is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located in Mylapore, Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The form of Shiva's consort Parvati worshipped at this temple is called Karpagambal is from Tamil, ("Goddess of the Wish-Yielding Tree"). The temple was built around the 7th century CE in Dravidian architecture.[SUP][2][3][/SUP]

According to the Puranas, Shakti worshipped Shiva in the form of a peacock, giving the vernacular name Mylai (Mayilāi) to the area that developed around the temple - mayil is Tamil for "peacock".[SUP][4][/SUP] Shiva is worshiped as Kapaleeswarar, and is represented by the lingam. His consort Parvati is depicted as Karpagambal. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as the nayanars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam.

The temple has numerous shrines, with those of Kapaleeswarar and Karpagambal being the most prominent. The temple complex houses many halls. The temple has six daily rituals at various times from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and four yearly festivals on its calendar. The Arubathimooval festival celebrated during the Tamil month of Panguni is the most prominent festival in the temple.

The present masonry structure was built during the Vijayanagar rulers of the Tuluva Dynasty (1491–1570 CE)[SUP][citation needed][/SUP]. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.


Read more at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapaleeshwarar_Temple

 

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A celestial spectacle

All roads in the city lead to the Sri Kapaleeswarar Temple in Mylapore for the on-going Panguni Brahmotsavam. CHITRA SWAMINATHAN writes about the significance of the festival

IT IS the Lord's day (read days) out. And like one of the gurukals of the Sri Kapaleeswarar Temple put it: "For those who are not able to visit the temple to meet Him, He comes visiting them. A `supreme' lesson in humbleness indeed! So, if you wish to experience this celestial sight, here's the god-sent opportunity.

Till March 18, all roads will lead to Mylapore and its legendary landmark, the Sri Kapaleeswarar Temple.

The deity will set out to go round the four Mada Streets surrounding the temple tank (once full of water but now gone dry) in resplendent splendour, bejewelled and bedecked with colourful flowers and seated majestically on equally decorated vahanams each day.

For Chennai-ites, particularly Mylaporeans, other things take a backseat during this much-awaited, more than 300-year-old, annual ten-day Panguni Brahmotsavam. For many devouts like R.Subrahmanyam, who has been residing in Mylapore for the past 60 years, the festival does not just hold a religious significance but also an emotional bonding with the temple. "As a young boy, I would take 10 days leave from school, then college and continued to do so even when I started working," says this septuagenarian. "I would spend the entire day in the temple, watching the Lord getting ready for His evening sojourn and would really enjoy being the helper, doing odd jobs for the temple staff." Since then each year, he never fails to be part of the celebrations. S. Karthik has fond memories of helping his grandfather who would put up water and buttermilk kiosks to serve the devotees.


Read more at: http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2003/03/11/stories/2003031100050100.htm

 

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History of Fanam, Kasu/Cash and Duddu

பணம்,காசு & துட்டு

Image source; courtesy; commentary - columbia.edu | A gold half-pagoda coin from the reign of Hari Hara II (1377-1404). Kingdom of Vijayanagar, Hari Hara II (1377-1404); gold 1/2 pagoda no date -1,7 gram; obv: Siva enthroned cross-legged with Parvati (Uma-mahesvara type); rev: Devanagari 'Sri Prapati Harihara'.​

When Madras demonetised

The year was 1735 and George Morton Pitt, the dynamic Governor of Madras, was a worried man. He had inherited a problem of counterfeit and competing currencies from previous administrations, but the matter could no longer be brushed aside. A solution had to be found, and quickly at that.

The grant for Madras in 1639 came with permission for setting up a mint. In the early years, the East India Company minted coins that bore the Vijayanagar emblem of the boar (varaha), which is why priests at weddings refer to all gifts as ‘varahan’ even today! Then came the three-swami pagoda, so called because it bore the image of Vishnu with two consorts. The mint that produced these also made lesser coins, all with names that are still familiar to us — fanam (36 to the pagoda), kasu/cash (80 per fanam) and duddu (10 of these made a cash). The facility stood inside Fort St. George, to the west of Parade Square. These were, however, not the only coins that circulated. There were besides, the Tevanapatam, Allumbrum (Alamparai), Alamgir (issued by the Company on behalf of Aurangzeb), St. Thomas, Trivilore, Negapatam and Pulicat pagodas. The Nawab’s treasury accepted payments only if made in another variety — the Arni pagoda.


