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Photo: L.vivian.richard at English Wikipedia, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
This is one of the oldest surviving churches built by the British in India. This is the first British church in India and the oldest Anglican church in the East. Designed by William Dixon, the then Master Gunner of the Fort, it was constructed under the supervision of Governor Streynsham Master. Given the precarious nature of the British presence in India at the time (not to mention later attacks by the French and the locals), the church has a defensive stance- thick walls, castellated parapets and a well within the grounds - to withstand any bombardment or siege). The church was consecrated on 28 October 1680. The tower was completed in 1701; the steeple was added in 1710 and the tower was connected to the main body of the church in 1759. Robert Clive - more famous as Clive of India - married Margaret Maskelyne here in 1753. The first but equally famous wedding was that of Governor Elihu Yale (who was to become the benefactor of Yale College) to Catherine Himmers in November 1680. The interior of the church contains many fascinating plaques and monuments to early British India evoking past glories and lives full of achievement. It also contains the old colours of the Madras Fusiliers, the first European regiment of the East India Company. The glass windows, wall frescos, and teak plaques still shine with their all-time glory.
C.S.I. St. Mary's Church is the Anglican church located at Fort St George in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India and is the oldest British building in India. The church is popularly known as 'Westminster Abbey of the East'.
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formerly White Town
It was established as the East India Company's fortified foothold in Madras and it was from this small trading post (or 'factory' as it was then known) that British influence spread throughout India. The establishment of Fort St. George marked the birth of the new city that is Madras, in the year 1640. The fort was named after St George, the patron saint of England. The British East India Company, after buying the land from the Nayak of Vandavasi in 1639, led the establishment of what was called the Madrasemen, the permanent settlement of the company. One year later they built the fort as a commanding post in the region. With the increased trade activities of East India Company the region soon developed into a popular trade and commerce centre. The British enjoyed the supremacy in the region till 1746, when the French attacked the fort and captured it. After three years, in 1749 the British regained the ruling power by signing a treaty with the French. In the meantime they fortified the base in order to sustain the invasion of Hyder Ali and the French. The fort is believed to be the first establishment of the British in India. It is a military architecture marvel, which was started as a trading post and later evolved to be the origin of modern Indian Army. St. George Fort holds great historical importance and is looked after by the Archaeological Survey of India. It has a number of other monuments within its boundaries. Inside the Fort is the Fort Museum is decorated with cannons of Tipu Sultan. There are a lot of interesting artifacts showcased in the museum like coins, artifacts and so on. Apart from the museum, the southern division of the Archaeological Survey of India is located here. The place is famous for its exotic collection of books in the library. Today, Fort St George is famous for housing the legislative assembly and is known as the secretariat building. The fort in its present form looks more like a mansion, rather than a fort. Various Government offices function inside this building, including the structure which used to be the residence of Robert Clive called the Clive House. St. Mary's Church, situated in the fort, is one of the oldest surviving churches built by the British in India. The tallest flag pole in the country can be seen here: its height is . The pole is now made of metal. The original had been made entirely of teak wood.
Cupid's Bow
The memorial is erected in memory of those from the erstwhile Madras Presidency who died in world wars. The memorial also has inscriptions on 1948 Kashmir Aggression, 1962 War with China and the Indo-Pakistan War.
மெட்ராஸ் உயர் நீதிமன்றம் Medrās Uyar Nītimanram
The third-oldest high court in India and an example of Indo-Saracenic architecture. Covering , the court complex is one of the largest in the world.
The western wall of the Madras High Court houses a plaque marking the exact spot where the cell from the German Cruiser struck the high court wall during the bombertment of Madras on 22 September 1914. This happens to be the only attack on India during World War I