Armenian Street, Chennai
Aranmanaikaaran Street | |
Parry's Corner, George Town, Chennai | |
North end | Mannady Street, Chennai |
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Armenian Street, locally known as Aranmanaikaran Street, is one of the historical streets of the commercial centre of George Town in Chennai, India. The road runs north–south and connects Mannady Street in the north with the China Bazaar Road (NSC Bose Road) in the south. The street is dotted with several century-old historical structures.
The street is named for the Armenians, who were some of the early settlers in the city of Madras. Several moved to the long street of the commercial neighbourhood of George Town in the 1750s, eventually making the street bear their name. The locals, however, corrupted the name to Aranmanaikaran Street, which means the 'street of the palace people'.[1]
History
The earliest existence of
Historical buildings along the street
The long and narrow street houses several historically important buildings, including several places of worship. The Armenian Church is perhaps the most visible Armenian monument in the city. It was first built in 1712 and later rebuilt after the French siege in 1772. The first church was built of timber in the present High Court area after obtaining permission from the East India Company. The East India Company gave the Armenians 50 pounds towards managing the expenses of the church, which encouraged more traders to settle in and around the church. In Vestiges of Old Madras, H. D. Love points out that the earliest Armenian church, situated in Old Black Town, as shown in Thomas Pitt's map, was probably built shortly after the Company entered into a covenant with the Armenian residents in India. The new church, however, was consecrated in Aga Shawmier's chapel grounds in George Town. It is the church that gave the street its name.[3] The church has the biggest bells in the city, each weighing 200 kg and the oldest two dating back to 1754 and 1778, and its altar belongs to an earlier Armenian church that was near the Madras High Court.[1] Two other bells were gifted by Eliazar Shawmier and the remaining two are from 1837. The church complex also served as a cemetery for the Armenian population in the city. Reverend Haroutiun Shmavonian, the founder, publisher and editor of the world's first Armenian periodical 'Azdarar', is buried here. Today, the Armenian church complex is managed by an Armenian trust based in Kolkata.
The
The most visible Armenian monument in Chennai is the much-written about Armenian church, which was first built in 1712 and later rebuilt after the French siege in 1772. The first church was built of timber in the present High Court area with permission from the East India Company. The Armenians were given 50 pounds to manage the expenses of the church. This encouraged more traders to settle in and around the area. Vestiges of Old Madras by H.D. Love points out that the earliest Armenian church, situated in Old Black Town, as shown in Thomas Pitt's map, was probably built shortly after the Company entered into a covenant with the Armenian residents in India. The new church, however, was consecrated in Aga Shawmier's chapel grounds in George Town. The street on which the church is situated continues to be called the Armenian Street, where the settlers once lived.[3]
The street is home to the
The street is also the headquarters of Binny's, a leading business establishment of the city from 1799 till its closure in the 1990s, which moved the office to the area in 1812. The headquarters building is a classic structure with curved verandahs, huge halls and teak wood stairs. However, the fate of the building remains obscure since the closure of the organisation.[1]
The headquarters building of the Young Men's Indian Association (YMIA), built by Annie Besant in 1915, is located next to Binny's. The building also housed an oratory called the Gokhale Hall, which, in time, became a venue for public meetings and performances by public artists. The age-old building is now expected to be demolished.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e "Some past recollections". India Today. Chennai: IndiaToday.in. 10 April 2008. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
- ^ "Armenia Virtual Museum - Armenia in India A Cultural Legacy - Armenian Cultural Centre Chennai". CogniShift.Org. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
- ^ a b Parthasarathy, Anusha (30 July 2013). "Merchants on a mission". The Hindu. Chennai. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
- ISBN 978-93-84030-28-5.
Bibliography
- Muthiah, S. (1981). Madras Discovered. East West Books (Madras) Pvt Ltd. p. 124.