Madras Day - Details of some important places in Chennai - Do you know how old Madras looked?
Posted on: 22/Aug/2022 10:26:45 AM
Today, 22nd August 2022 is celebrated as Madras Day and we Chennai residents must feel happy and proud regarding that. There are several special places in Chennai that have rich history behind them and it is very important that we Chennaites must know about the history of various places in Chennai.
Chennai is not an ordinary city in India, it is an historic city. The sensational piece of information is that across India, Chennai is regarded as the oldest city. Each and every place in Chennai has got a superb history behind it.
Various important places in Chennai city are:
Chennai Central railway station:
Established in the year 1873, Chennai Central railway station is a major terminal for those who want to go towards the northern states in India. In the years 1959 and in 1998 renovation works took place here. In the year 1856, the first train service began from Raoyapuram to Arcot. There are as many as 17 platforms and 30 routes in the Central railway station now. In 1931, suburban train services began.
Chennai Egmore railway station:
It was in the year 1905, Chennai Egmore railway station came into existence. It took 33 long years for this railway station at Egmore to come into existence after the opening of the Central railway station in 1873. It now has 22 routes and 15 platforms. It must be noted that from Tambaram on the Egmore route, several outbound trains have also operated in the recent times. Tambaram railway station is now considered as the third major railway station in Chennai city.
Marina Beach:
One of the major attractions in Chennai is Marina Beach. Considered as the second longest in the world, Marina Beach is 13km in length and is a place for many events, family outings etc. In the year 1885, the road around Marina Beach was constructed.
Madras High Court:
Considered as the oldest court in India, Madras High Court was granted permission by none other than Queen Victoria on 26th June 1862. It took another 30 years for the new building to get completed and in 1892 the present building came into existence.
Ripon Building:
In the year 1909, Ripon Building construction was started and the total construction got completed in 1913. Not many of us would have known that the Ripon Building was constructed by Mr. Lokanatha Mudaliar at a cost of Rs 750000. As the Britisher Lord Ripon played a huge role in the construction of this building in Chennai it was named after him. Now, alall the important functions of Chennai Corporation take place in Ripon Buildings.
Chepakkam Palace:
Chepakkam Palace was the residence of Arcot Nawab from the year 1768 to 1855. The place was in the procession of the Nawab of Arcot in the beginning. It is worthy to mention here that Mohammad Ali Khan Wallajah, king of Arcot, wanted to construct a palace in 1764. As he was unable to repay the loan, he gave it to the British government. In the year 1871, the palace was converted into a Public Works Department building. Majority of Ezhilagam building now belongs to the Nawab`s palace.
Napier Bridge:
It is a bridge that connects Chennai Fort and Marina Beach is well known to us. Francis Napier in 1869 was responsible for building the Napier Bridge. He was the Governor of Madras. In 1999, this bridge was renovated. The bridge was built on a grand scale of 6 arches and is 149m in length. Previously, it was called the Iron Bridge.
Chennai University:
Oldest university in India, Chennai or Madras University was founded in the year 1857. It was this university that started many autonomous colleges. It is a fact that Madras University came into existence only after the Presidency College was established in the year 1840.
Chennai GH:
In the year 1664 in George Town, Chennai Government hospital was first started and in 1772 it was shifted opposite to the Central railway station. At present, the GH is functioning under the name of Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital.
George Town / Fort George:
In 1640, George Town was formed and it is the oldest place in Chennai. The George Fort that was built here has become the Secretariat.
