Elphinstone Bridge, Adyar : Bridges of Colonial Madras

Elphinstone Bridge (Old) and Thiru Vi Ka Bridge (New) across Adyar River, Chennai (Source: The Hindu)

Elphinstone Bridge Covered with Slab

Elphinstone Bridge Beneath the Concrete Slab

View from Elphinstone Bridge: Whale Island, skyscraper buildings and the Adyar river

View from Elphinstone Bridge, Adyar: Whale Island, skyscraper buildings and the Adyar river

Tunnel Below the Elphinstone Bridge

Elphinstone Bridge is  one of the oldest bridges of Colonial Madras built across the Adyar River  in 1840. This bridge is named after John Elphinstone, 13th Lord Elphinstone and 1st Baron Elphinstone GCB GCH PC (1807 – 1860) John Elphinstone (13th Lord Elphinstone), the Governor of Madras (from 1837 to 1842). The age of the bridge is 174 years and it was connecting Adyar and Foreshore Estate. The heavy flood in Adyar washed away the heavy columns of the Elphinstone bridge and damaged the bridge from active use and the bridge was not found suitable to withstand heavy vehicular traffic. Hence  the historical bridge was closed for traffic and currently not in use. The new Thiru Vi.Ka bridge  (aka Adyar Bridge) measuring about 1025 ft (312.42 meter) long with three-lanes has been built  next to the old bridge at a cost of Rs. 58 lakh  and it was thrown open to the public in October 1973. The new bridge was named after the Tamil Scholar and freedom fighter Thiru Vi Kalyanasundaranar.

The sewer and water pipelines run across the 11-metre (36 feet) wide Elphinstone bridge and therefore entire stretch of the bridge is covered fully with concrete slabs. The actual Elphinstone bridge lies below this concrete slab and the pedestrians use this bridge to walk across the river. To encourage  pedestrians a flight of stairs is located on either side of the bridge.

It is learned that some anti-social elements take advantage to get into the bottom space of the bridge using the gap between the steps and misuse it. To discourage anti-social elements and to encourage bird watchers, bird-watching point with the green garden are being planned under phase II of restoration of the Adyar river estuary. The 58 acres phase I have been already implemented.

Reference

173-year-old Elphinstone Bridge gets a makeover. Deepa H. Ramakrishnan The Hindu Chennai  January 13, 2013

Qubble Island Cemetery Chennai

Quibble Island Cemetery, Greenways Rd, MRC Nagar, Raja Annamalai Puram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu,  India

Quibble Island Map (Source Google)

Quibble Island Cemetery is one among huge and historical Christian Cemeteries in Quibble Island, Greenways Rd, MRC Nagar, Raja Annamalai Puram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu,  India. This Christian burial ground was formed in 1903 and is located in a 6.5 hectares site. With an act of ecumenism (promoting unity among Christians), the cemetery is being shared by  both Roman Catholics and Protestants of all denominations. The cemetery  has a small number of old tombstones, dating back to the latter half of the 1800’s and also bears tombstones of Comedian actor Chandrababu and political speaker Valampuri John. 

The cemetery is maintained by the Madras Cemetries Board and the Kilpauk General Cemetery and the Kasimode Cemetry also comes under this board. Since the cemetery has reached its capacity, the board is contemplating to introduce Multi-tier Vaults for future burials.

The tributaries of Adyar river forms a bend at the mouth of the estuary and this is called as Adyar Creek. The vast Adyar Estuary lies between the edges of the sandbank of the sea and Adyar bridge and includes few small islands. Adyar Creek turns to north towards mainland near Chettinadu palace and forms an U - turn adjacent to Foreshore Estate bridge  and terminate nearer to Mandaveli. The island peninsula is sorrounded by the Adyar Creek was named as Quibble Island and the original Adyar Creek comprised about one hundred acres.

Meaning of Quibble: minor criticism, trivial objection, trivial complaint, adverse comment.

Adyar River at Manapakkam: Washermens' Source of Livelihood

Adyar River: Washermen's Source of Livelihood 1, a photo by Muthusamy Photostream on Flickr.

The 42.5 km-long Adyar river, once regarded as the pride of Chennai, is becoming a polluted river. More and more drainage channels from various ends of the city mix in Adyar river. However Adyar is the source of livelyhood for number of washermen. From Manapakkam bridge (near war cemetry) I have viewed the washermen washing and drying the clothes. The riverbed is highly polluted with drainage water, yet the river is also becoming washing area.

Maraimalai Adigal Bridge (Marmalong Bridge (1726-28): Bridges of Colonial Madras

Maraimalai Adigal Bridge (aka Marmalong Bridge), Adyar river, Saidapet (1726-28)

Plaque Commemorating the  construction of Marmalong Bridge by Coja Petrus Uscan (multinlingual inscriptions in Persian, Latin and Armenian)

The Maraimalai Adigal Bridge (previously the Marmalong Bridge) is one of oldest bridge in Chennai. It connects the northern banks of the Adyar river with the south. This bridge was originally built in 1726-28 at the cost of Rs. one lakh by the Armenian merchant, Coja Petrus Uscan. The merchant came to Madras in 1724 and built it by using his own money. The bridge was named after the nearby village of Mambalam which was Anglicized to Marmalan or Marmalong.

The dilapidated old bridge was replaced by a new one in the year 1966 built as part of the reconstruction and modernization efforts. Reconstructed in 1966 with prestressed concrete beams and slabs. Length of the bridge 770 ft. 12 spans of 60 ft. (average). Width of carriageway 81 ft. Width of footpath 10 ft. each. Cost of construction 42.5 lakh. The new bridge is named after Maraimalai Adigal, Tamil writer and proponent of the Pure Tamil movement.

Uscan's construction of the bridge is commemorated by a plaque at the northern end of the bridge adjoining the Saidapet bus stand. The Armenian merchant also constructed the steps which led to the historical National Catholic shrine atop St Thomas Mount in 1726. There is also a plaque commemorating Uscan's legacy.