Down Memory Lane - Broadway, Chennai
* I have always been fascinated by the quirky names of places. Some are remnants of the Colonial Era, while others have been devised by sheer imagination. This part of a series of informational blogs on some of the popular places in and around Chennai and the history behind it. If you have suggestions on any places that you feel should get added to this, please write to me*
Broadway, is the place known as the Original Bus-stand of Chennai, before the Main Bus depot moved to Koyambedu at the sprawling Chennai Moffusil Bus Terminus. Even today, majority of the buses connecting North Madras to other parts originate from Broadway. So where is this Broadway, and where did it get its name from?
Well, I would like to say I went about researching in Connemara Library, and poured over old volumes and found out. But thanks to Google and Wikipedia, I am spared from all that effort and slander. But I did do the "search".
It is actually an interesting story. Back then, about 500 years ago, this whole place, being right on the coast was a series of tiny hills and valleys, and as a result had many sand ridges. Many of these valleys around the ridges eventually became drainage channels. One such channel was called the Atta Pallam. Much of this area was then owned by Stephen Popham, who was a British MP, Advocate General in Kolkata, who moved to Madras in 1778. Interestingly, he is credited with establishing a modern police force for the City in 1782. The Tamil Nadu Police that we are so proud of!
The area around the General Hospital (now called Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital), Park Town Post Office etc. was back then a small hillock. Owing to the presence of a lot of foxes on the hill, it was actually called Narimedu by the locals, which got converted into Hogg's Hill by the British. Due to its proximity to the Fort St. George, for security considerations, the then British Government decided to level the whole area. It was then, that Mr. Popham negotiated with them to buy the removed earth from there and fill the ditch then known as Atta Pallam. Thus, this road came to be known as Popham's Broadway.
Broadway, Chennai
Broadway, is the place known as the Original Bus-stand of Chennai, before the Main Bus depot moved to Koyambedu at the sprawling Chennai Moffusil Bus Terminus. Even today, majority of the buses connecting North Madras to other parts originate from Broadway. So where is this Broadway, and where did it get its name from?
Well, I would like to say I went about researching in Connemara Library, and poured over old volumes and found out. But thanks to Google and Wikipedia, I am spared from all that effort and slander. But I did do the "search".
It is actually an interesting story. Back then, about 500 years ago, this whole place, being right on the coast was a series of tiny hills and valleys, and as a result had many sand ridges. Many of these valleys around the ridges eventually became drainage channels. One such channel was called the Atta Pallam. Much of this area was then owned by Stephen Popham, who was a British MP, Advocate General in Kolkata, who moved to Madras in 1778. Interestingly, he is credited with establishing a modern police force for the City in 1782. The Tamil Nadu Police that we are so proud of!
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| Popham's Broadway, Madras, January 1948 Pic Courtesy: Wesleyan Juvenile Offering |
The area around the General Hospital (now called Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital), Park Town Post Office etc. was back then a small hillock. Owing to the presence of a lot of foxes on the hill, it was actually called Narimedu by the locals, which got converted into Hogg's Hill by the British. Due to its proximity to the Fort St. George, for security considerations, the then British Government decided to level the whole area. It was then, that Mr. Popham negotiated with them to buy the removed earth from there and fill the ditch then known as Atta Pallam. Thus, this road came to be known as Popham's Broadway.
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| Fort St. George and City of Madras - 1726 Pic Courtesy: Herman Moll, London |
About a 100 years later, this road came to be the home for two very interesting food establishments. One was run by P. Venkatachellum (I know, what a spelling, right?). His condiments and chutneys were quite famous in England. He is also the creator of the famous mulligatawny soup from our very own milagu rasam or milagu thanni. The other was Harrison's, established in 1891, and now a famous Hotel in Nungambakkam.
A few year later, this road also came to house the very first Private Hospital run by Dr. T A Shankaranarayanan. decades before Apollo Hospitals would launch modern Privately owned corporate hospitals.
So the next time you go to Broadway to take a bus, or to Mannady Metro Station (whenever the project gets completed), pause, and reminisce the rich history and heritage of our own Singara Chennai.
All facts courtesy Wikipedia
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