1.
Chennai
–
Chennai /ˈtʃɛnnaɪ/, formerly known as Madras /məˈdrɑːs/ or /-ˈdræs/) is the capital of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal, it is one of the biggest cultural, economic, according to the 2011 Indian census, it is the sixth-largest city and fourth-most populous urban agglomeration in India. The city together with the adjoining regions constitute the Chennai Metropolitan Area, Chennai is among the most visited Indian cities by foreign tourists. It was ranked 43rd most visited city in the world for year 2015, the Quality of Living Survey rated Chennai as the safest city in India. Chennai attracts 45 percent of tourists visiting India, and 30 to 40 percent of domestic health tourists. As such, it is termed Indias health capital, as a growing metropolitan city in a developing country, Chennai confronts substantial pollution and other logistical and socio-economic problems. Chennai has the third-largest expatriate population in India at 35,000 in 2009,82,790 in 2011, tourism guide publisher Lonely Planet named Chennai as one of the top ten cities in the world to visit in 2015. Chennai is ranked as a city in the Global Cities Index and was ranked the best city in India by India Today in the 2014 annual Indian city survey. In 2015 Chennai was named the hottest city by the BBC, National Geographic ranked Chennais food as second best in the world, it was the only Indian city to feature in the list. Chennai was also named the ninth-best cosmopolitan city in the world by Lonely Planet, the Chennai Metropolitan Area is one of the largest city economies of India. Chennai is nicknamed The Detroit of India, with more than one-third of Indias automobile industry being based in the city, in January 2015, it was ranked third in terms of per capita GDP. Chennai has been selected as one of the 100 Indian cities to be developed as a city under PM Narendra Modis flagship Smart Cities Mission. The name Madras originated even before the British presence was established in India, the name Madras is said to have originated from a Portuguese phrase mae de Deus which means mother of god, due to Portuguese influence on the port city. According to some sources, Madras was derived from Madraspattinam, a north of Fort St George. However, it is whether the name was in use before the arrival of Europeans. The British military mapmakers believed Madras was originally Mundir-raj or Mundiraj, Madras might have also been derived from the word Madhuras meaning juice of honey or sugarcane in Sanskrit. The nativity of name Chennai, being of Telugu origin is clearly proved by the historians. The first official use of the name Chennai is said to be in a deed, dated 8 August 1639
Chennai
–
Clockwise from top right:
Chennai Central,
Marina Beach,
Madras High Court,
TIDEL Park,
Ripon Building,
San Thome Basilica,
Kapaleeshwarar Temple,
Classical dance Bharata Natyam and
Valluvar Kottam.
Chennai
–
Clive House at
Fort St. George, Madras said to be the first English settlement in
India during 1609
Chennai
–
Surrender of the City of Madras in 1746 to de La Bourdonnais, by Jacques François Joseph Swebach
2.
India
–
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and it is bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast. It shares land borders with Pakistan to the west, China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the northeast, in the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Indias Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a border with Thailand. The Indian subcontinent was home to the urban Indus Valley Civilisation of the 3rd millennium BCE, in the following millennium, the oldest scriptures associated with Hinduism began to be composed. Social stratification, based on caste, emerged in the first millennium BCE, early political consolidations took place under the Maurya and Gupta empires, the later peninsular Middle Kingdoms influenced cultures as far as southeast Asia. In the medieval era, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam arrived, much of the north fell to the Delhi sultanate, the south was united under the Vijayanagara Empire. The economy expanded in the 17th century in the Mughal empire, in the mid-18th century, the subcontinent came under British East India Company rule, and in the mid-19th under British crown rule. A nationalist movement emerged in the late 19th century, which later, under Mahatma Gandhi, was noted for nonviolent resistance, in 2015, the Indian economy was the worlds seventh largest by nominal GDP and third largest by purchasing power parity. Following market-based economic reforms in 1991, India became one of the major economies and is considered a newly industrialised country. However, it continues to face the challenges of poverty, corruption, malnutrition, a nuclear weapons state and regional power, it has the third largest standing army in the world and ranks sixth in military expenditure among nations. India is a constitutional republic governed under a parliamentary system. It is a pluralistic, multilingual and multi-ethnic society and is home to a diversity of wildlife in a variety of protected habitats. The name India is derived from Indus, which originates from the Old Persian word Hindu, the latter term stems from the Sanskrit word Sindhu, which was the historical local appellation for the Indus River. The ancient Greeks referred to the Indians as Indoi, which translates as The people of the Indus, the geographical term Bharat, which is recognised by the Constitution of India as an official name for the country, is used by many Indian languages in its variations. Scholars believe it to be named after the Vedic tribe of Bharatas in the second millennium B. C. E and it is also traditionally associated with the rule of the legendary emperor Bharata. Gaṇarājya is the Sanskrit/Hindi term for republic dating back to the ancient times, hindustan is a Persian name for India dating back to the 3rd century B. C. E. It was introduced into India by the Mughals and widely used since then and its meaning varied, referring to a region that encompassed northern India and Pakistan or India in its entirety
India
–
Flag
India
–
The granite
tower of
Brihadeeswarar Temple in
Thanjavur was completed in 1010 CE by
Raja Raja Chola I.
India
–
Writing the will and testament of the Mughal king court in Persian, 1590–1595
3.
Geographic coordinate system
–
A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system used in geography that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation, to specify a location on a two-dimensional map requires a map projection. The invention of a coordinate system is generally credited to Eratosthenes of Cyrene. Ptolemy credited him with the adoption of longitude and latitude. Ptolemys 2nd-century Geography used the prime meridian but measured latitude from the equator instead. Mathematical cartography resumed in Europe following Maximus Planudes recovery of Ptolemys text a little before 1300, in 1884, the United States hosted the International Meridian Conference, attended by representatives from twenty-five nations. Twenty-two of them agreed to adopt the longitude of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, the Dominican Republic voted against the motion, while France and Brazil abstained. France adopted Greenwich Mean Time in place of local determinations by the Paris Observatory in 1911, the latitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle between the equatorial plane and the straight line that passes through that point and through the center of the Earth. Lines joining points of the same latitude trace circles on the surface of Earth called parallels, as they are parallel to the equator, the north pole is 90° N, the south pole is 90° S. The 0° parallel of latitude is designated the equator, the plane of all geographic coordinate systems. The equator divides the globe into Northern and Southern Hemispheres, the longitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle east or west of a reference meridian to another meridian that passes through that point. All meridians are halves of great ellipses, which converge at the north and south poles, the prime meridian determines the proper Eastern and Western Hemispheres, although maps often divide these hemispheres further west in order to keep the Old World on a single side. The antipodal meridian of Greenwich is both 180°W and 180°E, the combination of these two components specifies the position of any location on the surface of Earth, without consideration of altitude or depth. The grid formed by lines of latitude and longitude is known as a graticule, the origin/zero point of this system is located in the Gulf of Guinea about 625 km south of Tema, Ghana. To completely specify a location of a feature on, in, or above Earth. Earth is not a sphere, but a shape approximating a biaxial ellipsoid. It is nearly spherical, but has an equatorial bulge making the radius at the equator about 0. 3% larger than the radius measured through the poles, the shorter axis approximately coincides with the axis of rotation
Geographic coordinate system
–
Longitude lines are perpendicular and latitude lines are parallel to the equator.
4.
Tamil language
–
Tamil is a Dravidian language predominantly spoken by the Tamil people of India and Sri Lanka, and also by the Tamil diaspora, Sri Lankan Moors, Burghers, Douglas, and Chindians. Tamil is a language of two countries, Singapore and Sri Lanka. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and it is also used as one of the languages of education in Malaysia, along with English, Malay and Mandarin. Tamil is also spoken by significant minorities in the four other South Indian states of Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and it is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India. Tamil is one of the classical languages in the world. Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions from 500 BC have been found on Adichanallur and 2 and it has been described as the only language of contemporary India which is recognizably continuous with a classical past. The variety and quality of classical Tamil literature has led to it being described as one of the classical traditions. A recorded Tamil literature has been documented for over 2000 years, the earliest period of Tamil literature, Sangam literature, is dated from ca.300 BC – AD300. It has the oldest extant literature among other Dravidian languages, the earliest epigraphic records found on rock edicts and hero stones date from around the 3rd century BC. More than 55% of the inscriptions found by the Archaeological Survey of India are in the Tamil language. Tamil language inscriptions written in Brahmi script have been discovered in Sri Lanka, the two earliest manuscripts from India, acknowledged and registered by the UNESCO Memory of the World register in 1997 and 2005, were written in Tamil. In 1578, Portuguese Christian missionaries published a Tamil prayer book in old Tamil script named Thambiraan Vanakkam, the Tamil Lexicon, published by the University of Madras, was one of the earliest dictionaries published in the Indian languages. According to a 2001 survey, there were 1,863 newspapers published in Tamil, Tamil belongs to the southern branch of the Dravidian languages, a family of around 26 languages native to the Indian subcontinent. It is also classified as being part of a Tamil language family, the closest major relative of Tamil is Malayalam, the two began diverging around the 9th century CE. According to linguists like Bhadriraju Krishnamurti, Tamil, as a Dravidian language, descends from Proto-Dravidian, linguistic reconstruction suggests that Proto-Dravidian was spoken around the third millennium BC, possibly in the region around the lower Godavari river basin in peninsular India. The material evidence suggests that the speakers of Proto-Dravidian were of the associated with the Neolithic complexes of South India. The next phase in the reconstructed proto-history of Tamil is Proto-South Dravidian, the linguistic evidence suggests that Proto-South Dravidian was spoken around the middle of the second millennium BC, and that proto-Tamil emerged around the 3rd century BC. The earliest epigraphic attestations of Tamil are generally taken to have been shortly thereafter
Tamil language
–
Silver coin of king
Vashishtiputra Sātakarni (c. AD 160). Obv: Bust of king; Rev: Ujjain/Sātavāhana symbol, crescented six-arch chaitya hill and river with
Tamil Brahmi script
Tamil language
–
Tamil
Tamil language
–
Agastya, Chairman of first Tamil
Sangam,
Madurai,
Pandiya Kingdom
Tamil language
–
Mangulam Tamil Brahmi inscription
5.