Read more at: http://www.thehindu.com/society/When-Madras-demonetised/article16623392.ece

 

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[h=1]The Goddess of Madras[/h]By Sriram V.

Early one morning this month, I set out for Prakasam Salai (aka Broadway) with a few friends, our destination being the Pidari Amman Koil.

It all began with a search on Google, regarding the North Gate of Fort St. George. I came across a House of Lords paper dating to 1839. Right-wing Protestants of Madras had complained about the practice of the East India Company supporting Hindu and Muslim festivals in the city and its environs. The paper listed several ‘heathen’ events, in which the Company played a part. Among them was the annual procession of the Idol Padarier, the Goddess of Madras. The festival, an ancient one, had not been held for 30 years when Mr E, the Collector of Madras, decided to revive it in 1818. The person referred to is obviously the orientalist FW Ellis, who helped establish the College of Fort St George, gave us the Dravidian proof for the southern languages, and translated the Kural.

Ellis, however, died before his plans became a reality. The Company took it upon itself to revive the custom in 1821, and annually sanctioned Rs. 350 for its conduct. The Goddess was brought out of her shrine in procession and came to the North Gate of Fort St George. There, the collector waited upon her and presented her with a ‘gold botto called talee, a piece of red silk cloth called Cooray with Doopa Deepum (incense)’. Town was then a walled city, and when it was found difficult to carry the idol through the Pully Gate at the end of Thambu Chetty Street, the height of the arch was increased at Company expense.

Read more at: http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/hidden-histories-the-goddess-of-madras/article8285541.ece

 

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[h=1]Madras High Court[/h]

Chennai high court view taken by Yoga Balaji from a Digital Camera( Nikon D 200)
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The Madras High Court is the high court of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The court is one of the three High Courts in India established in the three Presidency Towns of Bombay, Calcutta and Madras by Letters patent granted by Her Majesty Queen Victoria, bearing date 26 June 1862. It exercises original jurisdiction over the city of Chennai and appellate jurisdiction over the entire state of Tamil Nadu and Union territory of Puducherry, as well as extraordinary original jurisdiction, civil and criminal, under the Letters Patent and special original jurisdiction for the issue of writs under the Constitution of India.[SUP][1][2][/SUP]

It consists of 74 judges and a chief justice who are in charge of the general policy adopted in the administration of justice.[SUP][2][/SUP] In September 2016, the centre government forwarded names of 15 new judges to the President for his signature on their warrants of appointment. Of the 15, nine are from among lawyers and six from the subordinate judiciary.[SUP][3][/SUP] The current Chief justice Of Madras High Court is Indira Banerjee. She was sworn in on 5 April 2017.

Read more at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madras_High_Court

 

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The Madras High Court (Excerpts from the Centenary Volume of the Madras High Court – 1862-1962.)

[h=3]– 150 years old[/h] High Court Buildings - North view

Queen Victoria by Letters Patent of June 26, 1862, and published in the Fort St. George Gazette of August 19, 1862, established in Madras “for the Presidency of Madras... a High Court of Judicature (to) be called the High Court of Judicature at Madras... (to) consist of a Chief Justice and Five Judges, the first Chief Justice being Sir Colley Harman Scotland, Kt., and the five Judges, being Sir Adam Bittleston, Kt., William Ambrose Morehead, Esq., Thomas Lumsden Strange, Esq., Henry Dominic Phillips, Esq., and Hatley Frere, Esq.”*...The High Court was given the power “to approve, admit, and enrol such and so many Advocates as to the ... High Court shall seem meet, who shall be... authorized to appear and plead for the suitors of the ... High Court, subject to the Rules and directions of such Court.” Also, the Court was authorized to enrol Vakeels and Attorneys-at-Law. The Vakeels could “appear, plead and act for the suitors” while the Attorneys-at-Law could only “appear and act.”...

* Sir Colley Scotland had been the last Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and Sir A. Bittleston had been a Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court at Madras from 1858. The four Judges, T.L. Strange, W.A. More- head, H. Frere and H.D. Phillips, were all Indian Civil Servants; T.L. Strange and H. Frere had been Puisne Judges of the Court of Sudder and Foujdari Adawlut; W.A. Morehead had been the Chief Judge of the Court of Sudder and Foujdari Adawlut; and H.D. Phillips had acted as Puisne Judge of the Court of Sudder and Foujdari Adawlut.

