Mylapore

Coordinates: 13°02′12″N 80°16′03″E / 13.0368°N 80.2676°E / 13.0368; 80.2676
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other uses, see Mylapore (disambiguation).

Mylapore
Neighbourhood
Vidhan Sabha constituency
Mylapore[1][2]
Planning agencyCMDA
Websitewww.chennai.tn.nic.in

Mylapore (also spelt Mayilapur

Peyalvar.[citation needed] It is also believed by Christians to be the place of martyrdom of St. Thomas the Apostle, who preached along the Malabar Coast, and established the Malankara Nasrani community. [4]

Mylapore is known for its tree-lined avenues, Kapaleeshwarar Temple, Katcheri seasons, and Ramakrishna Matha among many others.[5] St. Thomas Cathedral Basilica, Chennai which is believed to house the tomb of Thomas the Apostle, is in Mylapore.[6][7][8][9]

Etymology

The word Mylapore is the anglicized form of the Dravidian word Mayilāppūr. It is derived from the Tamil phrase மயில் ஆர்ப்பரிக்கும் ஊர் Mayil ārpparikkum ūr, which means 'land of the peacock scream'.

San Thome Basilica. Thirugnanasambandar has also mentioned mayil (peacocks) in his songs in Tevaram. Mylapore is also known as Thirumayilai.[citation needed
]

History

Mylapore is an ancient settlement. It was historically known as Vedapuri. As the available historical and archaeological evidence show, it could well be the oldest part of Chennai, with written records of early settlements going back to the first century BCE.

Saint Thomas the Apostle in Mylapore (currently Santhome).[12]

It was considerable maritime time and the ancient German and Greek maps refer to the town as 'Maliarpha'. The later Scottish researchers like James Playfair referred it "Meliapour"[13][14] Mylapore was occupied by the Portuguese in 1523, who established the viceroyalty of "São Tomé de Meliapor" or "Saint Thomas of Mylapore." Portuguese rule lasted until 1749, except for a brief interregnum between 1662 and 1687, when the town was occupied by the Dutch.

After 1749, the

Nawab of Arcot.[15] In that same year, Mylapore was incorporated into the administration of the Presidency of Madras. The settlement known as "Luz" developed during this period. The name finds its origins from the 'Nossa Senhora Da Luz
' (Our Lady of Light) church built by the Portuguese in 1516 CE. This church is one of the oldest standing Christian structures in all of Tamil Nadu.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the town became the commercial and intellectual hub of Madras city and home to British-educated lawyers and statesmen, the most elite of whom formed the

Sir C. P. Ramaswami Iyer
.


H Bhimasena Rau, C S Rama Rao Sahib, Subanthore Vasudeva Rao, CR Krishnaswamy Rao Sahib, and the civil engineer C R Narayana Rao.

Location

Kapaleeshwarar Temple water tank during a sunset

Mylapore is located a few kilometres to the south of the British-built Chennai city. The neighborhood is bordered by

Mandaveli in the south. The Bay of Bengal coast is in the east of Mylapore. It extends for around 4 km from north to south and 2 km from east to west.[citation needed
]

Demographics

The population of Mylapore is estimated to be around 150,000 to 300,000.

Brahmins, which can be attributed to Mylapore's early role as a temple centre. Smartha Brahmins, a sub-sect, were one of the first people to settle in this township.[citation needed] More accurate statistics are not available as Mylapore is not a separate township by itself, but a part of Chennai city. The different neighbourhoods within Mylapore have been distributed among the different wards of the Chennai Corporation.[citation needed
]

Notable people

Important places

Kapaleeswarar Temple
Entrance of the Universal Temple
A temple for Thiruvalluvar in Mylapore
St. Thomas Cathedral Basilica, Chennai

Mylapore is known for its cultural and religious heritage. Mylapore is home to hundreds of temples, churches and mosques.[citation needed]

Kapaleeswarar Temple

Kapaleeswarar Temple is one of the most famous temples of Chennai. The temple was originally relocated by the Tuluva dynasty (1491–1570 CE) from the sea shore of Mylapore. The main deity of the temple is Shiva. The temple exhibits exquisite Dravidian architecture. The huge temple is surrounded by traditional crowded street markets selling fruits, flowers, vegetables and traditional brass ware.[citation needed
]

Adi Kesava Perumal Temple

Mylapore is known for the Adi Kesava Perumal Temple constructed in honor of Keshava or

Hindu trinity. The temple has an idol of Vishnu accompanied by his celestial consort Goddess Lakshmi. This is the birthplace of Peyalvar. It has sannathis for the thayar Mayuravalli, Chakkarathalvar, Sri Andal, Sri Rama & Anjaneya. It is the avatara sthalam (birthplace) of Peyalvar and has a separate sannithi for the Alvar. During the brahmotsavam the utsavar goes in a procession accompanied by Sridevi & Bhudevi in the mada streets and also gives the chance to see the Theppam festival in the centuries-old kulam (tank). Every year the Parthasarathy Perumal comes to the Kesava Perumal temple and Kesava Perumal too goes to Triplicane along with Peyalvar.[22]

Sri Vedantha Desikar Devasthanam/Sri Srinivasar Koil

Mylapore has the Srinivasar temple near Chitra Kulam in Mylapore, which is administered by the Vedantha Desikar Devasthanam (SVDD). It is located beside the Adi Kesava Perumal Temple, which has an imposing gopuram that can be seen from quite a distance.

