What is it about Theyagaraya Nagar (yes, that was the original spelling) that makes it so fascinating To me, it is certainly not the shopping. In my view, T Nagar represented a certain promise of urban plan. A vision that, when followed faithfully in later neighborhood’s such as Shenoy Nagar, Adyar, Anna Nagar, KK Nagar and Besant Nagar, created well-planned spaces.
Sadly, that approach was quietly abandoned, leading to the chaos we see today. For that matter, T Nagar itself is chaotic now. But the original plan cannot be blamed for what happened later.
How T Nagar Was Planned in 1924
In 2013, while working on a book for the Greater Chennai Corporation, I was able to photocopy the file on T Nagar from the archives. I found it fascinating. The documents carry the initials of G. T. Boag, J. R. Coats and J. E. Hensman, all of whom are commemorated through road names in T Nagar today.
The papers date to 1924, which means T Nagar is now 102 years old. I am surprised that the retailers of the area did not think it fit to celebrate the centenary two years ago. They can still do so, perhaps in August, along with Madras Week 2026.
The Making of the Mambalam Town Planning Scheme
Originally known as the Mambalam Town Planning Scheme Eastern Section, and later simply as the Mambalam Scheme, T Nagar was not entirely built on the Long Tank of Mylapore. The file reveals that the planned area covered 631 acres, of which the waterbody occupied around 73 acres.
The remaining land was acquired from the Government, including the Puliyur Shrotriyam and Government Farm villages, as well as from the Corporation and private owners. The private acquisitions came from what was then known as the Mambalam Zamindari, though ownership does not appear to have rested with a single family.
The list of private owners includes several prominent names—the Kushaldoss Chaturbhujadoss family, Dr. T. S. Tirumurthy, Rao Sahib Soora Lutchmiah Chetty, T. Vasu Naidu, Yahya Ali Sahib and Khan Bahadur Haji Mohammad Abdul Aziz Badsha Sahib, among others. The Gaud Saraswat community from the Konkan region appears to have owned a significant portion of the land. Their society, the SGS Sabha, also owned property here, which perhaps explains why it continues to have its premises on Habibullah Road, T Nagar.
T Nagar’s Original Housing Plan
Of the 631 acres, 410 acres were reserved for private buildings and sold in 1,616 plots. The land prices may come as a shock today Rs. 440 per ground (2,400 sq ft) and Rs. 8,000 per acre. Clearly, we have travelled a long way in a century.
The housing plan included:
- 119 houses on one-acre plots
- 171 houses on half-acre plots
- 520 houses on quarter-acre plots
- 368 houses on one-eighth-acre plots
- 204 houses on one-twelfth-acre plots
- 234 houses on one-eighteenth-acre plots
The numbers reveal something important. There was not much difference between the largest and smallest categories of plots. The plan was clearly designed for the well-to-do. In doing so, it failed in its original purpose of reducing congestion elsewhere in the city.
How T Nagar Became an Exclusive Suburb
The motivation behind the scheme came from a study that showed extreme inequality in population distribution. Some areas had fewer than 15 people per acre, while others were severely overcrowded. Yet T Nagar continued the same pattern.
That it was conceived as a self-contained enclave, rather than an extension of the wider city, is evident from a proposed green belt. The plan, though never implemented, would have stretched along Mount Road from Saidapet to Cathedral Gardens, with openings only for three major roads—Venkatanarayana Road, Sir Theyagaroya Road and G. N. Chetty Road.
In effect, T Nagar was designed as a classic suburb—self-contained and with limited interaction with the larger city.
The Roads, Parks and Open Spaces of T Nagar
After allocating land for housing, the remaining area was divided among different purposes:
- 101 acres for roads
- 16 acres for public buildings
- 92 acres for recreation grounds, parks and drainage channels
- 12 acres for a central open space
That central open space later became Pondy Bazaar. The origin of the name remains debated. In his book T Nagar Anrum Inrum, longtime resident Nalli Kuppuswami Chetty says the name came from a market developed by a family from Pondicherry. Others believe it was named after WPA Soundarapandia Nadar, a prominent member of the Justice Party. The second theory appears more convincing, as many streets and places in T Nagar commemorate Justice Party leaders.
How T Nagar Lost Its Original Character
The development of T Nagar cost Rs. 34 lakhs. It became a showcase neighbourhood. As a result, West Mambalam, which was the leftover portion, became the neglected backyard—with narrow streets, poor planning and inadequate amenities for years. Then, in the 1980s, T Nagar itself became a victim of real estate pressure. Independent houses gave way to apartments. Retail complexes replaced residential spaces. Violations became common.
A quiet residential neighbourhood gradually transformed into a commercial district. That was never what the original planners intended for T Nagar.
This article appeared in The Hindu–https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/t-nagar-turns-102-the-neighbourhoods-original-plan-still-has-lessons-for-chennai/article71275706.ece
My book, Chennai, A Biography can be ordered-http://My book, Chennai, A Biography can be ordered-https://sriramv.com/2021/12/27/how-to-buy-autographed-copies-of-chennai-a-biography-from-outstation/20.ece