Monument
–
The term monument is often applied to buildings or structures that are considered examples of important architectural and/or cultural heritage. Monuments have been created for thousands of years, and they are often the most durable, in more recent times, monumental structures such as the Statue of Liberty and Eiffel Tower have become iconic emblems of modern nation-states. The term monumentality relates to the status and physical presence of a monument. Monuments are frequently used to improve the appearance of a city or location, planned cities such as Washington D. C. New Delhi and Brasília are often built around monuments, for example, the Washington Monuments location was conceived by LEnfant to help organize public space in the city, before it was designed or constructed. Older cities have monuments placed at locations that are important or are sometimes redesigned to focus on one. As Shelley suggested in his famous poem Ozymandias, the purpose of monuments is often to impress or awe. Structures created for purposes that have been made notable by their age. This can happen because of age and size, as in the case of the Great Wall of China. Monuments are also designed to convey historical or political information. They can be used to reinforce the primacy of political power. The social meanings of monuments are rarely fixed and certain and are contested by different social groups. This contention of meaning is a theme of modern post processual archaeological discourse. Until recently, it was customary for archaeologists to study large monuments, New ideas about what constitutes the archaeological record have revealed that certain legislative and theoretical approaches to the subject are too focused on earlier definitions of monuments. An example has been the United Kingdoms Scheduled Ancient Monument laws, recently, more and more monuments are being preserved digitally through organisations as CyArk. Cenotaphs and other memorials to commemorate the dead, usually war casualties, e. g. India Gate and Vimy Ridge Memorial, or disaster casualties, such as the Titanic Memorial, Belfast. Church monuments to commemorate the dead, located above or near their grave, often featuring an effigy, columns, often topped with a statue, e. g. Berlin Victory Column, Nelsons Column in London, and Trajans Column in Rome. Gravestones, small monuments to the deceased, placed at their gravesites, e. g. the tombs and vaults of veterans in Les Invalides, mausoleums and tombs to honor the dead, e. g. the Great Pyramid of Giza and Taj Mahal
Monument
–
The
Lincoln Memorial,
Washington Monument, and
US Capitol. The planned US capital
Washington D.C. is built around monuments commemorating founding fathers of the
United States.
Monument
–
The
Great Pyramid of
Giza built almost 5000 years ago as
pharaoh 's
tomb, one of the
Seven Wonders and enduring symbol of
ancient Egyptian civilization since antiquity.
Monument
–
The
Parthenon is regarded as an enduring symbol of
Ancient Greece, the
Athenian democracy, as well as the symbol of
Western Civilization.
Monument
–
The
Colosseum Flavian amphitheatre in
Rome, a popular monument of the
Roman Empire.
6.
Tamil literature
–
Tamil literature refers to the literature in the Tamil language. Tamil literature has a rich and long literary tradition spanning more than two thousand years, the oldest extant works show signs of maturity indicating an even longer period of evolution. Contributors to the Tamil literature are mainly from Tamil people from South India, including the land now comprising Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Sri Lankan Tamils from Sri Lanka, and from Tamil diaspora. The history of Tamil literature follows the history of Tamil Nadu, the early Sangam literature, starting from the period of 2nd century BCE, contain anthologies of various poets dealing with many aspects of life, including love, war, social values and religion. This was followed by the early epics and moral literature, authored by Hindu, Jain and Buddhist authors, from the 6th to 12th century CE, the Tamil devotional poems written by Nayanmars and Azhvars, heralded the great Bhakti movement which later engulfed the entire Indian subcontinent. The later medieval period saw many assorted minor literary works and also contributions by a few Muslim and European authors. A revival of Tamil literature took place from the late 19th century when works of religious, with growth of literacy, Tamil prose began to blossom and mature. Short stories and novels began to appear, modern Tamil Literary criticism also evolved. The popularity of Tamil cinema has also interacted with Tamil literature in some mutually enriching ways, Sangam literature comprises some of the oldest extant Tamil literature, and deals with love, war, governance, trade and bereavement. Unfortunately much of the Tamil literature belonging to the Sangam period has been lost, the literature currently available from this period is perhaps just a fraction of the wealth of material produced during this golden age of Tamil civilization. The available literature from this period has been divided in antiquity into three categories based roughly on chronology. These are, the Major Eighteen Anthology Series comprising the Eight Anthologies and the Ten Idylls, Tolkaappiyam, a commentary on grammar, phonetics, rhetoric and poetics is dated from this period. Tamil legends hold that these were composed in three successive poetic assemblies that were held in ancient times on a now vanished continent far to the south of India. A significant amount of literature could have preceded Tolkappiyam as grammar books are written after the existence of literature over long periods. Tamil tradition holds the earliest Sangam poetry to be over twelve millennia old, modern linguistic scholarship places the poems between the 1st century BC and the 3rd century AD. Sangam age is considered by the Tamil people as the era of Tamil language. This was the period when the Tamil country was ruled by the three crowned kings the Cheras, Pandyas and the Cholas, the land was at peace with no major external threats. Asokas conquests did not impact on the Tamil land and the people were able to indulge in literary pursuits, the poets had a much more casual relationship with their rulers than can be imagined in later times
Tamil literature
–
Sage
Agastya,Chairman of first
Tamil Sangam, Thenmadurai,
Pandiya Kingdom
7.
Thiruvalluvar
–
Thiruvalluvar, known commonly as Valluvar, is a celebrated Tamil poet and philosopher whose contribution to Tamil literature is the Thirukkural, a work on ethics. It is believed that he was either in Thiru Mylai Chennai in Tamil Nadu or in ThirunainarKuruchi. Thiruvalluvar is thought to have lived sometime between the 4th century BC and the 1st century BC and this estimate is based on linguistic analysis of his writings, as there is no historical evidence for when and where he lived. Thirukkuṛal itself does not name its author or authors, such was her austerity and dedication towards her husband Thiruvalluvar, 2) Thiruvalluvar used to sit every day for meal with a cup of water and a wooden tooth pick. He did this to any grain of rice spilled out from his leaf when Vaasuki Ammaiyar served food. It was said that Thiruvalluvar could not even pick a grain of rice every day, such was the dedication in serving meal by Vaasuki Ammaiyar. Thiruvalluvar may have spent part of his life in Madurai because it was under the Pandiya rulers that many Tamil poets flourished. There is also the recent claim by Kanyakumari Historical and Cultural Research Centre that Valluvar was a king who ruled Valluvanadu in the tracts of the Kanyakumari District of Tamil Nadu. Thirukkural is one of the most revered ancient works in the Tamil language and it is considered a common creed, providing a guide for human morals and betterment in life. Thirukkural has been translated into several languages, including a translation into Latin by Constanzo Beschi in 1699 which helped make the work known to European intellectuals and these books, Pancharathnam and Gnana Vettiyan, contribute to Tamil science, literature and other ayurvedic medicines. A temple-like memorial to Thiruvalluvar, Valluvar Kottam, was built in Chennai in 1976 and this monument complex consists of structures usually found in Dravidian temples, including a temple car carved from three blocks of granite, and a shallow, rectangular pond. The auditorium adjoining the memorial is one of the largest in Asia, there is a 133-foot tall statue of Thiruvalluvar erected at Kanyakumari at the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent, where the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal, and the Indian Ocean converge. The 133 feet denote Tirukkuṛaḷs 133 Chapters or athikarams and the show of three fingers denote the three themes Aram, Porul, and Inbam, i. e. the sections on Morals, Wealth and Love. The statue was designed by V. Ganapati Sthapati, an architect from Tamil Nadu. There is also a statue of Thiruvalluvar outside the School of Oriental and African Studies in Russell Square, the government of Tamil Nadu celebrates the 15th of January as Thiruvalluvar Day as part of the Pongal celebrations in his honour. Sarvajna and Tiruvalluvar statue installation Valluvar Kottam Avvaiyar Valluvan Parayi petta panthirukulam Works by or about Thiruvalluvar at Internet Archive Works by Thiruvalluvar at LibriVox
Thiruvalluvar
–
The Thiruvalluvar statue in
Kanyakumari
Thiruvalluvar
–
A temple for Thiruvalluvar in
Mylapore
Thiruvalluvar
–
Thiruvalluvar Statue
Thiruvalluvar
–
Thiruvalluvar statue in SOAS, University of London.
8.