Valluvar Koil

The

Valluvar. Dating back to at least the early 16th century, the temple was extensively renovated in the 1970s.[23] Considered to be the birthplace of Valluvar, the temple is the oldest ever built to Valluvar. The temple also serves as the venue for meetings of Tamil language
enthusiasts. While many consider the temple as the birthplace of Valluvar, some consider it as his samadhi (place of cremation).

Madhava Perumal Temple

Madhava Perumal Temple is dedicated to Hindu god

Alvar saints of the sixth to ninth century CE.[citation needed
]

Ramakrishna Math

Sri Ramakrishna Mutt, is the oldest center of the Ramakrishna Order in the South India. Sri

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Swami Vivekananda, as well as the philosophy of Vedanta along with monthly magazines. The monks conduct lectures and interviews in English on Sunday evenings from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM.[24]

San Thome Basilica

San Thome Basilica was built over his original tomb in the 16th century by Portuguese explorers, and rebuilt with the status of a cathedral by the British in 1893 which still stands.[7] San Thome Basilica is the principal church of the Madras-Mylapore Roman Catholic Archdiocese. In 1956, Pope Pius XII raised the church to the status of a Minor Basilica, and on 11 February 2006, it was declared a national shrine by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India. It is an important pilgrimage center for the Syrian Christians of Kerala. The church also has an attached museum.[26]

Luz Church

Church of Our Lady of Light is a Roman Catholic shrine in the locality. It is commonly called as Luz Church by the locals, which derives from the Portuguese name Nossa Senhora da Luz. Built in 1516 by the Portuguese, it is one of the oldest Churches in the city and its foundation stone marks as one of the oldest European monuments in India. The history of the church dates back to the 16th-century legend of safe arrival to land by missionaries. The church is located very near to the Santhome Basilica, where Apostle Thomas is believed to be buried.[citation needed]

Although at the time the church was built, the locality was a thick forest, now it is part of a bustling metropolitan area. This 16th century European architecture building consists of patterns of Gothic arches and Baroque ornamentation. The feast of Our Lady of Light is celebrated on 15 August every year.[citation needed]

Other places

Culture

Convention of the Mylai Tamizh Sangam, early 1900s
Kapaleeswarar Temple Theppam Festival
See also: Culture of Chennai

Mylapore is regarded by many as the cultural hub of the city. Mylapore is the home of music sabhas (cultural organizations) and musicians. December is often set aside as the

Carnatic Music vocalists and artists during this period. The Parthasarathy Swami Sabha in Mylapore is the oldest Sabha (Assembly) in Tamil Nadu. The Madras Music Academy in the north of the district is an important nucleus of art events in the city. Bharatiya Vidhya Bhavan Auditorium conducts cultural events. The Mylapore Fine Arts located near Nageshwara Rao Park is another Sabha.[citation needed
]

The 10-day Panguni Brahmotsavam, a series of procession events of the Kapaleeshwarar temple and related shrines around the temple during the Tamil month of Panguni (March–April), is the most important annual event of the neighbourhood. People from around the country and abroad participate in the events.

nayanmars along with the idol of philosopher-saint Valluvar as the 64th nayanmar are taken in procession.[27][29][31][32] The festival is dated back to 7th century CE.[33]

Nageshwara Rao Garden is known for its play area, shrubs and cultural events.

Mylapore Website provides news about arts and culture of Chennai City.[34]

The Mylapore Times, a weekly neighbourhood newspaper, covers issues relating to the neighbourhood of Mylapore.

Food

Mylapore is also known for its South-Indian food. There are many famous eateries in Mylapore that are thronged by people.

Politics

The Mylapore assembly constituency is part of

Chennai South (Lok Sabha constituency).[35]

Education

Colleges

CBSE affiliated Schools

Tamil Board affiliated Schools

  • MCTM Chidambaram Chettyar International IB School
  • Dominic Savio School
  • Kesari Higher Secondary School
  • Lady Sivaswamy Ayyar Girls Higher Secondary School
  • Montfort Academy Matriculation Higher Secondary School
  • P.S Higher Secondary School
  • Rosary Matriculation Higher Secondary School
  • Santhome Higher Secondary School
  • Sir Sivaswami Kalalaya Higher Secondary School
  • St Bede's Anglo Indian Higher secondary school
  • St Raphael's Girls Higher Secondary School
  • St. John's Schools

Others

Transportation

Tram

There used to be a tram line running through Kutchery Road from Santhome via Luz, Mylapore.

