Madras Heritage and Carnatic Music

Tag: Royapuram

  • Chennai 600013 – Royapuram, #MadrasDay

    Chennai 600013 – Royapuram, #MadrasDay

    And now, the bard, having sung of Chennai 1 to 12, takes up his lyre and sings of Chennai 600013, namely Royapuram. This is a thin but extremely historic and important stretch, that extends along the coast, with George Town to its south and Kasimedu to the north. To the west is Washermanpet. There is…

  • Saving The Air Raid Shelter

    Saving The Air Raid Shelter

    In what is nothing short of a miracle, the old air-raid shelter in Kasimedu has been repaired and restored by the Indian Oil Corporation. This would have never happened without the active intervention of The Hindu’s City Desk.

  • A Plea to Save the WWII Bunker

    A Plea to Save the WWII Bunker

    The proposed demolition of the pillbox at Kasimedu, though suspended for the nonce, exposes how little we know of our past. It also reveals the legalese that heritage buildings need to get past to merit protection of some kind.

  • Indian Charivari – 3, Making McDowells a liquor brand

    JG Coleman, now forgotten, was a prominent Eurasian of Madras who made the liquor firm McDowell & Co a name to contend with.

  • Indian Charivari -2 Robinson of Robinson Poonga

    Indian Charivari -2 Robinson of Robinson Poonga

    A profile of Sir William Rose Robinson, police chief and acting Governor of Madras.

  • Transforming slums and translating Tirukkural

    Remembering Charles E Gover who sacrificed his life transforming the slums of our city. He also translated the Tirukkural into English.

  • Roaming around Royapuram

    Sreemathy Mohan penned this report on the Royapuram tour that was conducted as part of Madras Week. This appeared in Madras Musings When you have a group of 50 enthusiasts looking to learn about the locality in the northern part of Chennai – which has been “heard” more of but not “visited” – and a…

  • To sing like Mastan Sahib

    That is a wish expressed in a film song. Ever since then, the musical mystic has intrigued me. Planning for a heritage tour of Royapuram, Karthik Bhatt and I are standing in front of the Rajah Sir Savalai Ramaswami Mudaliar Lying in Hospital. We have been told by our good friend Anwar that the Kunangudi…

  • A relic of the Second World War

    A relic of the Second World War

    The sheer survival power of the old Kasimedu pill box is a matter for wonder. This concrete shelter built during the Second World War endures continued neglect.