Kodambakkam
–
Kodambakkam is a residential neighbourhood in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The neighbourhood is served by Kodambakkam railway station of the Chennai Suburban Railway Network, Kodambakkam has a high concentration of film studios and has been known for its status as the hub of the Tamil film industry. Kodambakkam is situated at 13.0481 N latitude and 80.2214 E longitude and it is one of the westerly located neighbourhoods of Chennai city. It is bounded by the neighbourhoods of Nungambakkam to the east and West Mambalam and it is bounded by Vadapalani to the west and K. K. Nagar and Ashok Nagar to the south-west. Kodambakkam is located at a distance of 8 kilometres from Fort St. George, the neighbourhood of Kodambakkam has a history going back to about 2,000 years. During the period of the Pallavas and the Later Cholas, the part of Kodambakkam formed a portion of the historically important temple town of Vadapalani. One of the oldest temples in Kodambakkam is the Bharthukesavar temple which is over 500 years old, present-day Kodambakkam originated in the 17th and 18th centuries AD, when it supposedly served as source for the horses of the stable of the Nawab of the Carnatic. It is believed that the name Kodambakkam itself might have derived from the Urdu word Ghoda Bagh meaning garden of horses. Another version says that Kodambakkam derives its name from Karkodagan Pakkam, Karkodagan is the name of a famous snake in Hindu mythology. It is said that the snake worshiped Lord Shiva here, there is still a temple for Lord Shiva by the name Vengeeshwarar in Kodambakkam. Several sculptures and images of the snake Karkodagan can be seen in the temple, the first movie studio was established by Avichi Meiyappa Chettiar in 1948. Since then, a number of movie studios have been established, notable among them being L. V. Prasad Studios. Liberty theater which was the oldest movie theater in Chennai was based here too, however, the theater been demolished in the year 2010 and been replaced by a hotel and condos. The neighbourhood got one of the citys first flyovers in 1967 and it is 623 m long and 12.8 m wide and connects the localities of K. K. Nagar, Vadapalani, and Ashok Nagar. Kodambakkam is the centre of the Tamil film industry known as Kollywood, a. V. M. Studios established by Avichi Meiyappa Chettiar was the first movie studio to be established in Vadapalani-Kodambakkam. The Vijaya Vauhini Studios was established a little later followed by Prasad Labs in 1974, today, many Tamil movie studios are located in and around Kodambakkam. Residences of many film and television stars are located in and around Kodambakkam due to proximity to the movie studios, a film directors colony situated in Kodambakkam is the home of many Tamil film directors and producers. Indian music director A. R. Rahmans house and his AM Studios is located in the street, as is the KM Music Conservatory
Kodambakkam
–
Rail over - bridge at Kodambakkam
Kodambakkam
–
Kodambakkam Railway Station
Kodambakkam
–
Sunset at Kodambakkam
9.
Temple car
–
Temple cars are chariots used to carry representations of Hindu gods. The cars are used on annual festival days called Ther Thiruvizha. The size of the largest temple cars inspired the Anglo-Indian term Juggernaut, signifying a tremendous, the procession of the great temple car of Thiruvarur features prominently in an ancient festival held in the town. This festival, called Ratha Yatra, is a famous festival observed in Eastern India. It is usually held annually in March and April, lasts more than 25 days and this great chariot is said to be the largest of its kind in height and weight, standing at 96 feet tall and weighing more than 300 tons. As of 2004, Tamil Nadu had 515 wooden carts,79 of which needed repairs, annamalaiyar Temple, Tiruvannamalai, Chidambaram Natarajar Temple are among the temples that possess these huge wooden chariots for regular processions. The Natarajar Temple celebrates the festival twice a year, once in the summer and another in winter. Lord Krishna of Udupi has five cars, namely Brahma ratha, Madya ratha, kinyo. Temple Car in Teluk Intan, Perak, Malaysia Manjeshwar Srimad Ananteshwar Temple
Temple car
–
Temple car in
Colombo,
Sri Lanka.
Temple car
–
Chariot of ChinnaThirupati, Salem
Temple car
–
Tiruvarur temple car, the largest temple car in Tamil Nadu
Temple car
–
Temple car (decorated),
Udupi,Karnataka,
India
10.
Thiruvarur
–
Thiruvarur also spelt as Tiruvarur is a town and municipality in Tiruvarur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the headquarters of Tiruvarur district and Tiruvarur taluk. The town was one of the five capitals of the Chola empire, with one of the emperors of the dynasty, Kulothunga Chola I. The town is believed to be of significant antiquity and has ruled, at different times, by the Medieval Cholas, Later Cholas, Later Pandyas, Vijayanagar Empire, Marathas. The town is known for the Thyagaraja temple, and the chariot festival held in the month of April. The temple chariot of the Thyagaraja temple, weighing 300 tonnes, Thiruvarur is the birthplace of Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastri, popularly known as the Trinity of Carnatic music of the 18th century CE. Thiruvarur was a part of Thanjavur district till 1991 and Nagapattinam district until 1997, the Odambokki river passes through the centre of the town. Thiruvarur covers an area of 10.47 km2 and had a population of 58,301 as of 2011 and it is administered by a first grade municipality. The town is a part of the Cauvery delta region and agriculture is the major occupation, roadways are the major means of transportation with a total of 94.06 km of district roads including three national highways passing through the town. The historic name of the town was Aaroor and it mention in the 7th century saiva canonical work. The term Thiru is added to all cities that are mostly revered by the verses of Tevaram. During the British Raj, the town was termed Tiruvalur, Tiruvaloor, as per the district and municipality websites, the district has the spelling Tiruvarur, while the town has it as Thiruvarur. As per folk legend, Thiruvarur is mentioned as the town of a legendary Chola king, Manu Needhi Cholan. His name is used as a metaphor for fairness and justice in Tamil literature. Thiruvarur was one of the five capitals of the Chola empire. Tirunavukkarasar mentions several traditions of the temple like Marghazhi Aathirai Vizha, Panguni Uttirai Perunaal, the granite structure of the temple was first constructed by Aditya Chola I in the 9th century CE and revamped during the reign of Rajaraja Chola I. The temple was upgraded and rebuilt with stone by Rajendra Chola I, the temple has inscriptions from both the emperors, later Cholas and Pandyas. The temple is believed to be an inspiration for Rajaraja Chola to build the Brihadeeswarar Temple, inscriptions from the temple indicate Thiruvarur as the capital of Kulothunga Chola I, during which the town emerged a centre of saivism
Thiruvarur
–
Thiruvarur திருவாரூர்
Thiruvarur
–
Thyagaraja Temple – an important landmark of the town and one of the largest temples in Tamil Nadu
Thiruvarur
–
Thygaraja cult is associated with Somaskanda image depicting Shiva, Skanda and Parvathi.
Thiruvarur
–
Thiruvarur temple chariot festival depicting the largest temple chariot in Tamil Nadu
11.
South India
–
The region occupies 19. 31% of Indias land area. Covering the southern part of the peninsular Deccan Plateau, South India is bounded by the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Arabian Sea in the west, and the Indian Ocean in the south. The geography of the region is diverse, with two ranges, the Western and Eastern Ghats, bordering the plateau heartland. The Godavari River, Krishna River, Kaveri, Tungabhadra and Vaigai rivers are important non-perennial sources of water, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Coimbatore and Kochi are the largest urban areas. Majority of the people in South India speak one of the four major Dravidian languages, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam. During its history, a number of kingdoms ruled over parts of South India whose invasions across southern and southeastern Asia impacted the history. Major dynasties that were established in South India include the Cheras, Cholas, Pandyas, Pallavas, Satavahanas, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, european countries entered India through Kerala and the region was colonised by Britain and other nations. HDI in the states is high and the economy has undergone growth at a faster rate than most northern states. Literacy rates in the states are higher than the national average with approximately 80% of the population capable of reading and writing. The fertility rate in South India is 1.9, the lowest of all regions in India, South India also known as Peninsular India has been known by several other names. Carnatic derived from Karnād or Karunād meaning high country has also associated with South India. Carbon dating on ash mounds associated with Neolithic cultures in South India date back to 8000 BCE, artefacts such as ground stone axes, and minor copper objects have been found in the region. Towards the beginning of 1000 BCE, iron technology spread through the region, however, the region was in the middle of a trade route that extended from Muziris to Arikamedu linking the Mediterranean and East Asia. Trade with Phoenicians, Romans, Greeks, Arabs, Syrians, Jews, the region was part of the ancient Silk Road connecting the Asian continent in the East and the West. C. to 14th century A. D. The Vijayanagara Empire, founded in 14th century A. D. was the last Indian dynasty that ruled over the region. The Europeans arrived in the 15th century and by the middle of the 18th century, the French, the British Empire took control of the region from the British East India Company in 1857. During the British colonial rule, the region was divided into the Madras Presidency, Hyderabad state, Mysore, Travancore, Kochi, Vizianagaram and a number of other minor princely states. After the independence of India in 1947, the region was organised into four states, Madras State, Mysore State, Hyderabad State and Travancore-Cochin
South India
–
Jog Falls are the highest plunge waterfalls in India.
South India
–
South India shown in red
South India
–
Kanyakumari,
Tamil Nadu is the southernmost tip of the peninsular landmass
South India
–
Ancient city of
Hampi,
Karnataka the seat of the
Vijayanagara empire
12.