It was ordained that the High Court of Judicature at Madras “shall be a Court of Appeal from the Civil Courts of the Presidency of Madras, and from all other Courts, whether within or without the said Presidency” ... On the Criminal Side: (a) a point worth noting is that there was no provision for an appeal in criminal trial before the Courts of original criminal jurisdiction constituted by one or more Judges of the High Court. The High Court of Judicature at Madras was constituted a Court of appeal from the Criminal courts of the Presidency. The Court was provided with Admiralty and Vice-Admiralty jurisdiction, Testamentary and Intestate jurisdiction and Matrimonial jurisdiction. The Code of Civil Procedure and the Code of Criminal Procedure were made to regulate proceedings in Civil and Criminal cases respectively. In civil and criminal matters appeals were provided to the Privy Council; in civil matters the value of the appeal should be above ten thousand rupees, failing which the High Court should declare that the case was a fit one for appeal; in criminal cases it was necessary for the High Court to declare that the case was a fit one for such appeal.


Read more at: http://madrasmusings.com/Vol 21 No 17/the-madras-high-court.html

 

[swathi25]

[h=1]Gift to Madras etched in stone, forgotten by time[/h]By Rachel Chitra

Chennai: The granite stone slab in a corner of the premises of 175-year-old Christ ChurchAnglo-Indian School, Anna Salai, today may be better known as a spot to hang out during recess, but the etching on it is a window to the past and testament to the work of Arthur Lawley and his wife Lady Annie Allen Cunard in reforms in education, agriculture and industry in Madras.

The granite plaque reads: "In the glory of God this stone was laid by H E Sir Arthur Lawley, Governor of Madras, March 28, 1911." Sir Arthur Lawley was governor of western Australia for five years before he got promoted and became governor of Madras. It probably is a hint that the British empire considered Madras Presidency a place of importance.

Read more at: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com...ne-forgotten-by-time/articleshow/62795974.cms

 

[Brahmanyan]

Portuguese in Madras:

It is indeed a surprise our History books dismiss the presence of Portuguese in Madras just in a paragraph.
Madras (Madras Patinam) was under the rule of Portuguese for about 230 years from 1515 to 1749. It is believed that the name Madras or Madras Pattinam is derived from the Portuguese word "Madre de Deus" meaning "Mother of God" a Church in San Thome consecrated by the rich Portuguese family Madeiro's Family in 1575. The Portuguese colonised the settlement peacefully by bringing groups of "casados" (Married army men) from Portugal to live.The main settlement was the 7 of São Tomé de Meliapore (near today’s Mylapore in South Madras), where there was the grave of the apostle Saint Thomas. Unlike the English and Dutch, the intention of Portuguese was not Trade or Commercial supremacy, but conversion of the locals to Catholicism, i.e. baptism. By the time Portuguese evinced interest in the Coromandel coast, the Dutch were already there, well established in Paleacate (Pulicat,) a busy port about 40km north of Madras, from where they did a lucrative export of spices and slaves to their colonies in Java and South east Asia and South America.

Portuguese built their first Church in Paleacate in 1515, and called it Nossa Senhora da Gloria (Our Lady of Glory). It is unfortunate and lack of respect for heritage value, this Church was demolished in 2007 to make way to rebuild a new one. Similarly few other Churches and buildings of Heritage value were destroyed due to callous attitude of the Government.Today, no trace of the Portuguese presence remain in Pulicat, one reason being the early Dutch conquest in 1609. On the other hand, both Pulicat and Mylapore were among places with a significant Portuguese presence and influence which were never fully integrated in the administrative system of the Estado da Índia, i.e. the Portuguese colonial system, even though the latter inevitably became an important pole in the Padroado’s geography (Papal patronage). In 1580 the town of São Tomé had four churches, those of São Tomé, São Francisco, São João Baptista and Misericórdia. Outside the town were the churches of Madre de Deus, São Lazaro, Nossa Senhora da Luz and Nossa Senhora do Monte.The Parish was first known as 'Madre-de-Deus' , but later this place was turned to the Jesuit Fathers for the Retreat House, and Lazarus Church was made the Parish church. It is believed that this Portuguese name Madre-de-Deus in due course gave the name ‘Madras' to the city. At the beginning of 1600 São Tomé had a population of about 600 Casados. On 9 January 1606 the Diocese of São Tomé de Meliapur was erected.

