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MEMORIES OF BESANT NAGAR & ADYAR
It was early 1951, I came to Madras,
now Chennai and stayed in a building in First Main Road, Gandhi Nagar, Adyar.
Later on the said building was converted to and housed the Adyar Post Office
for a long time. Now, the Adyar P.O functions in its own building in
Besant
Avenue, the main entrance to Besant Nagar.
South
of the river Adyar, also known as Adayar is more synonymous with the world
famous Theosophical Society, the only International head quarters of a world
organisation in India,
with several unique features. Near to it, was the Olcot Memorial school, which
now functions in a sprawling campus, opposite Rajaji Bhavan, Govt. of India in
Besant Nagar.
In
the fifties, beyond the Adyar
Bridge
and opposite the society, Gandhi Nagar was formed and plots allotted mostly to
state officials. Each plot measuring 2 to 4 grounds were having just one
building each and occupied by one family only. Now, we seldom see such
buildings. Today multi storeyed flats sprang up, accommodating more residents
as also used for offices and shopping complexes. Malar Hospitals is just
opposite the society Gate. There were hardly very few shops on the Bridge
Road to Guindy. A general store owned by a sindhi
family who lived in its upstairs, were selling stationery, provisions and even
medicines. Next to it, a military hotel was there. Other than the Burmahshell
Petrol Bank, their existed a small bakery, now known as ADYAR BAKERY and near
it a Saloon, called Mylai Saloon. At the Adyar Junction on the left, there used
to be a massive gate, the entrance to TRAVANCORE HOUSE owned by the then
Maharaja of Travancore for his stay whenever he visits Madras, on a ten acre
area with paddy field stretching upto the then Besant Theosphical School – Now,
K.F.I School – on the east and Besant Avenue on its north end. Today, the
entire paddy field is brimming with posh buildings and even show rooms and is
named, Padmanabha Nagar, Opposite to it, was Avvai Home built by
Dr.Muthulakshmi Reddy and the school being run by them now, is a great solace
to the less privileged.
In
Gandhi Nagar, Sri Padmanabha
Temple owes its benevolence to the
late Maharaja of Travancore who got the land, also the huge deity in lying
posture, just as in Thiruvananthapuram
Temple. Today, it is grown tenfold
with more sannidhis for deities and the Mahaswami Mandapam hall is used for
discourses, cultural programmes, marriages and the like. Kudos to the committee
that manages the temple affairs.
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