V. Ganapati Sthapati
–
Vaidyanatha Ganapati Sthapati was a Sthapati and head of the College of Architecture and Sculpture in the Vastu Shastra tradition ascribed to the sage Mamuni Mayan. Sthapati was born in 1927 to sculptor Vaidyanatha Sthapati and Velammal in Pillayarpatti, Sthapati attended Dr. Alagappa Chettiar College, Karaikudi, and graduated with a degree in mathematics. After his graduation, he became a Sthapati at Palani Murugan Temple, Palani, Tamil Nadu and he resigned this post after the death of his father, who had served as principal of the School of Architecture and Sculpture at Mamallapuram from 1957 to 1960. He succeeded his father as the Principal of the Government College of Architecture and Sculpture, TN, after retirement from government service, he established the Vaastu Vedic Trust and the Vaastu Vedic Research Foundation, aimed at research, development, and globalization of Vaastu Shastra. He is also the head of the professional guild named V. Ganapati Sthapati & Associates, Sthapati initiated the development of The American University of Mayonic Science and Technology as an authorized institution to teach this body of knowledge in the western world. He appointed Dr. Jessie J. Mercay as Chancellor, design and Construction of University buildings including the Administrative block and library for Tamil University in Tanjore. Design and Construction of Valluvar Kottam in Chennai, TN, India, the Rajagopuram of Sri Ramar Temple and Sri Ganesh Shiva Durga Temple at The Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago complex Lemont, Illinois, United States. The San Marga Iraivan Temple, Kauai, Hawaii, granite sculpture of the Madhavi—heroine of the Tamil epic Silappathikaram, erected in an Art Gallery in Poompuhar, Chennai, TN, India. Projects in India and other countries, bibliography Sthapati has authored a number of books on the science and technology of Vastu Shastra and has conducted numerous seminars. The scientific edifice of Brihadeeswara temple, Tanjore Tamilnadu, books he has authored include Iconometry, Temples of Space Science, The Building Architecture of Sthapatya Veda and Commentary on Mayans Aintiram. Sthapati has earned a number of titles and awards, including Padma Bhushan in 2009, subramaniam, T. S. Sculpting a success story
V. Ganapati Sthapati
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V. Ganapati Sthapati
V. Ganapati Sthapati
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Vaidyanatha Ganapati Sthapati
V. Ganapati Sthapati
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Thiruvalluvar Statue and the adjacent
Vivekananda Rock Memorial at sunrise
V. Ganapati Sthapati
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133-foot-tall sculpture (40.5 m.) of the Tamil poet and saint
Thiruvalluvar Statue, in Kanyakumari, India.
13.
Thiruvalluvar Statue
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The Thiruvalluvar Statue is a 133 feet tall stone sculpture of the Tamil poet and philosopher Tiruvalluvar, author of the Thirukkural. The statue has a height of 95 feet and stands upon a 38-foot pedestal that represents the 38 chapters of virtue in the Thirukkural, the statue standing on the pedestal represents wealth and pleasures, signifying that wealth and love be earned and enjoyed on the foundation of solid virtue. The combined height of the statue and pedestal is 133 feet and it has a total weight of 7000 tons. The statue, with its slight bend around the waist is reminiscent of a pose of the ancient Indian deities like Nataraja. It was sculpted by the Indian sculptor Dr. V. Ganapati Sthapati and its opening ceremony was on 1 January 2000. The monument was hit by the Indian Ocean tsunami on 26 December 2004, in 1979, the then Prime Minister Morarji Desai laid the foundation stone for the statue. However, the installation and the work began on 6 September 1990. Initially, the project stalled but then recommenced in 1997 and was completed on 1 January 2000, at the cost of more than US$1 million, it employed about 150 workers, sculptors, assistants and supervisors. The slight bend around the waist made the design challenging, Dr. V. Ganapati Sthapati solved the problem by creating a full-length wooden prototype before construction. Study of this led to the identification of an energy line. Sthapati designed the statue to survive earthquakes of unexpected magnitude, the stone work was divided amongst three workshops, in Kanyakumari, Ambasamudram and Sholinganallur. Ambasamudram contributed 5,000 tons of stones, while Sholinganallur was quarried for 2,000 tons of high quality stones for the outer portion of the statue. While the largest of the 3,681 stones weighed over 15 tons, an interesting detail is the 19-foot-high face, with the ears, nose, eyes, mouth, forehead all made of individual stones carved by hand. Stumps of palmyra tree and poles of casuarina were used for scaffolding and it took 18,000 casuarina poles tied together with two truckloads of ropes to reach the top of the statue. The statue stands 400 meters from the coastline of Kanyakumari on an island rock. Ferry service are available from the mainland, the ferry service to Vivekananda Rock Memorial stops for a while at the Thiruvalluvar Statue. List of statues by height The Tribune
Thiruvalluvar Statue
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The Thiruvalluvar Statue in Kanyakumari
Thiruvalluvar Statue
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Thiruvalluvar Statue and the adjacent
Vivekananda Rock Memorial at sunrise
Thiruvalluvar Statue
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Foot of Tiruvalluvar Statue
Thiruvalluvar Statue
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Gigantic view of Tiruvalluvar Statue
14.
Kanyakumari
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Kanyakumari pronunciation, also known as Kanniyakumari, formerly known as Cape Comorin, is a town in Kanyakumari District in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. The name comes from the Devi Kanya Kumari Temple in the region and it is the southernmost tip of peninsular India. Kanyakumari town is the tip of the Cardamom Hills, an extension of the Western Ghats range. The nearest town is Nagercoil, the headquarters of Kanyakumari District,22 km away. Kanyakumari has been a town since Sangam period and is a popular tourist destination, ptolemys geography describes commercial relations between western India and Alexandria, the chief eastern emporium of the Roman Empire. He identified Kanyakumari along with the Gulf of Mannar as a center for pearl fishery and he also identifies Korkai, a place to the east of Kanyakumari, as an emporium of pearl trade. Kanyakumari District consists of those known locally as Nanjil Nadu. The names of the villages of the such as Azhagiapaandipuram, Bhoothapandy. Nanjilnadu was under the rule of Pandiyas till the early 10th century, the Kalkulam and Vilavancode taluks were under the rule of the Chera Dynasty. Veera Kerala Varma, one such chieftain, styled himself as Nanjil Kuravan, the annexation commenced by Veera Kerala Varma was to a large extent continued by his successors and completed by AD1115. For about four centuries, the Venad was ruled by powerful kings who were making incursions into the Pandian territories. As a result, Vijayanagar kings proceeded against Venad, in 1609 Kanyakumari fell into the hands of Viswanatha Nayak of Madurai. Consequent on this, there was no threat to Nanjilnadu until 1634. During the regime of Ravi Varma and Marthanda Varma, Venad was disturbed by the internal strife, sanda Sahib of Arcot took advantage of this situation and attacked Nanjilnadu. After Marthanda Varma, Venad had weak rulers and as a result there was frequent interference by the British whose control was established over Venad. From 1947 to 1956, it was under the rule of Maharaja of Travancore. During the period between 1956–1961, the system has fallen in line with that of other districts in Tamil Nadu. Kanyakumari has been a centre for art and religion for centuries
Kanyakumari
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Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari
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Thiruvalluvar Statue at Night
Kanyakumari
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Gandhi Memorial Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari
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Thiruvalluvar Statue
15.
Architecture of Chennai
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Chennai architecture is a confluence of many architectural styles. From ancient Dravidian temples built by the Pallavas, to the Indo-Saracenic style of the era, to 20th-century steel. Chennai has a core in the port area, surrounded by progressively newer areas as one travels away from the port. As of 2014, Chennai city, within its corporation limits covering 426 sq km, has about 625,000 buildings, of these, nearly 19,000 are designated as commercial ones. The European architectural styles, such as Neo-Classical, Romanesque, Gothic, Chennai, being the first major British settlement in the Indian Subcontinent, witnessed several of the earliest constructions built in these styles. The initial structures were utilitarian warehouses and walled trading posts, giving way to fortified towns along the coastline and they followed various architectural styles, with Gothic, Imperial, Christian, English Renaissance and Victorian being the essentials. Churches and other public buildings displayed a more nuanced architecture, most of the buildings were adaptations of the buildings designed by leading British architects of that time like Wren, Adam, Nash and others in London and other places. For instance, the Pachaiyappas Hall in Chennai was modelled on the Athenium Temple of Theseus, unlike Europe, these buildings were built mostly of brick and stuccoed with lime, with facades sometimes incised to resemble stones. Some later buildings, however, were built with stones, several churches were built based on London prototypes, with variations as highly original works. The earliest example is the St. Marys Church in Fort St. George, new materials like concrete, glass, wrought and cast iron were being increasingly used in construction, which opened up new architectural possibilities. Native Indian styles were assimilated and adopted in the architecture, all these factors led to the development of Indo-Saracenic architecture towards the end of the 19th century. F. S. Growse, Sir Swinton Jacob, R. F. Chisholm and H. Irwin were the pioneers of this style of architecture, the Chepauk Palace, designed by Paul Benfield, is said to be the first Indo-Saracenic building in India. Other outstanding examples of style of architecture include the Law Courts, Victoria Memorial Hall, Presidency College. The Indo-Saracenic style of architecture dominated Chennais building style just as Gothic style dominated Mumbais building style, after the Indo-Saracenic, the Art Deco was the next great design movement to impact the citys skyline and it made way for the international and modern styles. However, many buildings are either being defaced by modern ornamentation or being completely demolished to make way for new constructions, an example is the Oceanic Hotel which was classic Art Deco and which has since been razed to the ground for an IT park. The language department of the University of Madras is another, in the city, one can notice the British influence in the form of old cathedrals and the mix of Hindu, Islamic and Gothic revival styles that resulted in the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture. Many of the colonial era buildings are designed in this style, the colonial legacy of Chennai is most apparent in the vicinity of the port. South of the port is Fort St George, the stretch between the fort and the port is occupied mostly by the High Court buildings and several clubs, some of which have existed since the British era
Architecture of Chennai
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The Ripon Building, Chennai, an example of the
Indo-Saracenic architectural style found in the city.
Architecture of Chennai
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The Government Museum,
Egmore, in the Indo-Saracenic style.
Architecture of Chennai
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Chennai Central Station
Architecture of Chennai
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Valluvar Kottam from the terrace of the exhibition hall.
