|
National Art Gallery
The Pantheon Complex in Chennai, was built before 1789 and was a place of assemblage for the British till it was bought by the Government in 1830. Later, several new buildings were added to it. Today, this complex houses the Government Museum, the National Art Gallery and the Connemara Public Library.
Government Museum
Located on Pantheon Road, between Egmore and Anna Salai, the Government museum is a grand repository of ancient historical treasures. It is the first government-sponsored museum in the country opened in Chennai in 1851.The building originally belonged to a group of eminent British citizens, known as the "Pantheon committee", in charge of improving the social life of the British in Madras.
MONUMENTS OF CHENNAI
Fort St. George
Fort St. George is located on the Rajaji Salai road in Chennai. The fort was one among the first few bastions that were built by the East India Company in 1640 to protect its interests in India from rival companies. This fortification also marks the making of Madras (Chennai) as a modern city.
Valluvar Kottam
The Valluvar Kottam, on the corner of Kodambakkam High Road and Village Road, Chennai, is a standing memorial to immortal Tamil Poet-Saint Thiruvalluvar. It is a massive auditorium, constructed on reclaimed land from an unused lake filled with the city's garbage and debris. It was opened in the year 1976 and the auditorium is said to be the largest in Asia and can accommodate about 4000 people.
Vivekananda Illam
Originally called "Ice House", this landmark was re-christened Vivekananda Illam in 1963. This was in remembrance of Swami Vivekananda's brief sojourn here (in 1897 when he delivered seven historic lectures at Chennai). It is a sacred place for every student and devotee of Swami Vivekananda.
Senate House
One of Chennai's most impressive architectural marvels, Senate House, at the Madras University campus on the Marina, was constructed under the supervision of Robert Fellowes Chisholm, one of the greatest architects of the 19th century.
B. M. Birla Planetarium
B.M. Birla Planetarium located at Kottur in Chennai, houses a modern fully computerised projector, which depicts the heaven on a hemispherical dome. The planetarium presents to the visiting public and students audio-visual programs on various themes in astronomy.
The Corporation Campus/ Rippon Building
To the west of Central Station in Chennai is the Rippon Building, the dazzling white headquarters of the Corporation of Chennai. It is one of the few public buildings in Chennai that time has not managed to ravage.
|
