Chennai Monuments - चेन्नई स्मारक
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The St. Andrew's Church, Egmore is popularly referred to as 'The Kirk'. It was consecrated in 1821 AD especially for the Scottish Community in Chennai. The church was the result of efforts of Major Thomas Fort de Havilland and Colonel James Caldwell. St Andrew's Kirk was built to serve the members of the Scottish Church serving in the East India Company.
It is one of the finest examples of Georgian Church architecture in Asia and was modeled on the plan for St.Martin's Lane, London. The East India Company had borne the expense of the construction of St George's Church of England and therefore decided to construct a church of the sister kingdom, Scotland. Thus St. Andrew's Kirk came into being.
The plan was not suited for the hot and humid climate. The proposed roof was a big challenge to implement. Financial constraint was also there. The dome had to be built with the help of masonry, which suited the local climatic conditions. A Bishop of the Church objected to the construction of steeples outside of Scotland saying that it was "unusual and unconstitutional" practice.
The height of the dome of the St. Andrews Kirk is 51.5 ft in diameter from inside. Sixteen fluted Corinthian columns support it. The dome was constructed using the 'Syrian masonry' technique. The dome was painted with lapis lazuli shade of blue. It is believed to be one of the few in the world to be supported by columns of such huge height. The interiors are done with woodwork of mahogany and black and white chequered marble floor, which adds to the beauty of this church.
The land was purchased because of the low land value and its proximity to the Fort St. George. But the land was on marshy lowland and was subject to sinking and flooding. The 14 ft foundation of the Kirk sits on a bed of pottery and brick wells 9 ft deep. The wells were sunk into the marshy sand by first weaving a wicker ring to sit under the brick or pottery ring. The walls of the well were built with specially made curved bricks or pottery rings cemented with watery mortar over it. The entire tube was then bound completely with coir rope.
The well digger gets into this tube to excavate the hole beneath, taking utmost care not to upset the perpendicularity of the constructed cylinder. The total of 150 wells were set close to each other and were filled with material whose volume did not alter in water. The foundation was created as a strong series of connected low vaults that could serve as catacombs if necessary in the future. The building was kept in equilibrium as all the wells were placed on the same type of surface and would all be affected uniformly. On the April 6, 1818, Rev. Doctor John Allen D.D laid the foundation stone of the church. The circular central congregation hall is cool and airy.
The beauty and grace of the church is by lovely stuccowork of Madras Chunnambu or lime stucco renowned for its superiority. The pillars and walls are decorated with a relief of grapes nestled in leaves. The two enormous stained glass panels glow on the back wall depicting scenes from the Bible. They are examples of excellent artistry by 'W&J Jkier, artists in Stained Glass, Glasgow, Scotland'. 15 enormous olive green and gold pipes are arranged in a beautiful vertical and lateral pattern to make an astounding organ. Behind the pipes, connected mass of levers, hinges, pipes, chords and beams are placed that made this complex instrument work.
A narrow stairway leads to the roof of the main structure. There is the bald top of the dome. Two new stainless steel bands reinforce the dome, which had begun to crack. At the front end is the steeple itself. A bell is suspended from a large beam in a square room having a beautiful sound. An interesting story is associated with the bell. The original bell was 4 m in diameter and was meant especially for this Church. It was cast by an experienced bell founder from Bengal, in a Powder foundry, which is otherwise used only for military purpose. The British bureaucracy had, however, refused to spare the founder of the establishment to cast the bell. The bell was duly hung and tolled for the first time at the funeral of the aged pastor. Very soon a controversy surrounded the bell, following the complaint by the jealous powder- mill founder who was sidelined from this project. The bell was brought down and the Military Board ordered an inquiry. The bell was ordered to be sold and was broken up and replaced by the existing one.
In 1640 AD, the British negotiated the use of Chennaipattinam (now Chennai) as a trading post. Chennaipattinam was a very popular trading center for spices and clothes for more than 2000 years. The Portuguese and the Dutch arrived here in the 16th century AD followed by the British and the French. In 1639 AD, the British East India Company established a settlement in the fishing village of Madraspattnam leased from the local Nayaks. They started construction of the Fort St. George in Madraspattnam. George Town grew in the area of fort and neighboring villages and ultimately became the oldest Municipality of India in 1668 AD. Gradually, the city grew into modern city of Madras merging all neighboring areas. In the 19th century the city became the seat of Madras Presidency, the southern division of British Imperial India. In 1956, the Chennai Presidency was disbanded. After independence in 1947, it became the capital of Madras State that was renamed Tamil Nadu. Madras was renamed Chennai recently.