16.
Heritage structures in Chennai
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Chennai, with historically rich records dating from the British era, houses 2,467 heritage buildings within its metropolitan area, the highest within any Metropolitan Area limit in India. Most of these buildings are around 200 years old and older, some of them are Chennai Central, Chennai Egmore, Ripon Building, Bharat Insurance Building, and so forth. Chennai is home to the second largest collection of buildings in the country. The official list of buildings was compiled by the Justice E. Padmanabhan committee. Heritage buildings are defined as notified structures of historical, architectural, the heritage activism in the city began with the erstwhile Moore Market building fire in 1985. In 1997, the government initiated action to conserve heritage buildings. After the second plan for the city was approved by the government on 2 September 2008. A 17-member Heritage Commission was set up on May 2012 to maintain these structures, after a accident in Kalas Mahal. As per the Commissions mandate, heritage buildings that are listed will get incentives, such as exemption from payment of taxes, in 2012, a list of heritage buildings was released by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority under the heritage conservation committees supervision. By February 2013, the CMDA is expected to clear the first list of 70 heritage buildings compiled by the HCC, of the structures/precincts that figure on the list,42 are government buildings and the remaining are private ones. Theosophical Society is one of the premises that are expected to get listed as a heritage structure. When a building is notified as a structure, the onus of repair. The structures will be categorised into three grades, namely, Grades I, II, and III, Grade I structures will be prime landmarks upon which no alterations will be permitted. Under Grade II, external changes on structures will be subject to scrutiny, buildings under Grade III may be changed for adaptive reuse with suitable internal and external changes
Heritage structures in Chennai
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1.
Heritage structures in Chennai
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2.
Heritage structures in Chennai
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3.
Heritage structures in Chennai
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4.
17.
History of Chennai
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Chennai, formerly known as Madras, is the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu and is Indias fourth largest city. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, with an estimated population of 8.9 million, the 400-year-old city is the 31st largest metropolitan area in the world. Chennai boasts of a history from the English East India Company, through the British Raj to its evolution in the late 20th century as a services. Additionally, the pre-city area of Chennai has a history within the records of South Indian Empires. Chennai, originally known as Madraspatnam was located in the province of Tondaimandalam, the capital of the province was Kancheepuram. Tondaimandalam was ruled in the 2nd century by Tondaiman Ilam Tiraiyan and it is believed that Ilam Tiraiyan must have subdued the Kurumbas, the original inhabitants of the region and established his rule over Tondaimandalam. The Chola occupation of Tondaimandalam was put to an end by the Andhra Satavahana incursions from the north under their King Pulumayi II and they appointed chieftains to look after the Kanchipuram region. Bappaswami, who is considered as the ruler to rule from Kanchipuram, was himself a chieftain at Kanchipuram under the Satavahana empire in the beginning of the 3rd century, the Pallavas who had so far been merely viceroys, then became independent rulers of Kanchipuram and its surrounding areas. The Pallavas held sway over this region from the beginning of the 3rd century to the years of the 9th century. The Pallavas were defeated by the Cholas under Aditya I by about 879, the Pandyas under Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan rose to power and the region was brought under the Pandya rule by putting an end to Chola supremacy in 1264. The present day city of Chennai started as an English settlement known as Fort St. George, the region was then a part of Vijayanagara Empire, then headquartered at Chandragiri in present-day Andhra Pradesh. The Vijayanagar rulers who controlled the area, appointed chieftains known as Nayaks who ruled over the different regions of the province almost independently, the region was under the control of the Damerla Venkatadri Nayakudu, a Padma Velama Nayak chieftain of Srikalahasti and Vandavasi. On this piece of land was founded Fort St. George, a fortified settlement of British merchants, factory workers. Upon this settlement the English expanded their colony to include a number of other European communities, new British settlements and it in honor of the later village upon which the British named the entire colony and the combined city Madras. Controversially, in an attempt to revise history and justify renaming the city as Chennai, however, it is widely recorded that while the official centre of the present settlement was designated Fort St. Thiruvotriyur is historically important port city, now forms part of north chennai. Modern Chennai had its origins as a city and its initial growth was closely tied to its importance as an artificial harbour. When the Portuguese arrived in 1522, they built a port and named it São Tomé, after the Christian apostle St. Thomas, the region then passed into the hands of the Dutch, who established themselves near Pulicat just north of the city in 1612. By 1612, the Dutch established themselves in Pulicat to the north, in the 17th century when the English East India Company decided to build a factory on the east coast and in 1626 selected as its site Armagon, a village some 35 miles north of Pulicat
History of Chennai
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The city of Madras in 1909
History of Chennai
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The
Kapaleeshwarar temple in
Mylapore was built by the
Pallava kings in the 7th century
History of Chennai
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San Thome Basilica, built by the
Portuguese
History of Chennai
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A plan of the Fort St. George and surrounding settlements
18.
Sangam period
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Sangam period is the period in the history of ancient Tamil Nadu spanning from c. 4th century BC to c. It is named after the famous Sangam academies of poets and scholars centered in the city of Madurai, according to Tamil legends, there were three Sangam periods, namely Head Sangam, Middle Sangam and Last Sangam period. Historians use the term Sangam period to refer the last of these, so it is also called Last Sangam period, or Third Sangam period. The Sangam literature is thought to have produced in three Sangam academies of each period. The evidence on the history of the Tamil kingdoms consists of the epigraphs of the region, the Sangam literature. Approximately during the period between 400 BC to AD200, Tamilakam was ruled by the three Tamil dynasties of Pandya, Chola and Chera, and a few independent chieftains, the Velir. There is a wealth of sources detailing the history, socio-political environment and cultural practices of ancient Tamilakam, including volumes of literature, tamilakams history is split into three periods, prehistoric, classical and medieval. A vast array of literary, epigraphical and inscribed sources from around the world provide insight into the socio-political and cultural occurrences in the Tamil nation. The religion of the ancient Tamils closely follow roots of nature worship, in the ancient Sangam literature, Sivan was the supreme God, and Murugan was the one celebrated by the masses, both of them were sung as deified Tamil poets ascending the Koodal academy. The Tamil landscape was classified into five categories, thinais, based on the mood, the season, other ancient works refer to Maayon and Vaali. The most popular deity was Murugan, who has from an early date been identified with Karthikeya. Kannagi, the heroine of the Silappatikaram, was worshiped as Pathini by many Tamils, there were also many temples and devotees of Thirumaal, Siva, Ganapathi, and the other common Hindu deities. The year was made up of twelve months and every two months constituted a season, with the popularity of Mazhai vizhavu, traditionally commencement of Tamil year was clubbed on April 14, deviating from the astronomical date of vadavazhi vizhavu. Pongal, பொங்கல் the festival of harvest and spring, thanking Lord Indiran and Lord El and this day comes on April 14/15. Mazhai Vizhavu, aka Indhira Vizha, the festival for want of rain, celebrated for one month starting from the full moon in Ootrai சித்திரை. It is epitomised in the epic Cilapatikaram in detail, soornavai Vizha, the slaying of legendary Kadamba Asura king Surabadma, by Lord, comes on the sixth day after new moon in Itrai. It is sung about in Thirumurugatrupadai and Purananuru anthology, vaadai Vizha or Vadavazhi Vizha, the festival of welcoming the Lord Surya back to home, as He turns northward, celebrated on December 21/22. It is sung about in Akanauru anthology, aathi Irai min means the star of the God on the Bull
Sangam period
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South India in Sangam Period
Sangam period
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Political map of South India, 210 B.C.E.
19.
Thomas the Apostle
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Thomas the Apostle was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ, according to the New Testament. He is informally called doubting Thomas because he doubted Jesus resurrection when first told, followed later by his confession of faith, My Lord and my God, on seeing Jesus wounded body. According to undocumented traditions, the Apostle reached Muziris, in AD52 and baptized several people, after his death, the reputed relics of Saint Thomas the Apostle were enshrined as far as Mesopotamia in the 3rd century, and later moved to various places. In 1258, some of the relics were brought to Abruzzo in Ortona, Italy and he is often regarded as the Patron Saint of India, and the name Thoma remains quite popular among Saint Thomas Christians of India. Today scholars say the legends are no more possible for there is no written claim before centuries later. Thomas first speaks in the Gospel of John, in John 11,16, when Lazarus had recently died, the apostles do not wish to go back to Judea, where some Jews had attempted to stone Jesus. Thomas says, Let us also go, that we may die with him and he speaks again in John 14,5. There, Jesus had just explained that he was going away to prepare a heavenly home for his followers, Thomas reacted by saying, Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way. But when Jesus appeared later and invited Thomas to touch his wounds and behold him, Thomas showed his belief by saying, My Lord and my God. Jesus then said, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed, blessed they that have not seen, and have believed. The name Thomas given for the apostle in the New Testament is derived from the Aramaic or Syriac, ܬܐܘܡܐ Toma, equivalently from Hebrew Teom, the equivalent term for twin in Greek, which is also used in the New Testament, is Δίδυμος Didymus. The Nag Hammadi copy of the Gospel of Thomas begins, These are the sayings that the living Jesus spoke. Early Syrian traditions also relate the apostles full name as Judas Thomas, some have seen in the Acts of Thomas an identification of Saint Thomas with the apostle Judas, brother of James, better known in English as Jude. However, the first sentence of the Acts follows the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles in distinguishing the apostle Thomas, when the feast of Saint Thomas was inserted in the Roman calendar in the 9th century, it was assigned to 21 December. 3 July was the day on which his relics were translated from Mylapore, traditionalist Roman Catholics and many Anglicans, still celebrate his feast day on 21 December. However, most modern liturgical calendars prefer 3 July, the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic churches celebrate his feast day on 6 October. Thomas is commemorated in common with all of the apostles on 30 June. He is also associated with the Arabian icon of the Theotokos, the Malankara Orthodox church celebrates his feast on three days,3 July,18 December, and 21 December
Thomas the Apostle
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Eastern icon of Thomas
Thomas the Apostle
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St. Thomas receiving the Virgin Mary's girdle from heaven.
