Selective Amnesia

The Chennai Photowalk route

I’ve decided upon a time and a place, for this.

Here’s the plan.
Sunday, 11th November, 2007, at 9 AM.
Mylapore -> MRTS -> First Line Beach -> Dare house -> Armenian Church -> High Court -> Fort -> War Memorial -> Napiers -> University of Madras -> Chepauk Palace -> Our separate ways. The detailed schedule is below the fold.

I (We, if enough people turn up) will begin the walk at Mylapore’s Kapaleswara temple at 9 ante-meridian. After walking about the place, I shall head to the MRTS station at TiruMylai and board a train headed to Beach. I (or we) shall alight at First Line Beach station, and begin walking towards Dare House, and Armenian Church, snapping shots all the while. Once at Armenian church I will take a short break and try photographing the ruined splendour of the place.

Once this is done, I shall walk towards the high court (which is, btw, the second largest judicial complex in the world, if one believed these things) and attempt to get in. In the court campus are two things I am interested in. One is a statue of Manu-needhi Cholan. The other is the plaque on the wall that ‘commemorates’ the only bombing India has seen during both the wars.

After High court, a short trek to the Fort. Inside Fort St. George, we (or I) will attempt photographing the stock-exchange+bank turned Museum. With all its canons and medals and cutlery and badges and stuff, this museum is going to keep me occupied for a little while. That will allow us (or me) to catch my (or our) breath(s) before the tiny trudge to St. Mary’s Church. Now, St. Mary’s church is definitely the oldest Anglo-saxon/Protestant church in this part of the world (and that means South Asia) and this should be good.

Spires, pews, altars and organs all, St. Mary’s church is damn fine a treasure.

The (for now) treasures of fort exhausted, we (or I) shall walk out and jog/run/walk/crawl/whimper in pain to the War Memorial. Where I shall point out ancient and modern names of countries the British have fought against. From the memorial to Napier’s bridge is but jump – where I (or we) shall attempt to present the stinking Cooum in good light. Successful or otherwise, it’s towards the University of Madras’ Senate building, and its glorious Indo-Saracenic architecture. (Which, I am inclined to believe, was pioneered in Madras.) If you (or I) have the energy to walk just a few yards more, Chepauk Palace (and not Amir Mahal) shall be pointed out to, and photographed.

That shall be the end of proceedings. Game?
We (or I) will begin all this on Sunday, the 11th of November, 2007 at 9 AM.