The temples of Chennai are the peepholes into the splendor of culture, religion and architecture of Tamil state. The Chola and Pallava art and architecture dominates the skyline of the entire state. The Chola kings of the 9th century AD built temples of modest height in granite. Special attention was paid to the sanctum sanctorum where deities were placed in niches as prescribed in the ritual treatises. Rajaraja Chola constructed the most grandiose of the south Indian temples, 85 m in height, which is a marvel of symmetry and structural design. 5 m high dwarapalas (guardians) stand at the entrance. From the 16th century AD, the gopurams (entrance towers) under the Vijayanagar King Krishna Devaraya spiraled to greater heights as much as 60 m. They came to be known as rayagopuras (royal towers) after his name. The bases of these towers were built of stone and the entire superstructure was of brick and mortar, painted and studded with hundreds of stucco figures. Sri Kapaleeswarar Temple.
Madurantakam is well known for its temple to Eri Katta Ramar. There are two other ancient temples in Cheyur dedicated to Perumaal and Shiva Valmimakathar both dating back to the Chola period. The Shiva temple is rich in inscriptions. Vadapalani Temple
The three devout Murugan bhaktas played an important role in the popularity of the temple. It houses several mini-shrines for the highest divinities, like Mahalakshmi, Meenakshi, Valli Devasena, Sametha Subrahmanya, Chandikeswar, Dakshinamurthi, Bhairava, Chokkanathar etc.
The other places around the city of Chennai known for temples are Kanchipuram, which is 75 km from and Mamallapuram, which is 58 km from Chennai. Kancheepuram has several temples unique in their own way. Kanchipuram is called the Golden City of temples. It is famous for saris woven out of pure silk and gold thread for more than four centuries. It is a famous centre of culture and learning. Adi Shankaracharya has established his ashram, Kamakoti Peetam here. Mamallapuram was built in the 7th century AD. The Shore temple is a spectacular two-spired shrine and houses shrines for Vishnu and Shiva. The Pallavas had perfected the art of sculpting rocks to build temples without using brick, mortar or timber. The five monolith Raths (chariots) stand as the surviving masterpieces of Pallava sculpture.
The Shore temples at Mamallapuram were built during the reign of Rajasimha in the 7th century AD. The Shore temples are the example of zenith of the Pallava art and architecture. The temple is perched on a rocky outcrop and presides over the shoreline. Percy Brown has remarked that it served as 'a landmark by day and a beacon by night'. It was designed to catch the first rays of the rising sun and to illuminate the waters after dark. Thus the temple has an unusual layout.
Rajasimha who ascended the throne in AD 674 built the Shore Temple. The Shore Temple was the first Pallava structure to be built of stone rather than being hewn out of stone like the older temples. The greatest improvement in design is in the shikhara or spire, which has altered from the rounded vihara design to a soaring, tiered style. Elements like the vimana or spire, the gopuram or gateway and animal figures that were to become trademark features of Dravidian architecture can all be seen here. And it is largely the use of dressed stone, which gave the architects greater creative freedom.
The main shrine faces the sea on the east and the gateway, the forecourt and the assembly hall of the Shore Temple lie behind the sanctum. The temple has shrines to both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. The main sanctum and one of the two lesser ones on the west are dedicated to the Shiva. The enclosing wall has a series of Nandi bulls on it. Interconnected cisterns around the temple meant that the sea could be let in to transform the temple into a water shrine. A stone wall as been added to protect the shrine from the rising seas and further erosion in the recent times.Dravidian Temple These temples are refreshingly uncluttered, unlike later grandiose Dravidian architecture. The enclosure features two shrines that honor Shiva, facing Eastern and Western directions; superimposed between these two is a third shrine that honors Vishnu, as preserver of the Universe. He is depicted reclining on the serpent Sesha, a Hindu symbol for consciousness. The art in the sculpted panels of the temple laid emphasis on robust earthly beauties, imbibed with life. The sculptures are breathtakingly real and artistic. The Pallavas were followers of Jainism but the conversion of Mahendra Varman to Shaivism had drastic consequences on the future of Jainism and it also explains the Shiva and the Vishnu temple at Mamallapuram.