Thomas the Apostle
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The tomb of St. Thomas the Apostle in
Mylapore,
India.
20.
Pallava Dynasty
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The Pallava dynasty was a South Indian dynasty that existed from 275 CE to 897 CE, ruling a portion of what is today southern India. They gained prominence after the eclipse of the Satavahana dynasty, whom the Pallavas served as feudatories, Pallavas are most noted for their patronage of architecture, the finest example being the Shore Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mahabalipuram. The Pallavas, who left behind magnificent sculptures and temples, established the foundations of medieval South Indian architecture and they developed the Pallava script from which Grantha ultimately descended. The Pallava script gave rise to other southeast Asian scripts. Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang visited Kanchipuram during Pallava rule and extolled their benign rule, the Pallavas themselves claimed to descend from Brahma and Ashvatthama. Though Manimekalai posits Ilam Tiriyan as a Chola, not a Pallava, thence, came into existence the race of Pallavas. Vīrakūrcha, of celebrated name, who simultaneously with the daughter of the chief of serpents grasped also the insignia of royalty. The Proceedings of the First Annual Conference of South Indian History Congress also notes, The word Tondai means a creeper, historian K. R. Subramanian says the Pallavas were originally a Telugu power rather than a Tamil one. Telugu sources know of a Trilochana Pallava as the earliest Telugu king, the first Chalukya king is said to have been met, repulsed and killed by the same Trilochana near Mudivemu. A Buddhist story describes Kala the Nagaraja, resembling the Pallava Kalabhartar as a king of the region near Krishna district, the Pallava Bogga may be identified with the kingdom of Kala in Andhra which had close and early maritime and cultural relations with Ceylon. K. A. K. P. Jayaswal also proposed a North Indian origin, the Pallavas captured Kanchi from the Cholas as recorded in the Velurpalaiyam Plates, around the reign of the fifth king of the Pallava line Kumaravishnu I. Thereafter Kanchi figures in inscriptions as the capital of the Pallavas, the Cholas drove the Pallavas away from Kanchi in the mid-4th century, in the reign of Vishugopa, the tenth king of the Pallava line. The Pallavas re-captured Kanchi in the century, possibly in the reign of Simhavishnu, the fourteenth king of the Pallava line. Thereafter the Pallavas held on to Kanchi until the 9th century, until the reign of their last king, the Pallavas were in conflict with major kingdoms at various periods of time. A contest for political supremacy existed between the early Pallavas and the Kadambas, numerous Kadamba inscriptions provide details of Pallava-Kadamba hostlities. During the reign of Vishnugopavarman II, political convulsion engulfed the Pallavas due to the Kalabhra invasion of the Tamil country, towards the close of the 6th century, the Pallava Simhavishnu stuck a blow against the Kalabhras. Thereafter the Tamil country was divided between the Pallavas in the north with Kanchipuram as their capital, and Pandyas in the south with Madurai as their capital, the royal custom of using a series of descriptive honorific titles, Birudas, was particularly prevalent among the Pallavas. The birudas of Mahendravarman I are in Sanskrit, Tamil and Telugu, the Telugu birudas show Mahendravarmans involvement with the Andhra region continued to be strong at the time he was creating his cave-temples in the Tamil region
Pallava Dynasty
–
Kailasanathar Temple,
Kanchipuram,
Tamil Nadu,
India
Pallava Dynasty
–
Pallava territories during Narasimhavarman I c. 645. This includes the Chalukya territories occupied by the Pallavas.
Pallava Dynasty
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Inner court or the circumambulatory passage with 58 subshrines.Kailasanathar Temple,
Kanchipuram,
Tamil Nadu,
India.
Pallava Dynasty
–
Typical design of pillar with multi-directional mythical lions.Kailasanathar Temple,
Kanchipuram,
Tamil Nadu,
India.
21.
Chola Dynasty
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The Chola dynasty was one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of southern India. The earliest datable references to this Tamil dynasty are in inscriptions from the 3rd century BCE left by Ashoka, as one of the Three Crowned Kings of Tamilakam, the dynasty continued to govern over varying territory until the 13th century CE. The whole country south of the Tungabhadra was united and held as one state for a period of two centuries and more, the Chola fleet represented the zenith of ancient Indian sea power. During the period 1010–1200, the Chola territories stretched from the islands of the Maldives in the south to as far north as the banks of the Godavari River in Andhra Pradesh. Rajaraja Chola conquered peninsular South India, annexed parts of which is now Sri Lanka, Rajendra Chola sent a victorious expedition to North India that touched the river Ganges and defeated the Pala ruler of Pataliputra, Mahipala. He also successfully invaded cities of Srivijaya of Malaysia and Indonesia, the Chola dynasty went into decline at the beginning of the 13th century with the rise of the Pandyan Dynasty, which ultimately caused their downfall. The Cholas left a lasting legacy and their patronage of Tamil literature and their zeal in the building of temples has resulted in some great works of Tamil literature and architecture. The Chola kings were avid builders and envisioned the temples in their kingdoms not only as places of worship and they pioneered a centralised form of government and established a disciplined bureaucracy. The Chola school of art spread to Southeast Asia and influenced the architecture, the Cholas are also known as the Choda. There is very little available in regarding their origin. Its antiquity is evident from the mentions in ancient Tamil literature, Later medieval Cholas also claimed a long and ancient lineage. Mentions in the early Sangam literature indicate that the earliest kings of the dynasty antedated 100 CE, Cholas were mentioned in Ashokan Edicts of 3rd Century BCE as one of the neighboring countries existing in the South. A commonly held view is that Chola is, like Chera and Pandya, the annotator Parimelazhagar said, The charity of people with ancient lineage are forever generous in spite of their reduced means. Other names in use for the Cholas are Killi, Valavan and Sembiyan. Killi perhaps comes from the Tamil kil meaning dig or cleave and this word often forms an integral part of early Chola names like Nedunkilli, Nalankilli and so on, but almost drops out of use in later times. Valavan is most probably connected with valam – fertility and means owner or ruler of a fertile country, in Tamil lexicon Chola means Soazhi or Saei denoting a newly formed kingdom, in the lines of Pandya or the old country. There is very little evidence available of the Cholas prior to the 7th century. Historic records exist thereafter, including inscriptions on temples, the main source for the available information of the early Cholas is the early Tamil literature of the Sangam Period
Chola Dynasty
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Map showing the extent of the Chola empire
Chola Dynasty
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South India in BC 300, showing the Chera, Pandya and Chola Kingdoms
Chola Dynasty
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Gopuram Corner View of Thanjavur Brihadeeswara Temple.
22.
Vijayanagar Empire
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The Vijayanagara Empire was based in the Deccan Plateau region in South India. It was established in 1336 by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya I of Sangama Dynasty, the empire rose to prominence as a culmination of attempts by the southern powers to ward off Islamic invasions by the end of the 13th century. It lasted until 1646, although its power declined after a military defeat in 1565 by the Deccan sultanates. The empire is named after its city of Vijayanagara, whose ruins surround present day Hampi, now a World Heritage Site in Karnataka. The writings of medieval European travelers such as Domingo Paes, Fernão Nunes, and Niccolò Da Conti, Archaeological excavations at Vijayanagara have revealed the empires power and wealth. The empires legacy includes many monuments spread over South India, the best known of which is the group at Hampi, the previous temple building traditions in South India came together in the Vijayanagara Architecture style. The mingling of all faiths and vernaculars inspired architectural innovation of Hindu temple construction, first in the Deccan, efficient administration and vigorous overseas trade brought new technologies such as water management systems for irrigation. The empires patronage enabled fine arts and literature to new heights in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil. The Vijayanagara Empire created an epoch in South Indian history that transcended regionalism by promoting Hinduism as a unifying factor, differing theories have been proposed regarding the origins of the Vijayanagara empire. Others claim that they were Telugu people, first associated with the Kakatiya Kingdom, irrespective of their origin, historians agree the founders were supported and inspired by Vidyaranya, a saint at the Sringeri monastery to fight the Muslim invasion of South India. He created the Kampili kingdom, but this was a short lived kingdom during this period of wars, Kampili existed near Gulbarga and Tungabhadra river in northeastern parts of the present-day Karnataka state. It ended after a defeat by the armies of Delhi Sultanate, the triumphant army led by Malik Zada sent the news of its victory, over Kampili kingdom, to Muhammad bin Tughluq in Delhi by sending a straw-stuffed severed head of the dead Hindu king. Within Kampili, on the day of certain defeat, the populace committed a jauhar in 1327/28 CE, eight years later, from the ruins of the Kampili kingdom emerged the Vijayanagara Kingdom in 1336 CE. In the first two decades after the founding of the empire, Harihara I gained control over most of the south of the Tungabhadra river. The original capital was in the principality of Anegondi on the banks of the Tungabhadra River in todays Karnataka. The next ruler, Deva Raya I, emerged successful against the Gajapatis of Odisha, italian traveler Niccolo de Conti wrote of him as the most powerful ruler of India. Deva Raya II succeeded to the throne in 1424 and was possibly the most capable of the Sangama dynasty rulers and he quelled rebelling feudal lords as well as the Zamorin of Calicut and Quilon in the south. He invaded the island of Lanka and became overlord of the kings of Burma at Pegu, the Sultanate invaded Vijayanagara in 1417 when the latter defaulted in paying the tribute
Vijayanagar Empire
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Map of South India in 15th century
Vijayanagar Empire
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Extent of Vijayanagara Empire, 1446, 1520 CE
Vijayanagar Empire
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Virupaksha Temple,
Hampi
Vijayanagar Empire
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Natural fortress at
Vijayanagara
23.