To name a few valuable ancient buildings of Portuguese Architecture demolished in the 20th century were " Madre de Deus church (dates back to 16th century,demolished and replaced); Our Lady of Health (16th century, little Mount - demolished, replaced); Our Lady of Resurrection (16th century,little Mount, destroyed with dynamite); Our Lady of Assumption (dating to 1640 - demolished and replaced by new one, Portuguese Church Street, Chennai); Our Lady of Visitation (original church dates to 16th century, 18th century one demolished and replaced, on the way to the little Mount); British Governor House and Portuguese Madeira ("Madra") Family House (Chennai - demolished)".

Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Luz (Our Lady of Light) or Luz Church.




There is an interesting anecdote about Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Luz ,Our Lady of Light,(Luz- Portuguese word for Clustering light) locally pronounced “Luz Church”. That a small group of Franciscans Friars at sea in a ship on a stormy night on March,9,1500 , when traveling fell victim to the wrath of the seas, and in their fear brothers prayed to Our Mother Mary. Suddenly their eyes were drawn to a bright light which led them safely to land on the shores of Mylapore, on the same spot where the ruins of ‘Bethuma’, (Arabic word for House of Thomas) the old house of St Thomas, the Apostle, was located. As they moved towards the mysterious guiding light, it led them to a clearing in the forest. Here the light disappeared suddenly. Moved and inspired by this experience, Friar Pedro, of the Observance of St Francis, built this church on the very same spot. The Church, even today, is referred to as ‘Kattu Koil’ or ‘Forest Church’ by the local people. Now, the forest has disappeared in the metropolis of Chennai. The church exhibits a stone bearing a painted inscription of doubtful trustworthiness – the letter type, paint, etc. - that states that the founder was one Pedro da Atouguia. The date surprises as this is two years before the first documented visit to Meliapor by the Portuguese. But the historical importance of the Church is apparent from the fact that the area now is officially called ‘Luz’, . Luz Church was damaged during the occupation by Qutb Shahi forces from Golkonda between 1662 and 1673. During the occupation of Hyder Ali between 1780 and 1782, the East India Company Forces which occupied the Luz Parish Residence for some years. The Church of Our Lady of Light was built in 1516 and is now renovated and restored to its original form.

Brahmanyan
Bangalore.

 

[swathi25]

Portuguese in Madras:

It is indeed a surprise our History books dismiss the presence of Portuguese in Madras just in a paragraph.
Madras (Madras Patinam) was under the rule of Portuguese for about 230 years from 1515 to 1749. It is believed that the name Madras or Madras Pattinam is derived from the Portuguese word "Madre de Deus" meaning "Mother of God" a Church in San Thome consecrated by the rich Portuguese family Madeiro's Family in 1575. The Portuguese colonised the settlement peacefully by bringing groups of "casados" (Married army men) from Portugal to live.The main settlement was the 7 of São Tomé de Meliapore (near today’s Mylapore in South Madras), where there was the grave of the apostle Saint Thomas. Unlike the English and Dutch, the intention of Portuguese was not Trade or Commercial supremacy, but conversion of the locals to Catholicism, i.e. baptism. By the time Portuguese evinced interest in the Coromandel coast, the Dutch were already there, well established in Paleacate (Pulicat,) a busy port about 40km north of Madras, from where they did a lucrative export of spices and slaves to their colonies in Java and South east Asia and South America.

. During the occupation of Hyder Ali between 1780 and 1782, the East India Company Forces which occupied the Luz Parish Residence for some years. The Church of Our Lady of Light was built in 1516 and is now renovated and restored to its original form.

Brahmanyan
Bangalore.

Sir,

Thanks for visiting this thread and your valued contribution.

