Old Park Avenue, Rajendra Maidan Stretch Ernakulam, 1935 Photo
An old 1935 photo showing the stretch of old Park Avenue, Rajendra Maidan, Boat Jetty, Subhash Park, and so on. A panoramic view of the backwater-facing area of Ernakulam (Kochi). That includes the view of Subhash Park, Rajendra Maidan, Boat Jetty, etc, with the backwaters shown on the left. Then the beautiful “Park Avenue” road or colloquially known as Boat Jetty Road.
The quaint Cochin Secretariat building is visible in the near foreground. Today it functions as the District Court and Taluk Office. Beyond should be the Maharaja’s College (not visible), apparently obscured by the wooded trees. The life-size statue of a Cochin Maharaja is vaguely visible near the left edge of the photo. The Park Avenue road leads to Broadway, Shanmughom Road, and High Court Jetty on the northern side. On the southern side, it leads to Durbar Hall Road and then to M G Road.
Cochin Maharaja Rajarishi Rama Varma ordered the commissioning of Park Avenue in 1903. Known for his profound love for greenery and nature, he yearned for a boulevard-like thoroughfare with shaded trees and shrubs. Like it was in the USA and Europe which he witnessed during his trips there. He ordered his diwan to construct a new park, for the public to unwind in the evenings. Once completed the park was named Rama Varma Park, it lay opposite the Shiva Temple. Rama Varma Park was further divided into two parts Subhash Park and Priyadarshini Children’s Park after India’s independence. The famous Rajendra Maidan adjoins the park. Click on the photo for better view.
Did you know – on 15 August 1947, the Park witnessed two emotional scenes. One was the final lowering of the Cochin Kingdom’s flag, then the raising of the newly independent India’s Tricolour flag.
From the collection – Vintage Oleograph Raja Ravi Varma “Vishnu On Sheshnag”.
