Theosophical Society

Theosophical Society: Adyar is one of the best-kept secrets of Madras. This is one of the few sites boasting city greenery, otherwise a concrete jungle. The authorities of the Society need to be applauded for maintaining the site so well. Even during the peak summer time, the trees of the Society are in full bloom. The place is full of heritage-rich structures and has a lot of historical significance. A tranquil walk in the early morning through the beautiful pathways of the Society and resting under the giant banyan tree is a unique experience. Let us explore the history and various places of interest in the Theosophical Society.

Theosophy:

What does the word "Theosophy" mean? It takes more work to explain in one or two sentences. It is a broad subject. In layman's terms, I would say it is a branch of philosophy that deals with the study of divine wisdom.

Theosophical Society:

An occult movement originated in the 19th century in the US and was called "Theosophical Society". It is said that the movement's roots can be traced to the Alexandrian Gnosticism movement and the Greek Neoplatonism movement.

Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, a Russian oculist from Ukraine, after returning from India in 1871 CE, attempted to find a similar organization in Cairo. But it was not successful. Her attempt was successful after she met with Col. Henry Steel Olcott, an American journalist, and lawyer. Blavatsky, Olcott, William Quan Judge, an Irish American oculist, and a few others formed the Society on 17th November 1875 in New York. Olcott was the first President of the Society.

In 1878, Blavatsky and Olcott left the US and settled in India. They established their headquarters in Bombay. They toured various places in India and Sri Lanka for several years to give lectures and publish/distribute their works. The headquarters was later moved to Adyar in Chennai city in December 1886.

After the death of Blavatsky in 1891, the Society was split into two factions: Theosophical Society Adyar (Olcott-Besant) and the Theosophical Society Pasadena (Judge).

Annie Besant:

It will be an incomplete article if I miss mentioning Annie Besant. She was born Annie Wood in London. She married Frank Besant and had two children. She soon legally separated from Frank and returned to London. She became an influential writer, orator, and, importantly, an activist.

In 1889, after she met with Blavatsky, she was converted to Theosophy. She broke her links with the Marxists and other activists. When Blavatsky died in 1891, Annie was seen as a leading member of Society. She represented it at the Chicago World Fair in 1893. She visited India for the first time in the same year. After the Society was split, she and Olcott led it from Adyar, Madras.

She started the famous Convention Lectures in Adyar and the Central Hindu College in Benaras. In 1907, after Olcott passed away, she officially became the PresidentPresident of the Society.

Annie remained an important leader of the Theosophical Society to date. She enlarged the headquarters by the purchase of Blavatsky and Olcott Gardens. Along with her Society activities, she joined Indian National Congress and actively participated in the Indian freedom movement. She passed away in 1934.

Charles Webster Leadbeater:

Charles Webster Leadbeater was one of the leading and famous members of Society. He was from England. He became an associate of Annie Besant. He had to resign from Society due to a sex scandal. He was later readmitted to the Society by Annie. He remained a leading member till he passed away in 1934.

Jiddu Krishnamurti:

As a boy, Jiddu Krishnamurti was discovered by Leadbeater. He claimed that the boy had an incredible aura. He and his associates nurtured the boy in Society. Evidently, the boy prepared to become the expected World Teacher.

Jiddu became a close associate of Annie and Leadbeater. After a few years, he traveled to various countries across the globe and gave lectures. In 1911, the Society established the Order of the Star in the East to prepare the world for the expected appearance of the World Teacher. Jiddu was appointed as its Head. However, he developed different views and concepts over the next few years, evident from his talks and writings. He dissolved the Order in 1929, breaking his links with Society. Otherwise, Jiddu would have become the most famous member of Society after Annie.

Theosophical Society Campus:

The campus covers around 260 acres. It is also called Huddleston Gardens. It is the home for so many migratory birds and varieties of trees. Some architecturally beautiful and historically significant buildings are located within this vast complex. Walking through the garden in the early morning or late evening is a unique experience; the complex's structures and trees are treat to our eyes.

Adyar Library:

Adyar Library was founded in 1886 by Olcott. It was initially situated within the Headquarters building but later shifted to the current structure. The library has a bust of Olcott.

Religious Shrines:

The Society complex has shrines of various faiths. The Zoroastrian shrine is unique and more attractive among all the shrines. The semi-lion and semi-human figures at the shrine's entrance draw many visitors.

The Hindu temple is located adjacent to the Zoroastrian shrine. The bas-relief figures on the pillars of the temple are beautiful. Inside the sanctum, only light is found instead of any icon.

The Church of St. Michael and All Angels is the following structure. Look at the photograph. I don't need to explicitly mention how beautiful it is.

The mosque, modeled on Agra's Pearl Mosque, was completed in 1937. The simple structure of the Sikh shrine is a later addition.

Situated away from all the shrines mentioned above and in the coconut grove, the Buddhist shrine is the most beautiful of all these shrines. Built in 1925, it enshrines the sandstone idol of Buddha. A picturesque lotus pond is located in front of the shrine. A Bodhi Dharma memorial stone and a Bodhi tree are also located near the shrine. The sapling from the Bodhi tree of Buddha Gaya grew into this tree.

The Great Banyan Tree:

The Great Banyan Tree of Theosophical Society, popularly called Adyar Aala Maram, had been one of the primary identities of Chennai for several years. It is said to be the second-largest banyan tree in the nation.

The tree is believed to be more than 450 years old, and its offshoots occupy around 40,000 sq feet. The main trunk was uprooted in the 1989's cyclone. However, with a small portion of the main trunk, the branches still survive. The branches form a canopy over the adjoining streets.

This is the most famous site in the entire Society.

Head Quarters and Other Structures:

The elegant Head Quarters Building is called as "Hall of Unity". In the center of the hall, the big statues of Blavatsky and Olcott are found. The first one is dated 1899, whereas Olcott's statue is dated 1907. Although both the pilaster statues were made in a different period, as both are standing so adjacent to each other with Olcott's arm resting on the shoulder of Blavatsky, it appears as if both were sculpted together.

The hall's walls have many bas-relief figures representing the images or signs/symbols of various religions. It includes the images of Buddha, Krishna, Jesus, Asshur (Jewish), Ashtaroth (Mesopotamian), Quetzalcoatl (Mesoamerican), Osiris (Egyptian), Orpheus (Greek), Shinto (Japanese), Mithra (Zorastrian) and more figures. The bust images of Annie Besant and Olcott are also found inside the hall.

The outer wall of the hall has eight big relief images of elephants, one of the complex's most photographed sites.

The memory stone with the symbol and message of the Theosophical Society is not to be missed. The life-size statue of Subramanya Iyer, who was one of the active members of the Society, is located outside the hall. It is also located near the statue of Subramanya Iyer.

There are many centuries-old Victorian-style structures on the campus, such as Bhagirati Nivas, New Quadrangle, Blavatsky Bungalow, Leadbeater Chambers, Gujarati Quarters, and others, which are used for administrative or lodging purposes nowadays. All of these buildings have notable features.

The path adjacent to the river was one of the highlights of those days. Now, it's not accessible due to vegetation grown there, and the river Adyar is no longer treated like a river.

Some stone arches with relief images of Hindu deities and Yali pillars, similar to temple mandapas, are found in a few places across the garden.

Happy travelling.

The visiting hours for the Theosophical Society are 8:30 am to 10 am and 2 pm to 4 pm from Mondays to Saturdays.