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| The Botanical Garden in udhagamandalam was used to supply vegetables at a reasonable cost |
The colonial monuments in Tamil Nadu presents an impressive architectural legacy of the British. Designed by famous British architects, these monuments are prominent landmarks of the state and serve as popular tourist destinations. The British monuments in Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu, showcases one of the finest colonial architectural styles. Fort St George build by the British East India Company in 1640 was constructed to establish a control centre. Fort Museum and Saint Mary’s Church, considered to be the most ancient Anglican church, are located within this fort. Presently, the fort is the headquarters of the Legislative Assembly and the museum houses a collection of personal belongings of the rulers of the Mughal Dynasty and members of the British and French East India companies. The High Court Building is among the three High Courts in India which were build at the Presidency Towns by letters patent granted by Queen Victoria in 1862. The building was constructed under the guidance of British architect Henry Irwin. Constructed in 1892, the monument exhibits a red Indo-Saracen structure and serves as an important landmark of Chennai. Senate House, one of the architectural wonders of Chennai, was built by Robert Fellowes Chisholm, a famed British architect in 1873. The Senate House consists of a massive central hall with stone pillars and depicts an impressive Indo-Saracen style of architecture. Another impressive British monument is the Ripon Building which presents a fine blend of Corinthian, Ionic and Gothic architectural styles. The structure was constructed by Loganatha Mudaliar and was named after Lord Ripon, the governor-general of British India. Freemasons Hall built in the year 1923 was constructed with the aim of creating a military lodge for the British soldiers. Designed in Greek style, the hall comprises of massive pillars, Italian marbles and tiles used for decorating its interiors. “There are only few foreign travellers who opt for colonial heritage tours in Chennai since most of the British structures now house government offices. Even if they opt for it, they prefer visiting UNESCO World Heritage Sites and Indian temples,” states Rafiq Zulfi, proprietor, Sangham Tours, adding that the reason for this is the lack of government initiatives to promote these colonial heritage sites. “The state tourism board isn’t taking active steps to promote these heritage sites which is unlike Kerala. Whatever foreign tourists we get into Tamil Nadu are the ones who are going to Kerala via Chennai,” he opines adding, “The state tourism board should actively promote these sites through advertising, marketing campaigns. Even the state tax structure needs to be simplified.”
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| Fort St George is the name of the first English (later British) fortress in India |
Located in the Blue Mountains of the Western Ghats, Ooty, a small hilly town was a popular weekend and summer getaway for the British during the colonial days. The Government Botanical Garden in Udhagamandalam was constructed by architect William Graham McIvor in 1848. The garden was established to supply vegetables at a reasonable cost and the cultivation was carried on by the European settlers and others. Presently, the 22-acre garden is maintained by the Government of Tamil Nadu. The Ooty Lake, an artificial lake constructed by John Sullivan in 1824, is spread over an area of 65 acres. The water in the streams in the Ooty valley was dammed to form the lake. The lake was originally created for fishing. The Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation took the possession of the lake in 1973 to provide boating facilities as a tourist attraction. The first bungalow constructed in Ooty was the Stone House. It was built also by Sullivan, who acquired the land from the Toda people at Rs one an acre. The tree in front of the bungalow is famously known as the Sullivan’s Oak. Today the house is the residence of the principal of the Government Arts College, Ooty.
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway was built by the British in 1908 and operated by the Madras Railway Company. In July 2005, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway was added by UNESCO as an extension to the World Heritage Site of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. St Stephen’s Church located on the road to Mysore is one of the oldest churches in the Nilgiri district. The church’s foundation was laid by Stephen Rumbold Lushington on 1829, the then Governor of Madras. The architect in charge of constructing the church was John James Underwood, captain, Madras Regiment.
