The British Era High Court Of Madras, 1900 Postcard

The British Era High Court Of Madras, 1900 Postcard

A 1900 postcard of the British Era High Court of Madras, 1900 Postcard. Completed in 1892, the Madras High Court (Chennai) is an imposing Indo-Saracenic style building with several bulbous domes. The biggest is the central dome, which houses the city’s third-oldest lighthouse. It acted as an operative lighthouse from 1894, later replaced by the newer Marina Beach Lighthouse in 1977.

The dome of the high court was installed with a glass-framed circular box and a light-beaming unit to guide ships to the harbour. This too replaced the 1844, 125-foot, Doric columned lighthouse.

During the bombardment of Madras by the German cruiser SMS Emden, on the night of 22 September 1914, a shell struck and damaged a portion of the compound wall of the High Court. A plaque was installed on the High Court premises, marking the exact spot of the damage that was caused by Emden’s bombardment. Click image to enlarge.

Read more Madras High Court regains glory.

Did you know- the Madras High Court is one of the few court buildings in the world to have functioned as a lighthouse.