60 years of taking German to the masses
In the six decades of its existence, the Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan in Chennai has made learning German a fun thing to do. Lakhs of students have passed through its portals. The Institute, which celebrated its 60th anniversary in Chennai on August 20, is currently located in its fifth home in the city at Rutland Gate in Nungambakkm.
When CM laid foundation for widening iconic bridge
In 1963, the Marmalong Bridge across Adyar river in Saidapet was 237 years old! In August that year, then CM Kamaraj laid the foundation for widening the bridge at a cost of ₹35 lakh. At that point in time, the bridge carried 923 vehicles between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., and 1,029 between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.
City population doubles
The population of Madras city in 1951was 14,29,374. The number of men was 7,46,540 and women 6,82,834. It had nearly doubled from what it was in 1941. Of the total population, 47% were literates. The Census work, with 2,000 enumerators and 500 supervisors, began in February and ended in March that year.
Open-air theatre opened
The Governor of Mysore Jayachamaraja Wadiyar inaugurated the Mylapore Fine Arts Club’s open-air theatre on Oliver Road in Mylapore in February 1959. A.M.M. Murugappa Chettiyar presided over the event. His highness appreciated the club’s plan to start schools for teaching music and dance. The club’s office-bearers, including president N.K. Aiyar, secretaries R. Rajagopalan and K.N. Visveswaran and vice-president K. Narayanan, were present on the occasion.
