Madras Day | Inside Chennai’s iconic buildings

On the 384th birthday of Chennai city, The Hindu walks through the annals of its history by touring some of the city’s iconic, yet lesser-explored buildings. You are familiar with their silhouettes, now it is time to learn what they look like inside.

Updated - August 23, 2023 03:51 pm IST

Published - August 23, 2023 09:00 am IST

The Hindu Bureau

The facade of Maternity Hospital Egmore on Pantheon Road, Chennai

The facade of Maternity Hospital Egmore on Pantheon Road, Chennai | Photo Credit: Thamodharan Bharath

Parsi Anjuman Baug Dharamshala, Royapuram
Southern Railway Headquarters, Park Town
Chepauk Palace
Music College, Raja Annamalai Puram
Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (IOG) and Government Hospital for Women and Children, Egmore
Ripon Building
Tamil Nadu State Archives and Historical Research, Egmore
Madras Institute of Development Studies, Adyar

Collection - 37 stories

Obstruction of free movement of all kinds of traffic is a common sight at Mandaveli, Madras 1964. Picture shows a bullock cart, taxi coming from east, the Government Transport from North and buffaloes from south at the junction of Mandaveli.

In Pictures | Madras in motion

Earlier, the Commissioner of the Greater Chennai Corporation was the competent authority to accord administrative sanction for projects estimated to cost over Rs. 10 lakh and up to Rs. 3 cr. File photo SRINIVASAN KV

July or August 22? When did the British really come to Madras? And does it matter?

Jatkas and cycle rickshaws inside the Central Station compound on October 10, 1979

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On a ride from Madras to Chennai

The Hindu Bureau

Milagutawny soup

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The facade of Maternity Hospital Egmore on Pantheon Road, Chennai

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Madras Day | Inside Chennai’s iconic buildings

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You're in this story

Madras Week Special | Made of Chennai

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin hands over the first copy of the book ‘Epic Saga of the Cholas: Their art, temples and heritage’, curated by T.S. Subramanian, former Associate Editor, Frontline to Thangam Thennarasu, Finance Minister. Also seen (from left) are Deputy Chennai Mayor Magesh Kumar, Chennai Mayor R. Priya, HR&CE Minister P. K. Sekar Babu, Health Minister Ma. Subramanian, chairperson of The Hindu Group Publishing Private Limited Nirmala Lakshman, Directors, The Hindu Publishing Group, N. Ram , N. Ravi, N. Murali and Chennai Corporation Commissioner J. Radhakrishnan

Festival of Chennai: T.N. CM Stalin releases three publications from The Hindu, visits archival photo exhibition, at Ripon Building

The Hindu Bureau

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Watch | Why Chennai loves its buses

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Watch | How did the people of Madras cool their homes?

The Hindu Bureau

Passengers waiting to board the inaugural Metro train in Chennai on June 29, 2015.

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Watch | How the Metro Rail transformed travel in Chennai

The Hindu Bureau

Once upon a time in Madras | Boats, coracles, and an island

CHENNAI, TAMIL NADU, 18/08/2023 : Chef Kannan Thanikathalam preparation of Milagutawny soup at Taj Coromandel Hotel, in Chennai. Photo: R. Ravindran.

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Watch | How to make Milagutawny soup

The Hindu Bureau

Fifty-three-year-old A Habibulla, a biryani master from Royapuram

Chennai’s biryani ‘masters’ are experts at cooking massive feasts for thousands of people

Akila Kannadasan

MOP Canteen - Swadisht

What’s on the menu in Chennai’s college canteens?

Ananyaa Desikan

Meen kozhambu ready to be served

Madras Day | A Chennai fisherwoman shows how to make the perfect fish curry

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A still from ‘Jorthaale’ which has crossed 50 million views on YouTube.

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A view of Chennai Central Railway Station, then and now

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Gowri S,Sanjana Ganesh

Since the days of the British East India Company in the 17th century CE, Chennai has been the focal point of the Tamil territory. File.

How Chennai, the T.N. capital, has been maintaining its critical importance

T. Ramakrishnan

Thiru. Vi. Kalyanasundaram

The forgotten wrestling grounds of Royapettah

When a letter informing the British of Napoleon’s death reached Madras

Pon Vasanth B.A

Writer A R Venkatachalapathy at Madras Literary Society.

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Two banyan trees forming an arch over the entrance to Presidency Club on Ethiraj Salai in Egmore

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Prince Frederick

Rajah Venugopala Bahadur’s Hospital for Animals on the premises of SPCA

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Reduced to memory: Initially a screen that preferred the Hollywood biggie, Safire later warmed to content from beyond the Palghat Gap. A photo taken on August 16, 1994.

Madras’ own Safire theatre that set many a young heart afire

K C Vijaya Kumar

A map of Madras and its environs

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Richard O’Connor inside the St Thomas Garrison Church

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CHENNAI, TAMIL NADU, 07/10/2016: Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti, Founder, Nalli Silk Sarees.
Photo : Bijoy Ghosh

Road used to be so clean that one could sit and have a meal on banana leaf: Nalli Kuppuswami

The Hindu Bureau

J. Radhakrishnan

‘It is my dream to see Cooum, Adyar, and Buckingham Canal completely clean’

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Chennai is a vibrant city, says Meteorologist S.R. Ramanan

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‘The love and affection of fans is unbelievable’

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Oliver Ballhatchet, British Deputy High Commissioner to Tamil Nadu and Puducherry

‘People of Chennai are very special’

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Devan Ekambaram

I am proudly made of Chennai, says musician Devan Ekambaram

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‘Chennai is blessed with diverse music’

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Back in form Sivasankari has written four short stories during lockdown special arrangement

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Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti outside his alma mater Ramakrishna Mission, in T Nagar, Chennai.

Madras Day | Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti on the once-quiet neighbourhood of T Nagar

Srinivasa Ramanujam

Madras is what I breathe: Actor John Vijay

The Hindu Bureau

A view of the office building of The Hindu. File

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The Hindu Bureau

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