Madras Central Railway Station Before Installing The Clocks, 1874 Photo
Old 1874 photo of the newly constructed Madras Central Railway Station before the clocks were installed. Previously called “Madras Central Railway Station” until the name changed to “MGR Chennai Central Railway Station”. What is unusual is the missing clocks on the famous clock tower of the station.
The station’s clock tower displays empty clock bays on the two visible sides. The four clocks were probably yet to be installed at this stage of completion of the building. George Hardinge, a British architect designed the main building in the style of Gothic and Romanesque architecture. Yet another architect Robert Chisholm designed the clock tower of the building.
Chisholm was the pioneer of Indo-Saracenic style architecture. The Chennai Central Railway Station initially started with four platforms, primarily to decongest the Royapuram station’s traffic at that time. The Royapuram Station was the first in South India and the main station. Completed in 1874 the Madras Central became the main station in 1907 in the south of India.
Did you know- the station includes the five caps on the roof that were inspired by the Travancore (Kerala) style caps.
From the collection- Raja Ravi Varma’s “Mohini On A Swing” – Vintage Print 1930s., Birds-Eye-View of Benares – Old Postcard 1900., Our Journey Around The World – 1894 Book
