Government House Road, At Chepauk, British Era Madras, 1910 Photo
This rare 1910 photograph shows the Government House Road at Chepauk Estate during the British era in Madras (Chennai). Two people on a horse cart can be seen on the vast Chepauk estate. Originally, the official residence of the British Governor was the Admiralty House (now Clive House) in Fort St George. The Chepauk estate, a vast tract of land, was once owned by the Nawab of Arcot.
Later, after his death, it was acquired by the British Governor of Madras. The Nawab of Arcot, a close ally of the British, originally planned to build his palace within Fort St. George. However, due to reasons unknown, he changed his mind and bought the vast Chepauk grounds south of the Fort to build his palace. It was known as the Chepauk Palace. The area is uniquely bordered by the River Cooum on one side and the famous Marina Beach on the other.
Along with the Nawab’s Chepauk palace, the British later also acquired a large house here in 1753, which was converted into the Government House. The ground was officially called the Chepauk Government Estate (seen in the photo). Over the years, some portions of the estate were repurposed. In 1855, a section of the land facing the Marina and the River Cooum was used to build the Senate House of the University of Madras. A new Government House was later established at Guindy (today’s Raj Bhavan). Click on the photo to enlarge.
Did you know – the famous Chepauk Cricket Stadium is located on a part of this government estate.
From the collection – Rural Life In India Watercolour Painting By N. Mukherjee., Chowpatty Beach & Marine Drive Mumbai, 1970., Floating Dock British Era Bombay – Old Print 1872., Fiat Trucks For British India Military, 1915 Postcard.
