culture which has found such rich expression
in fine arts and crafts all owed to these great civilization.
Modern Madras bears its ancient lineage with pride,
poise and dignity.
Over this bed rock of a strong cultural and spiritual
identity. Madras’s unique personality as a flourishing
commercial city which began when the British arrived,
has been superimposed on the surrounding region, now
called the state of Tamil Nadu. Madrasapatnam provided
the first firm foothold for a burgeoning alien empire,
a launching pad for the Englishmen’s struggle
for India. The small fishing hamlet of Madrasapatnam
was chosen as a settlement primarily because of easy
availability of cheap long cloth. Here, the English
founded the first English school and India’s
first Municipal Corporation and many other significant
firsts including the Indian Army.
By 1680, the English had consecrated St. Mary’s
Church- the first English church in India. Around
this complex and at the northern end of Marina beach,
grew fort St. George, a shelter that world survive
for 300 years. Hear, Robert Clive’s marriage
to Margaret Maskalyne was celebrated with great festivity
in 1753. The only settlements that developed around
the forest were the local colonies of Madrasapatnam
and Chennapatnam, and it was these that burst their
cordons to become a large and teeming township, the
city of south Madras.
Madras is a broad open city, and the longest thoroughfare
in the city. Anna Salai, formerly the Mount Road,
is its busy commercial center. Fort St. George, built
by the British East India Company in 1640, was a stronghold
of British power in the region and has changed hands
between the British and French many a time. Robert
Clive, the English clerk who manipulated to the carve
out a niche for the Empire, once worked in this building.
The fort now houses government offices. St Mary’s
Church within the fort is believed to be the oldest
Anglican Church in the east. It was consecrated in
1680. American visitors would be particularly interested
to know the Elihu Yale, who later endowed the Yale
Univeresity in the U.S.A., was married in the church.
Yale worked as a lerk with the British East India
Company and rose to be the governor of Madras. The
Fort Museum, a treasure house of history, is worth
a visit for its collection of armour, costumers, coins
and medal, of the East India Company in that region.
The Gandhi Mandapam, 7.2 km from the center of the
city, organizes prayer meetings regularly. The high
court buildings put up in 1861 are of interest for
their Indo-Saracenic architecture. The Kapaleewarar
Temple, at Mylapore, is an ancient Shiva temple built
in typical Dravidian style. The parthasarathy Temple
at Triplicane, is dedicated to Lord Krishna as royal
charioteer of Arjuna, one of the Pandava brothers
in the Mahabharata war. The temple was built by a
Pallava king in the 8th century and was subsequently
renovated many times by a succession of Vijayanagar
kings. The Anna’s Square, at the northern end
of the Marina Beach, is the memorial to a beloved
leader of the state.
The San Thoms Basilica, is named after St Thomas
the Apostle who was buried there. St. Thomas came
to the shores barely a few years after the crucifixion
of Jesus Christ in 52 A.D. The present cathedral building
was consecrated in 1896 at the place where an old
chapel existed. The Church of the Madonna of the Mount,
on a hill top, is famous for its bleeding cross which
said to bleed on December 18th every year, the day
St Thomas died. There is a painting of the Madonna
here, which is said to have been painted by St. Luke,
one of the twelve Apostles.
The Marina Beach, 3.2 km long, is spell binding and
is the second longest beach in the world. There is
an aquarium and a light house nearby besides the government
museum, the National Art Gallery, the College of Arts
and Crafts, one can also visit the Snake Park at Guindy
and the Theosophical Society established by Dr. Annie
Basant. The library of the society has many ancient
manuscripts.
By Air Madras is a major domestic and International
airport with frequent flights from all major Indian
cities and many International destinations. The airport
is about 30 minutes from the city center.
By Rail Headquarters of the Southern Railway, Chennai
is linked to all-important places of the country.
