My second day in Chennai and after seeing some of the Churches and sights yesterday, I've got a serious agenda of seeing the rest of the sights in the city by foot. I've always felt that one gets a true sense of a City when one walks through the streets.
So my first destination was the Chennai Eggmore Station. I had heard that the Station Building was a sight to see and sure enough after a half hour or so walk when I arrived at the point where I got my first glimpse, I understood exactly why.
After seeing the platform and inquiring whether they still had the Narrow Gauge Railway line at this station, I decided it was time to walk onto the next destination.
Like I said, if you walk around you get to see so much more, and while my next destination was the Chennai Municipal Corporation Building, I came across the Entrance of the Government College of Fine Arts. This is just one wall, the other was quite damaged. I wish they maintained these better.
I finally came to center of heritage Buildings and the first one to come into sight was the Ripon Building which houses the Chennai Municipal Corporation. I actually climbed up a Railway Foot-Over-bridge upon the Railway tracks running parallel to this road. In the background you can also see the Victoria Public Hall which is now the Town Hall. and behind that the blue building which is the modern part of the Chennai Central Railway Station. Of course like most of the big cities in India, the Chennai Metro Railway construction work in full swing on this main road.
A marvel of a building the Victoria Public Hall.
Opposite the Victoria Public Hall, on this side of the road is a Building that most people will not notice, but is probably older; Siddique Sarai which used to be a rest house for travellers in olden days. Now visibly obscured by the piles of construction debris and equipment.
I have no idea what this Building is, but it seems to be another Heritage Building opposite the Chennai Central Railway Station. It is actually hidden from view due to all the Metro Railway construction, unless you take the Temporary Foot-Over-bridge over the road towards the Station.
Chennai Central Railway Station, very much along the lines of British Architecture while they built the Railways in India.
As I walked away from the majestic Chennai Central Railway Station, I couldn't help but look back for one last look at this spectacular piece of Architecture.
As I came out of the Chennai Central, before me was this gigantic building. Walking a bit further I could read the name and it read Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital. I was quite impressed, not only by it's size, but the fact that a Government Building was so well maintained.
Walking along, on my left I came upon another spectacular heritage building, the Southern Railway Head Quarters.
Steam Engine at the first entrance of Southern Railway HQ
Southern Railway HQ from the front.
Steam Locomotive at the other entrance.
It was a bit of a walk but I finally got to Fort St. George, or so I thought. I had to take the Foot Over-bridge and cross the Chennai Fort Station. As I did a Local Train pulled in.
I had to walk another few kms on the outside of the Fort as the entrance (for tourists) was actually on the opposite side from the Station. The Fort is actually an Army cantonment. at this juncture I came upon the Entrance to the Chennai Port.
Fort St. George. This also houses the Chennai Assembly.
I finally made it to the Fort St. George Museum and for all my trouble, I didn't have to pay an entrance fee. OK, it's not for my troubles, just that today was World Heritage Day and the Museum did away with the entrance fee for the day.
A pair of Canons at the entrance of the Museum. There were lots more of these and others in and around the Museum.
Walking further into Fort St. George; the church I had wanted to see. St. Mary's Church. It is the oldest Church in Chennai dating back to 1680 A.D.
A walk inside the over 300 years old St. Mary's Church was quite a calming experience.
Having walked 15 or more kilometres, I decided to get an UBER to head back home and as we passed the Madras University Building, I got a quick glimpse of another piece of Chennai's Colonial Heritage.
On my last day as I was heading back to Kolkata and was on the way to the Airport, I still had a yearning for more of the sights of Chennai and here's a quick click of a temple I saw on the way.
Being a Railway buff (train-spotter) I couldn't help but notice this Locomotive which is used for Overhead traction checking as I alighted from the car at the Airport Departure Terminal. The Engine is being used to test the Electrification of the Chennai Metro.
As I board my Indigo Flight back to Kolkata, the adventures of walking the streets of Chennai are sinking in and I'm planning my next trip to cover all the other amazing Pieces of Architectural Heritage this city has which I couldn't cover in this two day jaunt.
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