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தர்மம் மிகு சென்னை........

This article dates back to 2012

[h=1]From today, Senate House to showcase history[/h]CHENNAI: From Thursday, the historic Senate House, the first building of University of Madras, will have a permanent exhibit of photographs that highlight the contributions of the university to education in south India.

At least 320 photographs in A3-size, including 16 folios with inscriptional details of the education system in the past, have been put up in the main hall of the building. Each picture has a story to tell, beginning with a paper folio of inscriptions from ghatikas (seats of higher learning during the Pallava period) and mutts (monasteries ) as educational centres in medieval Tamil Nadu.


The exhibition is also a pictorial recollection of the people and events that contributed to the university, which is one of the oldest in India along with University of Calcutta and University of Bombay.

[h=1]The photographs have been arranged in 25 sub-divisions. Each division has at least 10 to 15 pictures with detailed captions. “We have exhibited photographs of dignitaries, Indians as well as foreign nationals, who were part of the institution and education in the city as a whole. We have also included the old buildings, particularly schools that were later converted into colleges. Presidency College, Government Arts College and Madura College are the best examples,” says P D Balaji, head of the department of ancient history and archeology, whose team took almost a year to collect the photographs from various sources.[/h][h=1]Read more at: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com...-to-showcase-history/articleshow/12001103.cms[/h]
 
[h=1]Ravi Varma’s indelible connection with Madras[/h]The Fort St George Museum has some of the best works of painter Raja Ravi Varma, who had a close bond with the city till his death in 1906. It was in Madras in 1873 that Ravi Varma first tasted success with an art exhibition where top artists Indian and British displayed their pieces, says Rukmini Varma, a great-great-granddaughter of the master.


"Ravi Varma not only won the top prize with the Malabar Lady, but also the praise of veteran critics and art lovers as an ‘unrivalled exponent of painting," says Rukmini, also a painter, in her recently released book, ‘Hidden Truth: Raja Ravi Varma, The Inside Story’ that provides a glimpse into the celebrated painter’s life through rare pictures and paintings from the family archives, and selections from his diaries.

Dignitaries, princess, foreign delegates, ambassadors and kings sought his acquaintance and vied for possession of his work. "He had officially arrived. It was in the same year that a world exhibition of art was organised in Vienna. Ravi Varma had evolved an individual style and technique by this time and wielded his brush with confidence and acumen," she writes.

Read more at: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com...nnection-with-madras/articleshow/64770182.cms
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[h=1]Raja Ravi Varma’s ‘Tilottama’ fetches over Rs 5 crore at Sotheby’s sale[/h][h=2]Raja Ravi Varma's untitled painting of Tilottama sold for Rs 5.17 crores at Sotheby's New York sale of Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art, fetching more than its upper estimate of Rs 3.90 crores.[/h]

raja-1.jpg


The artist strove to impart the extreme desirability that led to the demon brothers downfall. (Instagram)
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Raja Ravi Varma’s untitled painting of Tilottama sold for Rs 5.17 crores at Sotheby’s New York sale of Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art, fetching more than its upper estimate of Rs 3.90 crores. Among the handful of Raja Ravi Varma works to appear at international auctions, the painting features a celestial nymph from Hindu mythology, who embodies the “nearly perfect being”. Varma, who was declared a national treasure by the Indian government in 1979, eschewed Western subject matter and often illustrated myriad stories from Vedic mythology as well as the Ramayana and Mahabharata. “The challenge for Varma lay in mediating images, which were life-like in appearance and often Western, neo-classical in inspiration to make them viable as Indian cultural symbols,” according to the auction house’s website. According to the Hindu mythology, Tilottama, was created at Brahma’s request to destroy two demon brothers Sunda and Upasunda, who could not be killed by anyone except themselves.

Read more at: https://www.financialexpress.com/in...hes-over-rs-5-crore-at-sothebys-sale/1107685/
 
[h=1]Making gunpowder in Mylapore[/h]By Sriram V

Last week saw me wandering around the Bazaar Street area of Mylapore. The car festival of the Karaneeswarar Temple (Coronation Pagoda in ye olde times) was the chief attraction but in the process I learnt much else.

I had never known that there was an entire area that went by the name of Powder Mill, just off Bazaar Road. And what’s more, there were at least three streets in it. A rabbit’s warren of houses, it was quite challenging walking around it. It is evidently a throwback to a time when gunpowder was made in this area. Returning home, I checked Love’s Vestiges of Old Madras only to find that he makes no mention of such a facility in Mylapore/Santhome. He lists five others – on the Island, at Perambur, at Egmore, at Black Town, and one more in the Peddanaickenpet part of Town. But nothing on a Mylapore powder mill. I had to obviously search elsewhere.

