Tramway On Esplanade Road, British Era, Madras, 2 Photos 1900
These two rare photographs from around 1900 capture Esplanade Road in colonial Madras, today known as NSC Bose Road in Chennai. They offer a fascinating glimpse into the architectural grandeur and urban life of the city during the British era.
The striking feature in the photographs is one of Madras’s early electric trams. The city introduced its tramway service in 1895, making it India’s first electric tram system. The tram network quickly became a popular means of transport for commuters traveling through the allotted streets of the city.
Despite its popularity, the charming tram service eventually ceased operations in 1953, largely due to labour disputes and the rapid expansion of motor transport. For nearly six decades, however, these trams were an integral part of daily life in Madras.
Dominating the left side of the scene is the imposing Madras High Court, one of the finest examples of Indo-Saracenic architecture in India. Completed in 1892, the High Court complex was among the largest judicial buildings in the world at the time and remains one of Chennai’s most recognizable historic landmarks.
Also visible in the photographs are the distinctive narrow spires of Anderson Church and the nearby Armenian Church, both reminders of the diverse religious communities that lived and worked in Madras during the colonial period. Close to the Armenian Church stood the early premises of Madras Christian College, an institution that played an important role in higher education in South India.
Madras Christian College and School moved into the former Sailors’ Home building on Esplanade Road in 1846. The institution remained there for nearly a century before relocating in 1936 to its present campus in Tambaram, then a quiet and green suburb outside the city. After the college shifted, the Esplanade Road building was purchased by the Bombay Mutual Insurance Company.
The wide avenues seen in these photographs also reveal the urban planning vision of the colonial administration. At a time when automobiles were still rare in India, broad roads and spacious boulevards were laid out across key parts of the city. Today, the historic Esplanade Road survives as NSC Bose Road, a busy commercial artery in Chennai, though its early character survives mainly in old photographs like these. Click first image to enlarge.
See also The Madras that was.
Did you know- the Armenians (from Armenia), once a large community in Madras, have dwindled to a tiny few.
From the collection- Raja Ravi Varma’s “Mohini On A Swing” – Vintage Print 1930s., Cotton Bales At Bombay Terminus – Old Print 1862., Old Book – City Of Gold The Biography of Bombay