Chandragiri
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Chandragiri is a village in Chittoor district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the headquarters of Chandragiri mandal in Tirupati revenue division. It also falls in the limit of Tirupati Urban Development Authority. Chandragiri is now famous for the fort, built in the 11th century. The fort encircles eight ruined temples of saivite and vaishnavite pantheons, Raja Mahal, Rani Mahal, the Raja Mahal Palace is now an archaeological museum. The fort and palace are in the care of the Archaeological Survey of India, the palace is open to the public, but the fort is closed. The palace is an example of Indo-Sarcen architecture of Vijayanagar period. The palace was constructed using stone, brick, lime mortar, the crowning towers represents the Hindu architectural elements. Chandragiri was under the rule of Vijayanagar from 1367 and it came into prominence during Saluva Narasimha Rayalu. Chandragiri was the 4th capital of Vijayanagar Empire, rayas shifted their capital to here when Golconda sultans attacked Penukonda. In 1646, the fort was annexed to the Golkonda territory and it went into oblivion from 1792 onward
Chandragiri
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Raja Mahal, Chandragiri
Chandragiri
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Upper Fort
Chandragiri
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Scenic view near Chandragiri
24.
Bantam Presidency
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Bantam Presidency was a presidency established by the British East India Company and based at the Company factory at Bantam in Java. Founded in 1617, the Presidency exercised its authority over all the Company factories in India, including the agencies of Madras, Masulipatnam and Surat. The factors at Bantam were instrumental in founding the colony of Madraspatnam in 1639 with the Fort St. George, Bantam remained an agency under the suzerainty of Madras and then Surat till the 1680s, when trade was moved to Bencoolen in Sumatra. In December 1602, a fleet of East India Company ships commanded by James Lancaster reached Bantam and negotiated with the Sultan of Bantam over pepper trade, a factory was eventually opened with eight factors headed by William Starkey as Governor and Thomas Morgan as his deputy. Bantam was one of the oldest possessions of the East India Company, but seven of the eight factors perished with Morgan in April 1603 and Starkey, himself, in June 1603. Starkey was succeeded as Governor by Edmund Scott, when a second voyage commanded by Sir Henry Middleton reached Bantam, Scott had succeeded as Governor being the only member of the original expedition who was still alive. The early days of the colony were marred by death due to disease, Scott was succeeded by John Saris who became the second Englishman after William Adams to set foot on Japan. Upon successful negotiations with the Mughal Emperor Jahangir, the East India Company was permitted to trade in India umolested and opened factories at Masulipatnam. Two years later, in 1619, the English signed a Treaty of Defence with the Dutch by which they agreed not to each other. However, shortly after the conclusion of peace, hostilities again resumed and this was followed by a wholesale attack on all English settlements in South-East Asia. By 1624, the English were forced to vacate the East Indies, Malay peninsula, the Bantam factory was revived in 1629 but made subordinate to Surat. Bantam functioned as a subordinate to Surat till 1634-35 when the Presidency was restored. In 1628, the English factors at Masulipatnam were forced to move to the factory of Armagaon which they had established in 1625-26 due to increased hostility of the Sultan of Golconda. The agency of Masulipatnam was restored in 1632, but the factory of Armagaon fell into decline due to bad climate, the following year, the Armagaon factory was moved to Madraspatnam and an agency was set up with Andrew Cogan as Agent. The Fort St. George was constructed in 1644, with Anglo-Dutch relations worsening, the Bantam factory was finally vacated and the seat of the Presidency was moved to Madras in 1653. Though the factory at Bantam was partially revived, it had fallen into perpetual decline, the Bantam factory was captured by the Dutch again in 1682 and recaptured by the English three years later. But the trade in spices had moved to Bencoolen in Sumatra, the Dutch, once again, took possession of Bantam but allowed the English to remain as traders. The factory was handed over to the Dutch permanently in 1824
Bantam Presidency
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Flag
25.
1721 Madras cyclone
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The years before 1980 featured the pre-1980 North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons. Each season was an event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. The North Indian tropical cyclone season has no bounds, but they tend to form between April and December, peaks in May and November and these dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northern Indian Ocean. Below are the most significant cyclones in the time period, because much of the North Indian coastline is near sea level and prone to flooding, these cyclones can easily kill many with storm surge and flooding. These cyclones are among the deadliest on earth in terms of numbers killed and it was a cyclone which struck the city of Madras in the Madras Presidency on 13 and 14 November 1721. The cyclone was one of the most severe in the history of the city and destroyed bridges, the damages were high and three ships of the British East India Company were lost. The Island Bridge connecting Fort St George with The Island was badly damaged as a result of the cyclone, on 7 October 1737, a natural disaster struck the city of Calcutta in India. For a long time this was believed in Europe to have been the result of an earthquake, other reports from merchant ships indicated an earthquake and tidal surge were to blame, destroying 20,000 ships in the harbor and killing 300,000 people. It should be noted that the population of Calcutta at the time was around 3, 000–20,000. Although there seems to be evidence for the popular figure of 300,000 deaths or for the existence of an earthquake at all. At the same time, the figure of 3000 is only an estimation of the number of deaths inside the city itself. This apparent incongruity in the data suggests a possible mix-up with the numbers for the 1839 Coringa cyclone mentioned in this article, strong storm surge from a cyclone that hit Coringa, India destroyed the port and killed 20,000. A ship reported a pressure of 891 mbar at Khijri, India, on 25 November 1839, an enormous cyclone caused a 40-foot storm surge that hit Coringa, Andhra Pradesh, wiped out the harbor city, destroyed vessels in its bay, and killed 300,000 people. Survivors never entirely rebuilt the city and this intense cyclone moved into Bengal state. A total of 75,000 people and 6000 cattle perished during the storm, on October 5, a powerful cyclone hit near Calcutta, India, killing around 60,000 people. The anemometer in the city was blown away during the cyclone, over 100 brick homes and tens of thousands of tiled and straw huts were leveled. Most ships in the harbor were damaged or destroyed. The cyclone of 1864 destroyed the ports at Khejuri and Hijli, the anemometer in the city was blown away during the cyclone
1721 Madras cyclone
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The 1864 Calcutta Cyclone
1721 Madras cyclone
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This deadly tropical cyclone's picture was taken by the TIROS X weather satellite over the Bay of Bengal on December 14, 1965
1721 Madras cyclone
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This ESSA 3 satellite image was taken on November 3, 1966 at 0819 UTC of a tropical cyclone striking Madras, India
1721 Madras cyclone
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Photograph of the Earth from
Apollo 17 on December 7. The 1972 Tamil Nadu cyclone can be seen in the top right portion of the planet.
26.
Carnatic Wars
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The Carnatic Wars were a series of military conflicts in the middle of the 18th century in India. They were mainly fought on the territories in India which were dominated by the Nizam of Hyderabad up to the Godavari delta, as a result of these military contests, the British East India Company established its dominance among the European trading companies within India. The French company was pushed to a corner and was confined primarily to Pondichéry, the East India companys dominance eventually led to control by the British Company over most of India and eventually to the establishment of the British Raj. In the 18th century, the coastal Carnatic region was a dependency of Hyderabad, three Carnatic Wars were fought between 1746 and 1763. The Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb died in 1707 and he was succeeded by Bahadur Shah I, but there was a general decline in central control over the empire during the tenure of Jahandar Shah and later emperors. Nizam-ul-Mulk established Hyderabad as an independent kingdom, a power struggle ensued after his death between his son, Nasir Jung, and his grandson, Muzaffar Jung, which was the opportunity France and England needed to interfere in Indian politics. France aided Muzaffar Jung while England aided Nasir Jung, several erstwhile Mughal territories were autonomous such as the Carnatic, ruled by Nawab Dost Ali Khan, despite being under the legal purview of the Nizam of Hyderabad. French and English interference included those of the affairs of the Nawab, Dost Alis death sparked a power struggle between his son-in-law Chanda Sahib, supported by the French, and Muhammad Ali, supported by the English. One major instigator of the Carnatic Wars was the Frenchman Joseph François Dupleix, Dupleix sought to expand French influence in India, which was limited to a few trading outposts, the chief one being Pondicherry on the Coromandel Coast. Immediately upon his arrival in India, he organized Indian recruits under French officers for the first time, however, he was met by the equally challenging and determined young officer from the British Army, Robert Clive. The Austrian War of Succession in 1740 and later the war in 1756 automatically led to a conflict in India. in 1740 the War of the Austrian Succession broke out in Europe. Great Britain was only drawn into the war in 1744, when it entered the war opposed to France, the trading companies of both countries maintained cordial relations among themselves in India while their parent countries were bitter enemies on the European continent. Dodwell writes, Such were the relations between the English and the French that the French sent their goods and merchandise from Pondicherry to Madras for safe custody. Although French company officials were ordered to avoid conflict, British officials were not, after the British initially captured a few French merchant ships, the French called for backup from as far afield as Isle de France, beginning an escalation in naval forces in the area. In July 1746 French commander La Bourdonnais and British Admiral Edward Peyton fought an action off Negapatam. On 21 September 1746, the French captured the British outpost at Madras, La Bourdonnais had promised to return Madras to the English, but Dupleix withdrew that promise, and one to give Madras to Anwar-ud-din after the capture. The Nawab then sent a 10, 000-man army to take Madras from the French, the French then made several attempts to capture the British Fort St. David at Cuddalore, but the timely arrivals of reinforcements halted these, and eventually turned the tables on the French. British Admiral Edward Boscawen besieged Pondicherry in the months of 1748
Carnatic Wars
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Lord Clive meeting with Mir Jafar after the
Battle of Plassey, oil on canvas (Francis Hayman, c. 1762)
Carnatic Wars
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Dupleix meeting the
Subedar of the
Deccan,
Muzaffar Jung.
