The ever-changing Mount Road of Chennai

The history of the colonial province of Madras is incomplete without the mention of the iconic Mount road. One of the earliest constructions undertaken by the British in Chennai, the 400 years old Mount road, known today as Anna Salai, continues to be a major attraction point for enthusiastic tourists as well as a centre of many commercial activities.

Mount Road in Chennai is famous for its landmarks. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

The construction of the Mount road began in the early 17th century at George Town, Chennai. The purpose of this road was to facilitate the travel of European employees between St Fort George and St Thomas Mount, where the Apostle St Thomas was crucified. The construction of the road gained momentum under George Macartney, the governor of Madras between 1781 and 1785. The construction of the Marmalong bridge, today known as Maraimalai Adigal Bridge, in 1724 further increased the prominence of Mount road. Over time, as nawabs and other elite groups began settling around the region, the road evolved into a luxury shopping hub attracting all kinds of traders to engage in commercial activities. The Spencer's Plaza built in 1863 by Charles Durant and J.W. Spencer, became the first shopping mall in India. Soon, Grand mansions and lush gardens began to mark the landscape around Mount road.

Mount Road itself is significant, but even more important are the landmarks along the road. Each of these landmarks seems to tell a unique story of the colonial period as well as the post-colonial period. The Rajaji hall for instance hosted the social gatherings of the British people.

People passing through the Mount road would clearly spot the statue of Sir Thomas Munroe, the governor of Madras who introduced the Ryotwari System of the land revenue system. His statue remains a strong reminder about his victories in the Anglo-Mysore wars of the 18th century.

Other important sites of the colonial times along Mount Road include the Cosmopolitan Club, The Gymkhana Club and so on which remain vital to the city even today.

Another important landmark is the Agurchand Mansion, a brick red facade that once belonged to the Nawab of Carnatic. According to sources, the property where the mansion stands once belonged to Azamunissa Begum, the wife of a nawab named Ghouse Khan. In the early 1900s, it was sold to Khaleeli Shirazee, one of the richest men in Madras of that time. Shirazee built a mansion on the property named Khaleeli Mansions, which became the city's tallest building. After independence and partition, the heir to the mansion went to Pakistan and the property was auctioned off to Agurchand. However, the mansion today has fallen prey to neglect, failing to keep up with the changing times of the city.

Mount Road Dargah is another popular attraction site for pilgrims. It is believed that Hazrath Syed Moosa Shah Khadri, a healer, had come all the way from Baghdad to settle there in the 17th century.

Thousand Lights Mosque built in 1810, is another religious site on Mount Road, especially for the Shia followers. It is regarded as one of the biggest mosques in the country.

Interestingly, many Indian shops and buildings first marked their spots along Mount Road. In 1844 for instance, the oldest book store of the country, Higginbotham's, came into existence. In 1959, the first skyscraper in India, the LIC building was completed. In 1965, the concept of fine dining experience first came to the city with A.M Buhari the founder of the Buhari Hotel. The same year also saw the birth of the famous non-vegetarian dish, chicken 65, another legacy of the Buhari Hotel. The Gemini flyover constructed in 1969 is the first flyover of the city and the third in the whole country. Through the years, these constructions have enhanced the significance of the historical road constructed by the British.

Mount Road with its changing landscapes continues to tell countless stories of the ever-evolving city of Chennai from colonial till the present times.