River Cooum, Senate House & Chepauk Palace Madras, 1879 Photo
A 1879 photograph captures a stunning view of the River Cooum, Senate House, and Chepauk Palace in British-era Madras (Chennai). The serene waterway seen in the foreground is a branch of the once-famous River Cooum. Now difficult to imagine it as a navigable channel. In the image, two men row a boat carrying cargo. It highlights a time when the Cooum served as a functional urban waterway.
The river runs parallel to the Senate House and the Chepauk Palace, seen faintly in the far right. The front facades of both buildings face the Marina Beach and its historic promenade.
The photo appears to have been taken soon after the completion of the Senate House in 1879. Scattered construction materials and faint silhouettes of workers suggest that finishing touches were still underway. The Senate House was built on land that once served as the Nawab of Arcot’s artillery park.
It was designed to serve as the headquarters of the University of Madras, one of India’s oldest universities. And is regarded as one of the finest examples of Indo-Saracenic architecture, a unique style that blends Indian, Islamic, and European design elements.
Robert Fellowes Chisholm, a leading architect, designed the building at the time. In 1864, Chisholm entered a competition to design two major structures:
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Presidency College, the first modern college in the city
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The Senate House, which would serve as the university’s administration and examination hall
His proposals won both competitions, and the Senate House stands today as one of his most celebrated works. The distinctive onion-shaped domes, completed in 1879, are said to have been inspired by iconic Indian monuments such as the Taj Mahal and the Gol Gumbaz of Bijapur.
This image offers a rare window into a time when the Cooum River was clean, navigable, and central to urban life. The view also showcases the formative years of Chennai’s architectural identity, long before the city’s rapid expansion transformed its coastline and waterways.
Did you know- the building uses Madras terracotta and traditional lime surkhi plaster, which has a natural self-healing property when exposed to moisture. One reason the structure is still standing strong.
From the collection- Vintage Raja Ravi Varma “Saraswati” Oleograph., Bangalore Cantonment Market – Old Postcard 1900., View of British Era Poona, 1855 Print., Salsette or Mumbai Suburban – Vintage Map 1893.