I lived in Santhome for nearly 28 years and know bit about the influence of Portuguese with streets named as De Monte Street, De Costa, De Silva, etc

Here are two links more related to the subject

1) Church of Our Lady of Light (Luz Church), Mylapore, Chennai

Link: https://tamilnadu-favtourism.blogspot.com/2017/12/luz-church-mylapore-chennai.html

2) Portuguese influence beyond goa
Read more at: https://www.deccanherald.com/content/47176/portuguese-influence-beyond-goa.html

 

[Brahmanyan]

Sir,

Thanks for visiting this thread and your valued contribution.

I lived in Santhome for nearly 28 years and know bit about the influence of Portuguese with streets named as De Monte Street, De Costa, De Silva, etc

Here are two links more related to the subject

1) Church of Our Lady of Light (Luz Church), Mylapore, Chennai

Link: https://tamilnadu-favtourism.blogspot.com/2017/12/luz-church-mylapore-chennai.html

2) Portuguese influence beyond goa
Read more at: https://www.deccanherald.com/content/47176/portuguese-influence-beyond-goa.html

Dear friend,

Thanks for the rejoinder to my post. I read the two links given by you. Yes, Portuguese influence in the life of Tamils (though minimal) can be seen in our language and heritage even now.
Portuguese influence in Tamil:

Portuguese influence in the life of Tamils was so strong that many words from Portuguese language has become normal use in Tamil vocabulary today. அவற்றில் சில
அலமாரி (Armário), ஜன்னல்,(Janale) மேஜை(Mesa), மேஸ்திரி (Mestiri),சாவி(Chave), வராந்தா(Varanda),குசினி (Cozinha),
சப்பு (Chupo), பீப்பாய் (Pipa), அன்னாசி (Ananás).

தமிழில் அச்சேறிய முதல் நூல்
லிஸ்பன் நகரில் 1554இல் அச்சிடப்பட்ட கார்த்தில்யா (Carthilha) என்ற நூலே முதல் தமிழ் நூல் என்பர்.
இந்நூலில் தமிழ் எழுத்துகள் கையாளப்படாமல் உரோமருடைய எழுத்துகள் தமிழ் ஒலிகளைக் குறிப்பதற்குக் கையாளப் பெற்றிருந்தன. இது 36 பக்கங்களை உடையது. இந்த உரைநடை நூலில் கத்தோலிக்கக் கிறித்தவ சமயத்தின் வழிபாட்டு முறைகளும், செபங்களும் அடங்கியுள்ளன.
ஹென்ரிக் ஹென்ரிக்ஸ் (1520–1600):இவர் ஒரு போர்த்துகீசிய மத போதகர். தமிழில் நூல்களை அச்சடிக்க என தொடக்க காலத்தில் அச்சுக் கூடத்தினை நிறுவி தமிழில் நூல்களை அச்சிட்டவர். 1578 ஆம் ஆண்டிலேயே தம்பிரான் வணக்கம் என்ற நூலினை அச்சில் வெளியிட்டவர். கிரிசித்தியாணி வணக்கம் என்ற நூலினையும் கொண்டு வந்தவர்.
கி.பி.1679ஆம் ஆண்டில் அந்தோணி பிரயோன்சா அடிகளார் போர்த்துகீசிய-தமிழ் அகராதியை உருவாக்கினார். வீரமாமுனிவர் சதுரகராதியை 1732இல் வெளியிட்டார். மேலும் அவர் தமிழ்-லத்தீன் அகராதி, போர்த்துகீசியம்-தமிழ்-லத்தீன் அகராதி ஆகியவற்றையும் வெளியிட்டார்.

(Copied from my Blog "Old Stylus")
It was during the Portuguese period a new trend in Building Architecture was introduced throughout the coastline of Tamil Nadu , the vestiges of which can be seen even today.

Brahmanyan
Bangalore.

 

[swathi25]

Dear friend,

Thanks for the rejoinder to my post. I read the two links given by you. Yes, Portuguese influence in the life of Tamils (though minimal) can be seen in our language and heritage even now.
Portuguese influence in Tamil:

...............
...............
(Copied from my Blog "Old Stylus")
It was during the Portuguese period a new trend in Building Architecture was introduced throughout the coastline of Tamil Nadu , the vestiges of which can be seen even today.

Brahmanyan
Bangalore.

Sir,

Your posting was quite informative. That was really interesting to note we have been using so much of words which have roots/were derived from Portuguese.

