When you have a group of 40 enthusiasts looking to learn about the locality in the northern part of Chennai - which has been "heard" more but not "visited" and a person like Sriram who leads it, whose enthusiasm and energy are as engaging a...s his knowledge about Madras - what you get is an outstanding educational tour with lots of fun and learning!
And what is nice about these walking tours is that it brings people together to learn the history of city’s oldest neighborhoods, and more importantly the information and conversation which gives an insight and discovering hidden gems!
Places covered:
Royapuram railway station, the first railway station of south India opened in 1856, and one of the oldest surviving railway station of the India - The railway line which extended from Royapuram to Arcot.
St. Peter's chruch built in in 1799 and consecrated in 1829 by the local boatmen/fishermen residents, and popularly called "Madha kovil" - which has four mada streets around it. Royapuram earned its name through St. Peter, who was referred to as "Rayappar" in Tamil.
Royapuram was also a principal suburb to the Parsi and Anglo Indian community and the next stop was the Parsi cemetery - Anjuman Bagh and the close by Parsi fire temple -Jal Phiroj Clubwala Dar E Meher, where only Parsis and Zoroastrian Iranis are admitted into the sanctum sanctorum. This temple celebrated its centenary in 2010 and it’s a significant moment to take a group picture in this premises.
A brief walking tour followed, getting to know the streets of Royapuram - Maniyakara Chowdry Theruvu, via Lying hospital, to the shrine of Hazarath Sheik Gunangudi Masthan Sahib Dargah. A sufi saint who visualized god as the female entity in his prayer songs and inspired Bharathiyar for his “Kannamma" themes!
Robinson park, a legendary park renamed as Arignar Anna Poonga is the place where DMK was founded.. All in all, an exemplary day!
And what is nice about these walking tours is that it brings people together to learn the history of city’s oldest neighborhoods, and more importantly the information and conversation which gives an insight and discovering hidden gems!
Places covered:
Royapuram railway station, the first railway station of south India opened in 1856, and one of the oldest surviving railway station of the India - The railway line which extended from Royapuram to Arcot.
St. Peter's chruch built in in 1799 and consecrated in 1829 by the local boatmen/fishermen residents, and popularly called "Madha kovil" - which has four mada streets around it. Royapuram earned its name through St. Peter, who was referred to as "Rayappar" in Tamil.
Royapuram was also a principal suburb to the Parsi and Anglo Indian community and the next stop was the Parsi cemetery - Anjuman Bagh and the close by Parsi fire temple -Jal Phiroj Clubwala Dar E Meher, where only Parsis and Zoroastrian Iranis are admitted into the sanctum sanctorum. This temple celebrated its centenary in 2010 and it’s a significant moment to take a group picture in this premises.
A brief walking tour followed, getting to know the streets of Royapuram - Maniyakara Chowdry Theruvu, via Lying hospital, to the shrine of Hazarath Sheik Gunangudi Masthan Sahib Dargah. A sufi saint who visualized god as the female entity in his prayer songs and inspired Bharathiyar for his “Kannamma" themes!
Robinson park, a legendary park renamed as Arignar Anna Poonga is the place where DMK was founded.. All in all, an exemplary day!
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