The Shore temple is not a living temple. It is speculated that this edifice was constructed essentially as a work of art rather than as a place of worship. The Pallavas who built this temple were great patrons of the arts and were very influential in their distinctive character of temple architecture. The lion was a prominent symbol of their regime. The Shore temple is listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of India.
It is one of the finest examples of Georgian Church architecture in Asia and was modeled on the plan for St.Martin's Lane, London. The East India Company had borne the expense of the construction of St George's Church of England and therefore decided to construct a church of the sister kingdom, Scotland. Thus St. Andrew's Kirk came into being.
The plan was not suited for the hot and humid climate. The proposed roof was a big challenge to implement. Financial constraint was also there. The dome had to be built with the help of masonry, which suited the local climatic conditions. A Bishop of the Church objected to the construction of steeples outside of Scotland saying that it was "unusual and unconstitutional" practice.
The height of the dome of the St. Andrews Kirk is 51.5 ft in diameter from inside. Sixteen fluted Corinthian columns support it. The dome was constructed using the 'Syrian masonry' technique. The dome was painted with lapis lazuli shade of blue. It is believed to be one of the few in the world to be supported by columns of such huge height. The interiors are done with woodwork of mahogany and black and white chequered marble floor, which adds to the beauty of this church.
The land was purchased because of the low land value and its proximity to the Fort St. George. But the land was on marshy lowland and was subject to sinking and flooding. The 14 ft foundation of the Kirk sits on a bed of pottery and brick wells 9 ft deep. The wells were sunk into the marshy sand by first weaving a wicker ring to sit under the brick or pottery ring. The walls of the well were built with specially made curved bricks or pottery rings cemented with watery mortar over it. The entire tube was then bound completely with coir rope.
The well digger gets into this tube to excavate the hole beneath, taking utmost care not to upset the perpendicularity of the constructed cylinder. The total of 150 wells were set close to each other and were filled with material whose volume did not alter in water. The foundation was created as a strong series of connected low vaults that could serve as catacombs if necessary in the future. The building was kept in equilibrium as all the wells were placed on the same type of surface and would all be affected uniformly. On the April 6, 1818, Rev. Doctor John Allen D.D laid the foundation stone of the church. The circular central congregation hall is cool and airy.
The beauty and grace of the church is by lovely stuccowork of Madras Chunnambu or lime stucco renowned for its superiority. The pillars and walls are decorated with a relief of grapes nestled in leaves. The two enormous stained glass panels glow on the back wall depicting scenes from the Bible. They are examples of excellent artistry by 'W&J Jkier, artists in Stained Glass, Glasgow, Scotland'. 15 enormous olive green and gold pipes are arranged in a beautiful vertical and lateral pattern to make an astounding organ. Behind the pipes, connected mass of levers, hinges, pipes, chords and beams are placed that made this complex instrument work.
A narrow stairway leads to the roof of the main structure. There is the bald top of the dome. Two new stainless steel bands reinforce the dome, which had begun to crack. At the front end is the steeple itself. A bell is suspended from a large beam in a square room having a beautiful sound. An interesting story is associated with the bell. The original bell was 4 m in diameter and was meant especially for this Church. It was cast by an experienced bell founder from Bengal, in a Powder foundry, which is otherwise used only for military purpose. The British bureaucracy had, however, refused to spare the founder of the establishment to cast the bell. The bell was duly hung and tolled for the first time at the funeral of the aged pastor. Very soon a controversy surrounded the bell, following the complaint by the jealous powder- mill founder who was sidelined from this project. The bell was brought down and the Military Board ordered an inquiry. The bell was ordered to be sold and was broken up and replaced by the existing one.