Road

Mylapore is connected to other parts of the city by

CMBT, Vadapalani
.

Rail

Chennai Beach to the north and Velachery
on the south.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Mylapore is the British English spelling, and Mayilāppūr is the accurate Indian English spelling.

References

  1. ^ Partywise Comparison Since in Assembly Elections since 1977 Archived 27 May 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Profile of candidates who contested 2006 Assembly Elections from Mylapore constituency Archived 20 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ISBN 978-81-246-0538-7
    .
  4. ^ "St. Thomas | Apostle of Jesus, India Missionary | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  5. ^ "Kapaleeshwarar Temple, Mylapore, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Lord Shiva Temple, Siva Temple". Archived from the original on 4 July 2013.
  6. ^ a b c "St. Thomas | Christian Apostle".
  7. ^ a b c Neill, Stephen (2004). A History of Christianity in India: The Beginnings to AD 1707. Cambridge University Press. p. 29.
  8. ^
    ISBN 978-0-19-959660-7
    .
  9. ^
    ISBN 978-0-8028-2417-2
    .
  10. ^ Saints, Goddesses and Kings By Susan Bayly
  11. ^ a b "Thiruvalluvar Ninaivu Malar". 1935: 117. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  12. ^ The Travels of Marco Polo by Henry Yule, Vol 2, Book 3, Chapters XVII and XVIII, Project Gutenberg
  13. ^ Playfair, James (1813). "A System of Geography: Ancient and Modern".
  14. ^ James Playfair (1813). A System of Geography: Ancient and Modern. P. Hill. pp. 373 and 816.
  15. ^ A brief history of Chennai, From the official website of the Corporation of Chennai
  16. ^ PALATHOPE -- A Lawyer's Enclave Part I by Ashwin Prabhu, Mylapore Social History Project
  17. ^ PALATHOPE -- A Lawyer's Enclave Part II by Ashwin Prabhu, Mylapore Social History Project
  18. ^ Madras Rediscovered by S.Muthiah
  19. ^ Voter population of Mylapore Legislative Assembly constituency
  20. ISBN 81-206-0151-3
    .
  21. ^ "St Thomas Christians" Catholic Encyclopedia (Newadvent.org). http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14678a.htm . nd. web. accessed FEB 19, 2010.
  22. ^ M., Rajagopalan (1993). 15 Vaishnava Temples of Tamil Nadu. Chennai, India: Govindaswamy Printers. pp. 25–34.
  23. ^ Pradeep Chakravarthy; Ramesh Ramachandran (16–31 August 2009). "Thiruvalluvar's shrine". Madras Musings. 19 (9).
  24. ^ "Home - Sri Ramakrishna Math Chennai".
  25. ISBN 965-278-179-7
    .
  26. ^ "Basilica of the National Shrine of St. Thomas". SanThomeChurch.com. Archived from the original on 2 March 2010. Retrieved 20 February 2010.
  27. ^ a b Swaminathan, Chitra (10 March 2014). "Moods of Mylapore". The Hindu. Chennai: Kasturi & Sons. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  28. ^ a b Venkataraman, Geetha (4 April 2020). "Today is Arubathu Moovar". The Hindu. Chennai: Kasturi & Sons. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  29. ^ a b Karthik Bhatt (16–31 March 2020). "Arupathu Moovar – 110 years ago". Madras Musings. XXIX (23).
  30. ^ Jeyalakshmi, C (16 March 2020). "பங்குனி திருவிழா: கபாலீஸ்வரர் கோவிலில் மார்ச் 29ல் கொடியேற்றம் - ஏப் 5ல் அறுபத்துமூவர்". One India (in Tamil). Chennai: OneIndia.com. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  31. ^ Ramachandran, Charumathi (2 April 2016). "Mylapore still brimming with culture, music and history". Deccan Chronicle. Chennai. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  32. ^ "Grand palanquins carry 63 Nayanmars in fest". Deccan Chronicle. Chennai. 22 March 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  33. ^ Lalithasai (21 May 2012). "Significance of Panguni Uthiram". The Hindu. Chennai: Kasturi & Sons. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  34. ^ "Mylapore | Margazhi Isai Festival - Local, News, Events, Updates, margazhi isai festival". Mylapore | Margazhi Isai Festival. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  35. ^ "List of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies" (PDF). Tamil Nadu. Election Commission of India. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 May 2006. Retrieved 8 October 2008.
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