Given that British sources are otherwise silent on the subject, it was quite likely that the powder mill in Mylapore dated back to the Arcot Nawabs, or to the Golconda forces, or the French or the Portuguese, in short, to a time when Santhome was an independent fortified town.

Read more at: https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/society/making-gunpowder-in-mylapore/article6041479.ece
 
Variety is spice of life

[h=1]Burmese food in Namma Chennai: From atho to bejo, Parrys Corner has it all[/h]


Atho_Main_Image.jpg


While street food in Chennai might mean Alsa Mall sandwiches and Ritchie Street samosas to many, this street serves Burmese noodle delicacies.

As the sun goes down on Second Line Beach Road near the famed Burma Bazaar in Chennai, kerosene lamps are mounted on pushcarts, huge wide-mouth aluminium buckets heaped with shredded cabbage and carrots are unloaded, and the stoves are lit, their flames burning high.

While street food in Chennai might mean Alsa Mall sandwiches and Ritchie Street samosas to many, this street in Parrys Corner serves Burmese noodle delicacies heaped on small plastic plates.

People from all over the city throng this street specifically for the famed Burmese atho, mohinga and bejo, traditionally prepared by Burmese settlers from the 60s. These Burmese migrants settled in Madras, forming a small colony close to the beach.

Read more at: https://www.thenewsminute.com/artic...nnai-atho-bejo-parrys-corner-has-it-all-83922
 
St. Thomas and the city
[h=2]By Geetha Padmanabhan[/h][h=2]GEETA PADMANABHAN lists three places associated with the apostle who landed in India in 52 CE[/h]


05MPSANTHOME_CHURCH_3

San Thome Basilica, Santhome

In a city with many churches known for their antiquity, history, religious significance and architectural grandeur, this one stands tall. Its imposing neo-Gothic design is enhanced by a series of spires, with the tallest rising to 155 ft.

The colossal central area, stunning stained-glass murals and life-size portraits inside, and the slender towers and pinnacles outside, make it a huge tourist attraction.
But, the cathedral’s significance goes beyond architectural beauty. The basilica is one of the three places associated with St. Thomas in Chennai. Legend has it that he landed in India in 52 CE and established churches on the West Coast before heading to the Coromandal coast and Madras. After his martyrdom in 72 CE, his disciples buried him in Santhome, and the church came up on the spot.

Read more at: https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/St.-Thomas-and-the-city/article15425525.ece
 
On a Christian trail of St Thomas apostle




St Thomas Mount, Little Mount and Santhome Basilica give a glimpse into the city’s religious pastBy Roshne Balasubramanian
Express News Service

CHENNAI: The city’s connection with saints of different religions, faiths and beliefs is strong. But there is one who travelled beyond the Roman empire, and reached the ancient ‘Tamilakam’, preached, baptised several people and found the sect of ‘Thomas Christians’ or Nazranis — Thomas, one of the 12 apostles of Jesus. To understand Chennai’s strong Christian connection and trace the life of ‘Thoma’, Savera’s official travel wing, Wanderlust travel lounge, organised a half-day tour to three sites associated with the apostle who landed in India in 52CE — The St Thomas Mount, Little Mount and Santhome Basilica.

We were first led to St Thomas Mount (Parangimalai) by Shylaja Chetlur, founder, Wanderlust and director Naga, known for his TV series Marmadesam and Chidambaram Rahasiyam. “When I began working on a project, closely related to the saint, I discovered that it’s fascinating to look into the Christian tradition of the city that dates back to almost 2,000 years,” said Naga.


Read more at: http://www.newindianexpress.com/cit...stian-trail-of-st-thomas-apostle-1747235.html
 
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Madam Swati,
An excellant posting. Many unknown information about Chennai aka Madras.
why don't you cover Wall tax road, a tax collected by Britishers on us to separate us, yaanai gowny an elephant was draped by advocate Mr. Pachiappa Mudaliar to go to his chamber so, thousand lights mosque, how the servant used to lit all lamps with a big pole, Black town and white town, old jail road, mint street etc.,,,,,
 
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naithru said:
Madam Swati,
An excellant posting. Many unknown information about Chennai aka Madras.
why don't you cover Wall tax road, a tax collected by Britishers on us to separate us, yaanai gowny an elephant was draped by advocate Mr. Pachiappa Mudaliar to go to his chamber so, thousand lights mosque, how the servant used to lit all lamps with a big pole, Black town and white town, old jail road, mint street etc.,,,,,
Click to expand...