And Chennai seems to have more buildings built during their regime with a taste of their own architectural style which are considered as landmarks now.

Here is an article published in Times of India on the influence of Portuguese with tamils.

In search of Portuguese imprints in Chennai

Excerpts:

Historian V Sriram points out that the Portuguese have left behind a trail of words that Tamils still use. “Pipa, used to describe a barrel or a fat person in Tamil, is actually a Portuguese word. It is derived from Peep, meaning barrel in Portuguese.” Some other words are the Portuguese ‘manga’ from which the Tamil ‘mangga’ (mango) is derived and the word Pariah (from Paria in Portguese) used for lower castes in India. “We have 35 such words that are currently used in Tamil in a corrupt form,” adds Anand. “Tamils for a long time used the Picota, a pump break to draw water from wells. This too was a gift from the Portuguese,” Sriram says.

Although the Portuguese ruled India for 450 years, their imprint is minimal. “The English who came after them ensured that everything that was Portuguese was wiped out,” adds former bureaucrat M G Devasahayam.


Read more at: https://blogs.timesofindia.indiatim.../in-search-of-portuguese-imprints-in-chennai/

 

[swathi25]

[h=1]The triumph of labour[/h]HANS ULRICH OBRIST, whom The Guardian once described as a curator who never sleeps, explained the task of a curator in accessible language: “It [curation] means to preserve, in the sense of safeguarding the heritage of art. It means to be the selector of new work. It means to connect to art history. And it means displaying or arranging the work. But it’s more than that. Before 1800, few people went to exhibitions. Now hundreds of millions of people visit them every year. It’s a mass medium and a ritual. The curator sets it up so that it becomes an extraordinary experience and not just illustrations or spatialised books.”

India has witnessed the arrival of intelligent and engaging curators in the last two decades. With the art calendar being filled with exciting events—from the India Art Fair in New Delhi to the Kochi Biennale—these curators have sharpened their skills and navigated the world of art through numerous, varying signposts: some are thematic, some are based on material, some are retrospectives to celebrate individual artists and some bring together artists of a select school.

The Kochi Biennale has developed the Students’ Biennale, an exhibitory platform that runs parallel to the main Kochi-Muziris Biennale, with a view to reaching out to state-funded art colleges across the country and encouraging young artists to reflect on their practice and exhibit their work on an international stage. Chennai-based C.P. Krishnapriya, a practising artist and an alumna of the Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai, curated the work of students from the college in Chennai, the Government College of Fine Arts, Kumbakonam, and the College of Fine Arts, Thiruvananthapuram. Students from Thiruvananthapuram chose to explore how skill and craft play a role in creating a work of art.

In the case of Chennai and Kumbakonam, Krishnapriya took a look at the now closed museum in the college in Chennai to see what would go into it if artists were to recreate the museum and an archive that is living and not dead. Drawing from the history of the college, their location within it, and their own lives, she narrowed down her search to looking at the place of labour in such a recreated space of exhibition. For her, Chennai and Kumbakonam share more history in the instituting of art and the colleges than is usually assumed, with a crossover of artists and art teachers, from their inception to the present. When she brought the students of these two colleges together, an organic linkage surfaced among the students themselves, not just in their approach to art but also in the process of making art.


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[FONT=&quot]The Triumph of Labour statue created by Debi Prasad Roy Chowdhury on the Marina.
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Read more at: https://www.frontline.in/arts-and-culture/article10107322.ece

 

[swathi25]

[h=1]Work of labour[/h] By Akila Kannadasan

[h=2]Ever wondered who modelled for the Triumph Of Labour statue on the Marina Beach? Akila Kannadasan tracks them down[/h]

Frozen in Time: The Triumph of Labour statue on the marina beach: Photo:S.S. Kumar Photo Credit: S.S.KUMAR
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The four men with rippling muscles stand above all else, in a world of their own. Traffic rumbles on before them; passers-by walk by without as much as a glance. Only rarely does one stop to look at them. As statues frozen in time, the men stand there, their personal moment of intense physical effort, captured for the world to see. Who are they? Did they exist in flesh and blood before they were cast in bronze by the great sculptor Debi Prasad Roy Chowdhury? I set out to find out. My first stop is the Government College of Fine Arts. The sculptor worked there from 1929 and retired as the principal in 1957. “No one knows who the models were,” says P.S. Devanath, the head of the Department of Painting. “A sculptor rarely interacts with his model. You can search the books in our library… but it’s unlikely that you will find what you are looking for.” But there must be somebody. Is there any person at all with whom the sculptor discussed his work? After numerous phone calls and a fitful sleep at night, I walk into a three-roomed flat in Kodambakkam in the morning…

