Along arterial road leading from north
Chennai to Little Mount at its southern end, Anna Salai (or Mount
Road) is the city's main thoroughfare. The "garden houses"
that belonged to Chennai is elite stood on either side of it until
well into the early years of the 20th century. Today, it is a
modern commercial road, lined with hoardings depicting film stars,
and the expansive homes of the past have been replaced by multistoreyed
buildings.
Anna Salai begins on an island in Cooum
Creek, just south of Fort St George. The site is watched over
by the statue of Sir Thomas Munro, the governor of the Madras
Presidency from 1819 to 1826. Nearby, set in an expanse of greenery,
is the prestigious Gymkhana Club. Sited close to the army headquarters,
this was an exclusive facility for military officers. Until 1920,
its membership was restricted to garrison officers only and, even
today, the club grounds belong to the armed services.
The Old Government Estate, southwest of the Gymkhana Club, houses
the mansion where the governors of Madras once lived in regal
splendour. Though the main building is falling apart, the banqueting
hall, built in 1802 by the second Lord Clive, the eldest son of
Robert Clive, retains its grandeur. It was named Rajaji Hall after
the first Indian governor-general, C Rajagopalachari, popularly
known as Rajaji. Inside this elegant Neo-Classical building, an
impressive broad staircase leads up to the vast banqueting hall,
which has beautiful panelling and chandeliers.
Anna Salai then enters its commercial stretch.
Along this length of the road are some of the city's oldest commercial
landmarks, including one of India's largest bookshops, Higginbotham's,
Spencer's, an international department store, and the Taj Connemara,
one of the city's finest hotels.
Across the road from them is the Old Madras
Club, now somewhat dilapidated. Established in 1832, it was known
in its heyday as the "Ace of Clubs". Further down, the
19th - century Thousand Lights Mosque gets its name from the tradition
of lighting 1,000 oil lamps to illuminate the Assembly Hall that
once occupied the site. Standing further south is St George's
Cathedral, planned by James Lillyman Caldwell and built by Thomas
de Havilland in 1814. Its tall spire, measuring 42m (138 ft),
is one of Chennai's major landmarks.