Naithru Ji

Thank you for visiting this thread.

While monitoring the number of viewer visiting this thread everyday, there is an increase which in other words confirm that considerable number of members visit this thread.

I wanted to add value to this thread and make this one as an interesting and informative.

Thanks for pointing out some locations, interesting/hidden history of these locations will be shared in the coming days.

Last but not the least, it is such positive responses that boost the spirit and encourage me for contribute more.

Thanks once again.
 
I am sorry I mistook you and madam Raji Ram has corrected me.
thanks to you for giving info about madras.
Having spent 6 decades in madras many things are unknown to me.
I regularly read mr muthiah and his musings
thanks again
ms
ps: naithru is my gmail, and also my gotra naithruva kasyaba
 
swathiji, Regarding the flagmast,
Wooden post

The wooden post on the seashore behind the Santhome Basilica stands forlorn, surrounded by garbage. It is fixed on a pyramid-shaped concrete platform, and on the church-side, the base bears an inscription — St. Thomas Pole: In gratitude to God for saving Santhome from Tsunami 2004”.
Historian Vakula Varadarajan says that in 1635, Santhome was encircled by a large fort with three bulwarks on the seaside and four gates equipped with guns. Its Western gate extended up to the present-day Appu Mudali street. In time, most of its Eastern walls were washed away by waves. In 1672, the fort was captured by the French, but two years later, Santhome was besieged and occupied by the Golkonda Sultanate and the Dutch with support from the British. The fort was demolished, but the old flag-staff (the pole) survived.so says in the hindu Geeta Padmanabhan
DECEMBER 20, 2016 15:38 ISTUPDATED: DECEMBER 20, 2016 21:01 IST
​



21mpthomas3.jpg
The pole at Fort St. George




The church believes St. Thomas, soon after his arrival in India in 52 CE, used his girdle to remove a large wooden log blocking the mouth of a local river, fashioned a post out of the log and planted it, stating “the sea would never cross the pole”. Following the Tsunami, parish priest Fr. Lawrence Raj claimed the pole or “St. Thomas Tree” miraculously saved the Basilica and Santhome from the waters.
However, Michael Prabhu, 65, who calls himself a Catholic apologist, questions this claim. He lived with his grandparents in a bungalow 200 metres from the gates of the Cathedral “for the first 19 years of my life”, and remembers seeing this 20 ft-high weather-worn wooden pole. “To the best of my knowledge… it holds no known historic significance… and was never associated with St. Thomas,” he says.
North Gate

Laterite stone and black granite went into the construction of the semi-octogonal fort St. George.
During Frenchman De Lally’s attack on the Fort in December 1758, his army looted the black town outside. People rushed to enter the fort for safety, but Col. William Draper refused to let them in. Lally attacked the Northern gate, failed, and returned to Pondicherry in February 1759.
 
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[h=2]Cornwallis Cenotaph at Rajaji Salai[/h]When news of the Treaty of Seringapatam and Tipu Sultan’s defeat reached Madras, the European residents organised a fund-raising campaign to erect a statue for Cornwallis. Thomas Banks, a famous sculptor, was entrusted with the job; the statue arrived in Madras, and was erected on May 15, 1800, under a cupola on the Eastern side of parade ground inside the fort. The ground was named Cornwallis Square. In 1805, Cornwallis visited Madras on his way to Calcutta to take charge of Governor-Generalship for the second time on May 6. A cenotaph was erected in Teynampet, and this road was named Cenotaph Road. Later, the cenotaph was moved to the compound of Bentinck’s Building, then the Supreme Court of Madras, on First Line Beach Road. Bentinck’s Building was demolished in 1980.
In 1925, the statue was moved out of Cornwallis Square to the cenotaph. It stood there for three years. In 1928, dust from the harbour and the salt breeze forced it to be moved to Connemara Library.
Till 1950, Cornwallis stood at library and then moved to Fort Museum. The cupola at the parade ground was shifted there too. The cenotaph at First Line Beach is now a public toilet!
[h=2]Maadi Thottam[/h]It is difficult to trace a park front that has plaques from many eras. Maadi Poonga, aka Hanging Gardens of Chennai, lying above Ibrahim Sahib Street near the Royapuram railway station, is under the protection of the Archaeological Survey of India. The park was renovated in 2009 by the Chennai Corporation at a cost of Rs. 7.5 lakh. Despite that, the park is in a state of neglect.
21mpmadi.jpg


