River Cooum & River Adyar Madras – 2 Postcards 1910
Two 1910 postcards of the River Cooum and River Adyar in Madras (Chennai). Both along with the Buckingham Canal are the principal rivers of Madras. The scene in the first postcard shows fishermen on their catamarans fishing at dawn on the Cooum river, the other is of the River Adyar at sunset. Just holding your gaze at these charming scenes gives a little piece of paradise in what was once the old Madras. These rivers flowed serenely at the time.
Today it can be considered unsafe because of its high toxicity. Especially the Cooum where there seems to be no form of marine or plant life at all. Both run somewhat parallelly, one ends its flow in the sea adjacent to Fort St George, the other on the sea coast of Adyar itself. It was at that time a vibrant waterway in Madras where boats carrying cargo or passengers were a common sight. From the 1980s many restoration projects were planned and executed, but it was of little help.
See google map of the rivers in ISRO report. See post Chennai Central Railway Station & Canal – 4 Old Postcards.
Did you know- the Cooum was earlier known as the Triplicane river. The Adyar waterway is regaining little of its old glory with migratory birds and mangroves appearing here and there.
From the collection- Raja Ravi Varma’s “Mohini On A Swing” – Vintage Print 1930s., WW2 Indian Made Armoured Vehicle – Old Photo 1942., Inauguration of New Parliament Delhi – Old Print 1927., Bombay Car Rally Vintage Cars – Old Print 1906
