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Buckingham Canal In Chennai – Old Print 1922
This is an old 1922 print of the Buckingham Canal in Madras or Chennai. It is a photogravure print and measures 9.25 x 6.5 inches. The canal at one time was a lifeline to the city of Madras as a conveyance of goods and passengers. The British built the canal in the early 1800s becoming an important waterway. It was earlier called the Cochrane canal.
In 1877 Madras faced a great famine that killed millions of people. To reduce the intensity of the famine the Duke of Buckingham ordered the linking of the Adyar River and Cooum River under the “Food for work” policy. And in his honor, the Cochrane Canal was renamed Buckingham Canal. It became a major transport route for goods and produce as late as 1961.
One could take a slow boat to Kakinada in the North (670 km, Andhra Pradesh) and Marakkanam, via Mahabalipuram, in the South (121 km, Tamil Nadu). Unfortunately today it is a carrier of fetid water and an assault to the senses. A sorry sight to behold not only for the people of Chennai but also the visitors from outside. But at a bygone era, it had added to the beauty of an unhurried city of an unpolluted land and water just as you see in this picture.
See my post- Cooum River In Chennai – Old Photo 1880. Read more- How the Buckingham Canal was born.
Did you know- originally called Cochrane’s canal in 1806, then briefly renamed Lord Clive’s canal, finally Buckingham canal in 1878.
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