The small park is the only surviving piece of the original Madras Fort wall built in 1772-1773 by the British soon after Hyder Ali plundered the Fort area twice in 1767 and 1769. Built by Paul Benfield, the 30 ft-wide wall had enough room for fortification and ran for a length of six km (3.5 miles) from Wall Tax Road and had 17 bastions. The park was developed adjacent to the fortification wall.
It is an interesting exercise to walk on the road below the thottam to trace the wall visible in several places.
Alas, the wall-top has been built over, leaving you wondering if visitors to the park realise its historical significance.
 
Soon I hope you will be covering
1.kollukkaran pettai is kolaikaran pettai
2.hamilton bridge is ambattan varavati and there are lanes barbars bridge
3.tp koil st is not tiruvallikkeni parthasarathy but tulasinga perumal koil st.
4. My ladye's poonga, siaa, old zoo, moore market, vp hall.
5.marina beach- thilak ghat
6.gemini gave its land for bridge
7. Vasan house is now acropolis
And so many like india gate and nkt kala mandap, the grove, etc
 
naithru said:
Soon I hope you will be covering
1.kollukkaran pettai is kolaikaran pettai
2.hamilton bridge is ambattan varavati and there are lanes barbars bridge
3.tp koil st is not tiruvallikkeni parthasarathy but tulasinga perumal koil st.
4. My ladye's poonga, siaa, old zoo, moore market, vp hall.
5.marina beach- thilak ghat
6.gemini gave its land for bridge
7. Vasan house is now acropolis
And so many like india gate and nkt kala mandap, the grove, etc
Click to expand...

Yes Sir,

Chennai has lot of temples, churches and mosques with historical importance. Each has a hidden story behind it. There are few, who have taken the trouble and pain of searching for the origin. There are few who have made detailed study of history of Chennai and have published articles about the hidden history, culture, etc

There may be plenty of surprises in store if one reads old books.

It may even prove a fortune of memories for more.

The Mughals, the British and the Portuguese have left lot of land marks, monuments, forts, Churches, etc

Let us share one by one. It is going to be a cherishing memory for a few.
 
It is market or சந்தை also important places one cannot miss to visit like Kothawal Chavadi.

[h=1]Heritage markets take you down memory lane[/h]

16THZAM_BAZAAR

[h=2]They do not possess grand structure or ornamental façade, but are no less important in historical value or social importance[/h]While Chennai is getting busy to celebrate the World Heritage Day on April 18, many old markets in the city, some more than 100 years old, are in need of urgent attention.

They do not possess grand structure or ornamental facade to announce their presence, but heritage markets such as Zam Bazaar and Mir Sahib Pet are no less important either in historical value or social importance.
Many of them continue to thrive, but require improvements that would enhance their historical importance and help them function better.

Much before Moore Market, the grandest of public markets in Chennai was built in 1900 (lost in a fire accident in 1985), many public markets existed. One of the earliest elaborate-market was built in George Town in 1788.

The Municipal Administration report published in 1880 lists about 30 private markets in the city. Building and running such markets were economically attractive and entrepreneurs such as Phiroz Muncherji Clubwala, `a well respected merchant of Madras' invested in them. Mr. Clubwala owned the Zam Bazaar till his death in 1927.

Read more at: https://www.thehindu.com/news/citie...take-you-down-memory-lane/article12060880.ece
 
[h=1]Chennapatnam, legacy of a 370-year-old city[/h]

13DC_MYPR-2


Though Chennai has grown tall in diverse fields in the last few decades, deep in its heart still lies the ancient city of Chennapatnam. Let us take a look at how the city was founded a few centuries ago.

Located along the coast, it was originally an unpolluted and pristine area in the province of Tondaimandalam. It lay between the Pennar river of Nellore and Pennar river of Cuddalore. Slowly the city grew by merging a few villages such as Thiruvotriyur, Tiruallikeni and Tirumylai along the Coromandel Coast.

The Nayak of Poonamallee was the local chieftain who owed allegiance to the Rajah of Chandragiri.