Temples of Chennai
The Cholas in the east, Pandyas in the central area and Cheras in the west controlled the region of Chennai during the last centuries Before Christ. This was also the classical period of Tamil literature, the Sangam Age, which continued for some three centuries after the birth of Christ. The Tamil Sangam Literature is the major source of knowledge about the administration, art, architecture and economic conditions of the Tamilians during that period. The domains of these dynasties changed many times over the centuries. The Pallava dynasty was influential particularly in the 7th and 8th centuries when it constructed many monuments at Mamallapuram. The threats of Muslim invasions from the north in the 13th century AD made the southern Hindu dynasties to combine and the empire of Vijayanagar, which incorporated all of South India, became firmly established. In the 16th century AD, the Vijayanagar Empire began to weaken up. By the 17th century AD, Southern India was ruled by various provincial leaders, most notable among them were the Nayaks, who continued the process of construction of monumental architecture.In 1640 AD, the British negotiated the use of Chennaipattinam (now Chennai) as a trading post. Chennaipattinam was a very popular trading center for spices and clothes for more than 2000 years. The Portuguese and the Dutch arrived here in the 16th century AD followed by the British and the French. In 1639 AD, the British East India Company established a settlement in the fishing village of Madraspattnam leased from the local Nayaks. They started construction of the Fort St. George in Madraspattnam. George Town grew in the area of fort and neighboring villages and ultimately became the oldest Municipality of India in 1668 AD. Gradually, the city grew into modern city of Madras merging all neighboring areas. In the 19th century the city became the seat of Madras Presidency, the southern division of British Imperial India. In 1956, the Chennai Presidency was disbanded. After independence in 1947, it became the capital of Madras State that was renamed Tamil Nadu. Madras was renamed Chennai recently.
The temples of Chennai are the peepholes into the splendor of culture, religion and architecture of Tamil state. The Chola and Pallava art and architecture dominates the skyline of the entire state. The Chola kings of the 9th century AD built temples of modest height in granite. Special attention was paid to the sanctum sanctorum where deities were placed in niches as prescribed in the ritual treatises. Rajaraja Chola constructed the most grandiose of the south Indian temples, 85 m in height, which is a marvel of symmetry and structural design. 5 m high dwarapalas (guardians) stand at the entrance. From the 16th century AD, the gopurams (entrance towers) under the Vijayanagar King Krishna Devaraya spiraled to greater heights as much as 60 m. They came to be known as rayagopuras (royal towers) after his name. The bases of these towers were built of stone and the entire superstructure was of brick and mortar, painted and studded with hundreds of stucco figures. Sri Kapaleeswarar Temple.
Sri Kapaleeswarar Temple
The Kapaleeswarar temple is situated near Kutchery Road, Mylapore. It is an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is a fine example of Dravidian temple architecture and sculpture. The gopuram of the temple is 37 m tall magnificent structure, which is one of the main attractions of this temple. There is a massive rectangular step well in front of its gopuram. Non-Hindus are not allowed to enter the inner courtyard of the temple. The outer courtyard has several bronze statues.Parthasarathy Temple
Parthasarathy temple is situated at Peter's Road, Triplicane. It is one of the oldest temples in Chennai. It was originally built by Pallavas in the 8th century AD and rebuilt by the Chola and the Vijayanagar Kings in 11th century. The temple is dedicated to Krishna, the eighth incarnations of the Vishnu. It has a colored gopuram and several shrines with beautiful carvings.Kandaswamy Temple
The Kandaswamy temple is situated at Cheyur at Madurantakam near Chennai. It is an ancient temple and can be dated back to the 11th century AD. There is another famous temple in Madurantakam dedicated to Eri Katta Ramar.Madurantakam is well known for its temple to Eri Katta Ramar. There are two other ancient temples in Cheyur dedicated to Perumaal and Shiva Valmimakathar both dating back to the Chola period. The Shiva temple is rich in inscriptions. Vadapalani Temple
Vadapalani Temple
Vadapalani temple is dedicated to Lord Muruga. It is most revered deity of the people of Tamil as the Lord of Tamil. There is a sanctum for Lord Shiva, his consort Parvati and their son Ganesha. Lord Anjaneya is also a popular deity of the temple. Devotees apply butter to Lord Anjaneya and pray for the fulfillment of their wishes.The three devout Murugan bhaktas played an important role in the popularity of the temple. It houses several mini-shrines for the highest divinities, like Mahalakshmi, Meenakshi, Valli Devasena, Sametha Subrahmanya, Chandikeswar, Dakshinamurthi, Bhairava, Chokkanathar etc.
