Monegar Choultry
Monegar Choultry is a choultry in the city of Chennai, India. It is considered to be the first organised charity in Madras city.[1]
History
In the 18th century, there were constant wars between the
A hospital was constructed within the premises of the choultry in 1799 by John Underwood, an assistant surgeon with the company. In 1801, the hospital was combined with the 'Native Hospital and Poor Fund' in the choultry. The building was rented by the Famine Relief Committee which conducted a charity for the 'sick and the poor' along with
Etymology
Originally, the choultry did not have any name of its own. It was given the unofficial name "Monegar Choultry" the anglicised version of the term "Manyamkarar" (village headman) who ran a gruel centre nearby.
The choultry today
The choultry functions today as an asylum for elderly people.[2] The Collector of Madras remains the chairman of the choultry's managing committee. There is an ancient temple at the base of an old tree within the premises, dedicated to the Hindu deity Periya Palayathu Amman.[1]
A rule still remains with the choultry that in case of the death of an inmate, the corpse will be sent to the Anatomy Department of the Stanley Medical College for study, rather than handing over to the relatives.[2]
References
- ^ a b c d Parthasarathy, Anusha (18 September 2012). "A roof for the roofless". The Hindu. Chennai: The Hindu. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
- ^ a b Peter, Petlee (12 May 2012). "Old Jail Road, a link with the past". The Hindu. Chennai: The Hindu. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
- ISBN 81-88661-24-4.