The English who came here in the 1630s acquired a small piece of land (about 3 sq miles), from the king of Chandragiri, and built a factory to store goods. They were lured by the cotton cloth that was woven by the innumerable weavers. They exported it to England and other parts of the world.

In a few years there evolved a group of people who could speak two languages (English and Tamil; English and Telugu). They came to be known as ‘Dubashis'. They acted as the middlemen between the weavers and the British. These Dubashis indulged in many shady transactions and slowly became powerful and rich. Even today, many streets in George town are named after them. Thambu Chetty Street, Malayappa Chetty Street, Errabalu Chetty Street, to name a few.

Read more at: https://www.thehindu.com/features/d...egacy-of-a-370yearold-city/article3404348.ece
 
One can find everything other than their parents here..

A stroll through the iconic Pallavaram Friday market

by Akila Kannadasan

18mpMarket2jpg



The Friday market at Pallavaram has a 100-year-old history. Antiques, bicycles, vegetables, auto-parts, pots... You can even buy yourself a live goat at this high-energy space which brings a village to the city

“Listen carefully,” says the old man sporting a turban made of towel. His audience: two little boys. The location: Pallavaram Friday sandhai (shandy).

His name is S Srinivasan and he has just sold them a pair of rabbits. “Mix turmeric with water and apply it on their nails in case they get torn. That’s the most common injury that rabbits can incur,” he instructs. The boys nod in unison as the palm-sized creatures wiggle in a basket next to them.

Srinivasan is from Kundrathur and sells rabbits and hens for a living. The market provides him a big chunk of income. Not just him; it has been supporting hundreds of vendors from nearby villages, small towns, and suburbs for over 10 decades.

The Pallavaram Friday Market is like a hamlet with non-resident inhabitants. They pack their bags and arrive at dawn, make the two-kilometre-long stretch their home for a day, and leave at night, only to repeat the pattern every week. Some have been doing this for years. The market has everything. “You can find everything other than your parents here,” jokes C Baskar who sells glass bangles sourced from Parry’s.

Read more at: https://www.thehindu.com/society/everything-under-the-sun/article23573242.ece
 
It is held only on Fridays.

It stretches to two kilometers

Shops on both the sides

Rates are felt cheap

It is buyers paradise!

Friday Bazaar: ‘Sandhai’ in the land of Pallavas

By Abinaya Kalyanasundaram



SANDHAI.PNG



The Friday bazaar in Pallavaram dates back to the 1880s. Abinaya Kalyanasundaram gives you a glimpse of the hustle-bustle of the market where you get pretty much everything at dirt-cheap prices

CHENNAI: There is a struggle, initially, to find a free parking spot at the entrance to the weekly Friday ‘Sandhai’ at Pallavaram. We finally find a spot, pay our parking ticket (`10) and enter the moving mass of shoppers, dodging the stray buffaloes and dogs. Though it’s only 8 am, the place is bustling with early customers. Shopkeepers shout out their products to passers-by and the range of products will amaze you — from groceries, pets and flowers to antique collectibles, furniture, perfume and electronic goods, it’s a wonderland for the wallet-conscious shopaholics with everything being sold at dirt-cheap rates! We walk the 2-km stretch from the Pallavaram Railway Station to Tirusulam station and here are a few interesting items we found along the way.

HISTORY

Come rain or shine, the Pallavaram Sandhai has been happening every Friday since the early 1800’s and was initially a ‘maattu sandhai’ to sell cattle. Over the years, the bazaar expanded to sell a variety of goods to the British as well as to the locals, and today you can find just about anything here. Until recently, the bazaar was conducted in an open ground under the control of Pallavaram Cantonment but due to land related issues, it was shifted to its current stretch.

HOW TO FIND THE PLACE

Head to the Old Trunk Road just beside the newly built PVR Cinemas. Parking is available at the entrance. Be prepared to haggle your best, and it’s advisable to keep your purses and wallets close as the crowds can get massive especially during evenings.

Read more at: http://www.newindianexpress.com/cit...-sandhai-in-the-land-of-pallavas-1708508.html
 
Swathiji that was wonderful piece of info. When I was in Delhi in 1975 to 78, there used to be this kind as each area had a specific day off and the vendors nomadic and display rheir wares in front of the closed shops. Ajmal khan road in karol bagh on sundays, wednesdays in lajpath nagar etc. Not like chennai all seven days shops open. One week day off for the workers and a place to sell their wares for the nomadics. They go from one area to other as each area had a specific day off. How easily they would solve the unemployment.
 

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