The other places around the city of Chennai known for temples are Kanchipuram, which is 75 km from and Mamallapuram, which is 58 km from Chennai. Kancheepuram has several temples unique in their own way. Kanchipuram is called the Golden City of temples. It is famous for saris woven out of pure silk and gold thread for more than four centuries. It is a famous centre of culture and learning. Adi Shankaracharya has established his ashram, Kamakoti Peetam here. Mamallapuram was built in the 7th century AD. The Shore temple is a spectacular two-spired shrine and houses shrines for Vishnu and Shiva. The Pallavas had perfected the art of sculpting rocks to build temples without using brick, mortar or timber. The five monolith Raths (chariots) stand as the surviving masterpieces of Pallava sculpture.
Shore Temple
Mamallapuram was once a port city of the Pallava rulers, located 50 km from the south of Chennai on the shores of Bay of Bengal. The temples and rock cut sculptures of that period create a unique blend of history and natural beauty. The monuments of Mamallapuram are excellent specimen of Dravidian temple architecture and Pallava art.The Shore temples at Mamallapuram were built during the reign of Rajasimha in the 7th century AD. The Shore temples are the example of zenith of the Pallava art and architecture. The temple is perched on a rocky outcrop and presides over the shoreline. Percy Brown has remarked that it served as 'a landmark by day and a beacon by night'. It was designed to catch the first rays of the rising sun and to illuminate the waters after dark. Thus the temple has an unusual layout.
Rajasimha who ascended the throne in AD 674 built the Shore Temple. The Shore Temple was the first Pallava structure to be built of stone rather than being hewn out of stone like the older temples. The greatest improvement in design is in the shikhara or spire, which has altered from the rounded vihara design to a soaring, tiered style. Elements like the vimana or spire, the gopuram or gateway and animal figures that were to become trademark features of Dravidian architecture can all be seen here. And it is largely the use of dressed stone, which gave the architects greater creative freedom.
The main shrine faces the sea on the east and the gateway, the forecourt and the assembly hall of the Shore Temple lie behind the sanctum. The temple has shrines to both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. The main sanctum and one of the two lesser ones on the west are dedicated to the Shiva. The enclosing wall has a series of Nandi bulls on it. Interconnected cisterns around the temple meant that the sea could be let in to transform the temple into a water shrine. A stone wall as been added to protect the shrine from the rising seas and further erosion in the recent times.Dravidian Temple These temples are refreshingly uncluttered, unlike later grandiose Dravidian architecture. The enclosure features two shrines that honor Shiva, facing Eastern and Western directions; superimposed between these two is a third shrine that honors Vishnu, as preserver of the Universe. He is depicted reclining on the serpent Sesha, a Hindu symbol for consciousness. The art in the sculpted panels of the temple laid emphasis on robust earthly beauties, imbibed with life. The sculptures are breathtakingly real and artistic. The Pallavas were followers of Jainism but the conversion of Mahendra Varman to Shaivism had drastic consequences on the future of Jainism and it also explains the Shiva and the Vishnu temple at Mamallapuram.
The Shore temple is not a living temple. It is speculated that this edifice was constructed essentially as a work of art rather than as a place of worship. The Pallavas who built this temple were great patrons of the arts and were very influential in their distinctive character of temple architecture. The lion was a prominent symbol of their regime. The Shore temple is listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of India.
Cathedral of St. Thomas
The neo-Gothic cathedral church of St. Thomas was rebuilt in 1896 on the site of two earlier churches, the earliest having been erected here by Nestorian Christians from Persia in the 10th century. The spot is the burial-place of St. Thomas the apostle, and the present church contains his relics in a crypt below the altar.Kapaleshvara Temple
This Shaiva temple was built in the 17th century. It is located a bit inland from the site of its original, a vanished (7th century) shore temple. The earlier temple, which may have been already severely damaged by shoreline erosion, was demolished in the 16th century by the Portuguese. Its present gopura dates from the early 20th century.
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