Carnatic Wars
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Death of the
Nawab Anwaruddin Muhammed Khan in a battle (battle of Ambur) against the French in 1749 (by Paul Philipoteaux).
Carnatic Wars
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Lally at Pondicherry
27.
Battle of Madras
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The Battle of Madras or Fall of Madras took place in September 1746 during the War of the Austrian Succession when a French force attacked and captured the city of Madras from its British garrison. French forces occupied Madras until the end of hostilities when it was exchanged for the British conquest of Louisbourg in North America as part of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. One of the British defenders, Robert Clive made his name by escaping from the French captors, since the 1720s the colonial rivalry between Britain and France in India had been growing in intensity. During 1745 this force attacked a number of French ships, disrupting commerce, in response the French despatched a similarly-sized fleet under the Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais. After fighting a battle the two fleets withdrew to repair, with the British retreating to Ceylon and the French using their base at Pondicherry. The French Governor of Pondicherry Dupleix authorised an attack on Madras, to gain local Indian approval for this he promised the Nawab of the Carnatic that he would hand over Madras to him once he had captured it from the British. On 7 September 1746 the inhabitants of Madras woke to find a French fleet sitting offshore -, the following morning the French resumed their bombardment from both land and shore, this time with much more accuracy. The fortifications of Madras had been constructed and were largely unable to resist such an attack. As the number of British casualties grew, the morale of the discipline of the troops collapsed, after a direct strike on the liquor stores, a number of soldiers abandoned their posts and drank themselves into a stupor. Civilians from the town took their places manning the defences -, on 9 September the Governor of Madras, Nicholas Morse sued for peace. The terms offered to him by La Bourdonnais were surprisingly generous - the French were to take over the fort and warehouses, the British troops who had surrendered would be petitioned. This caused a dispute with his superior Joseph François Dupleix who favoured total French annexation of Madras, La Bourdonnais insisted on honouring the peace terms - and for a month the peace agreement he had signed held. Dupleix revoked the previously lenient terms and locked up a number of the garrison and he then set about looting and preparing to destroy Fort St George. A handful of prisoners led by Robert Clive, a young clerk, dressed up as natives. Once outside they were challenged by real Indians, who spoke to them in languages they didnt understand, Clive and his companions hurried on before they could be exposed. After a three-day journey, made mostly by night, they reached Fort St David fifty miles away carrying news of the disastrous French attack on Madras, the story of Clives escape was the first to bring him wider attention. The French occupied the town for the duration of the war, despite Bourdonnais promise to hand the territory over to the Nawab of the Carnatic, Dupleix refused to do so. A force of 10,000 sent by the Nawab to enforce the agreement was routed by a small French force led by Captain Louis Paradis, the French subsequently tried to take Fort St David but found the resistance much tougher, and were ultimately forced to withdraw
Battle of Madras
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Surrender of The City of Madras 1746, by Jacques François Joseph Swebach
Battle of Madras
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The siege of
Madras in 1746 for Joseph Francois Dupleix troops and ships of La Bourdonnais. The city surrendered in September 1746. Madras was returned to England in 1748 to restore peace.
28.
Anglo-Mysore Wars
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Hyder Ali and his successor Tipu Sultan fought a war on four fronts with the British attacking from the west, south and east, while the Marathas and the Nizams forces attacked from the north. The fourth war resulted in the overthrow of the house of Hyder Ali and Tipu, and the dismantlement of Mysore to the benefit of the East India Company, the First Anglo-Mysore War saw Hyder Ali gain some measure of success against the British, almost capturing Madras. The British convinced the Nizam of Hyderabad to attack Hyder, but the Nizam changed sides and that was temporary however, and the Nizam signed a new treaty with the British in Feb.1768. Hyder did contend with a British Bombay army attacking on the west, however, Hyders attack towards Madras resulted in the Madras government suing for peace, and the resultant Treaty of Madras. The Second Anglo-Mysore War witnessed bloodier battles with fortunes fluctuating between the contesting powers, Tipu defeated Baillie at the Battle of Pollilur in Sept.1780, and Braithwaite at Kumbakonam in Feb.1782, both of whom were taken prisoner to Seringapatam. This war saw the rise of Sir Eyre Coote, the British commander who defeated Hyder Ali at the Battle of Porto Novo, Tipu continued the war following his fathers death. Finally, the war ended with the last British-Indian treaty with an Indian ruler on equal footing, the 1784 Treaty of Mangalore, the Treaty of Gajendragad in April 1787 ended the conflict with the Marathas. In the Third Anglo-Mysore War, Tipu Sultan, the ruler of Mysore and an ally of France, invaded the state of Travancore in 1789. The resultant war lasted three years and was a defeat for Mysore. The Fourth Anglo-Mysore War saw the death of Tipu Sultan and further reductions in Mysorean territory, mysores alliance with the French was seen as a threat to the East India Company and Mysore was attacked from all four sides. Tipus troops were outnumbered 4,1 in this war, Mysore had 35,000 soldiers, whereas the British commanded 60,000 troops. The Nizam of Hyderabad and the Marathas launched an invasion from the north, the British won a decisive victory at the Siege of Seringapatam. Tipu was killed during the defence of the city, much of the remaining Mysorean territory was annexed by the British, the Nizam and the Marathas. The Wodeyars ruled the remnant state of Mysore until 1947, when it joined the Union of India and this enabled higher thrust and a longer range for the missile. Tipu Sultans Search for Legitimacy, Islam and Kingship in a Hindu Domain Cooper, culture, Combat, and Colonialism in Eighteenth-and Nineteenth-Century India. International History Review 27#3 pp, 534-549, Jaim, HM Iftekhar, and Jasmine Jaim. The Decisive Nature of the Indian War Rocket in the Anglo-Mysore Wars of the Eighteenth Century, arms & Armour 8#2 pp, 131-138. War, culture and society in early modern South Asia, 1740-1849 * Regan S. Gidwani, The Sword of Tipu Sultan, a novel linked to TV series Mysore invasion of Kerala
Anglo-Mysore Wars
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Hyder Ali in 1762, incorrectly described as "Commander in Chief of the Marathas. At the head of his army in the war against the British in India". (French painting)
Anglo-Mysore Wars
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1793 map
Anglo-Mysore Wars
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1800 map
29.
Bombardment of Madras by SMS Emden
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The Bombardment of Madras was an engagement of the First World War, at Madras, British India. The bombardment was initiated by the German light cruiser Emden at the outset of the war in 1914, with Captain Karl von Müller in command, on the night of 22 September 1914, SMS Emden quietly approached the city of Madras on the southeastern coast of the Indian peninsula. As he later wrote, I had this shelling in view simply as a demonstration to arouse interest among the Indian population, to disturb English commerce, to diminish English prestige. After entering the Madras harbour area, Müller illuminated six large oil tanks belonging to the Burmah Oil Company with his searchlights, after ten minutes of firing, Emden had hit five of the tanks and destroyed 346,000 gallons of fuel, and the cruiser then successfully retreated. The Last Corsair, The Story of The Emden by Dan Van Der Vat,1984, ISBN 0-586-06265-3 The Last Gentleman of War. The Raider Exploits of the Cruiser Emden by R. K. Lochner, new York Times, Captain of Emden Killed. A PDF of an NYT article dated April 13,1921 Junk-Emden, cruisers EMDEN, Frigates EMDEN -5 warships named EMDEN until today World War I Naval Combat Karl Friedrich Max von Müller, Captain of the Emden During World War I Frame, Tom. No Pleasure Cruise, The Story of the Royal Australian Navy, sydney, Allen & Unwin ISBN 978-1-74114-233-4 Hoehling, A. A. LONELY COMMAND A DOCUMENTARY Thomas Yoseloff, Inc.1957, the Last Cruise of the Emden, The Amazing True World War I Story of a German-Light Cruiser and Her Courageous Crew. Hohenzollern, Franz Joseph, Prince of EMDEN, MY EXPERIENCES IN S. M. S, new York, G. Howard Watt,1928. Last Gentleman-Of-War, Raider Exploits of the Cruiser Emden Annapolis, Naval Institute Press,1988, the Emden-Ayesha Adventure, German Raiders in the South Seas and Beyond,1914. Schmalenbach, Paul German raiders, A history of auxiliary cruisers of the German Navy, gentlemen of War, The Amazing Story of Captain Karl von Müller and the SMS Emden. New York, William Morrow and Company, Inc.1984, ISBN 0-688-03115-3 Walter, John The Kaisers Pirates, German Surface Raiders in World War One
Bombardment of Madras by SMS Emden
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Oil tanks on fire in the harbour following the bombardment of Madras by SMS Emden
Bombardment of Madras by SMS Emden
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The city of Madras in 1909.