Inside, a framed painting of a man with sharp eyes, long hair and a beard, hangs on a wall opposite the door. It’s the first thing that catches my eye — such is the man’s charisma. I know right away that I am at the right place. “He is my father A.P. Srinivasan, who was Chowdhury’s model for the second and fourth men from left in the Triumph Of Labour statue,” informs his son Subramanian, a technician at the Government College of Fine Arts.

Srinivasan was the son of a farmer. He grew up on a dose of healthy food and hard work in the sun. Almost six feet tall, he had a muscular body. He was in his late teens when he came to Chennai to make a living — he sold vegetables in Periyamedu. The prestigious Madras School of Arts was a stone’s throw from his shop.


Read more at: http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/work-of-labour/article5055544.ece

 

[Brahmanyan]

Madras Presidency Radio Club

Madras Presidency Radio Club

First Radio Transmitter in Madras.

If you visit the Government Museum in Chennai, you can see the first Radio Broadcasting transmitter which was beaming Radio waves for the first time in Madras, under the Call Sign 2GR, from July 31, 1924. It was Rao Bahadur C.V.Krishnaswami Chetty, an Electrical Engineer with Madras Corporation who formed Madras Presidency Radio Club (MPRC) with some of his Amateur Radio Enthusiasts, and took the trouble of going to England to learn the technique of Radio Broadcasting, where Marconi and Co,had just started Broadcasting in 1922.

On his return to Madras Mr.Chetty and his friends in MPRC assembled a 40 W Medium Wave transmitter and got the permission to broadcast in Madras. H.E.Viscount Goschen, the then Governor of Madras Presidency who was also the Patron of MPRC, inaugurated transmission on July,31, 1924. Later it enhanced the broadcast to 200 W Transmitter, to broadcast 2.1/2 hrs programs in the evenings, and Proigrams in the mornings on Sundays. It is said the broadcasts of this transmitter had the reach upto Chittoor, Vizayanagaram, Vellore and ever upto Ceylon (Sri Lanka)! The MPRC ran the Radio till October 1927 from Holloway's Garden, Egmore and wound up their transmission activities due to financial difficulties. They presented this transmitter to Corporation of Madras , who in turn took three years to start regular broadcasting from April, 1, 1930 and continued the service till June 15, 1938. Then the Government owned All India Radio started their broadcasting from Madras on June 16, 1938 with their own Transmission equipment.

The Corporation of Madras decided to Present this first Radio Transmitter to the Madras Museum in 1939. Thus it had become a Museum piece.
(Published in my Blog "Old Stylus".)
Brahmanyan
Bangalore.

 

[swathi25]

Madras Presidency Radio Club

First Radio Transmitter in Madras.

If you visit the Government Museum in Chennai, you can see the first Radio Broadcasting transmitter which was beaming Radio waves for the first time in Madras, under the Call Sign 2GR, from July 31, 1924. It was Rao Bahadur C.V.Krishnaswami Chetty, an Electrical Engineer with Madras Corporation who formed Madras Presidency Radio Club (MPRC) with some of his Amateur Radio Enthusiasts, and took the trouble of going to England to learn the technique of Radio Broadcasting, where Marconi and Co,had just started Broadcasting in 1922.


The Corporation of Madras decided to Present this first Radio Transmitter to the Madras Museum in 1939. Thus it had become a Museum piece.
(Published in my Blog "Old Stylus".)
Brahmanyan
Bangalore.

Sir,

Thanks for the inputs. It is interesting to learn that how one of the Amateur Radio enthusiasts took trouble to found the Madras Presidency Radio Club at Chennai on those days.

First radio transmitter of south India displayed

The First Radio Transmitter of South India is the exhibit of Fortnight at the Government Museum, Egmore. Photo:R.Ragu- Photo Credit: R.Ragu.
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Read more at: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities...r-of-south-india-displayed/article5389341.ece