P.M. Sivagnana Mudaliar Bust – A Forgotten Civic Leader Inside Ripon Building Complex, Chennai

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Within the colonial-era premises of Ripon Building, the seat of the Greater Chennai Corporation, stands a lesser-known yet historically significant bust, that of P.M. Sivagnana Mudaliar, a long-serving Commissioner whose legacy quietly lives on in stone.

While most visitors focus on the grand white façade of the Ripon Building or the civic activities it hosts, this modest bust tucked inside the campus pays tribute to one of the earliest Indian Commissioners of the Corporation of Madras, who held office during a transformative period in the city’s municipal history.

Front view of Sivagnana Mudaliar statue near Ripon Building in Chennai
Statue of P.M. Sivagnana Mudaliar, former Commissioner of Madras, proudly standing near Ripon Building, Chennai




Who Was P.M. Sivagnana Mudaliar?

P.M. Sivagnana Mudaliar served as the Commissioner of the Corporation of Madras from 1894 to 1919, a remarkable tenure spanning 25 years. At a time when British officers dominated civic administration, his long-standing role as an Indian in a key municipal position was both rare and pathbreaking.

He is credited with:

  • Bringing systematic civic reforms in sanitation and public health.

  • Expanding municipal infrastructure and improving urban governance.

  • Serving during the plague outbreaks, where his management was widely acknowledged.

His leadership helped shape colonial Madras into a more structured urban civic entity, with greater emphasis on hygiene, record-keeping, and public accountability.

Rear view of Sivagnana Mudaliar bust showing turban details against blue sky
A tribute in bronze: P.M. Sivagnana Mudaliar’s contributions to Chennai’s urban history.


The Bust at Ripon Building

The bust of P.M. Sivagnana Mudaliar stands inside the Ripon Building campus, a modest yet dignified bronze sculpture mounted on a stone pedestal. The name and designation are inscribed in English and Tamil, offering a rare civic tribute to an Indian official in a predominantly colonial setup.

Though often unnoticed by the public and even city employees, the bust remains an important marker of indigenous leadership during the British Raj.

The bust of P.M. Sivagnana Mudaliar is more than a token memorial; it is a recognition of a native civic leader who played a significant role in administering and improving the city well before India’s independence. His contributions in public health, city planning, and long-term governance deserve a place in Chennai’s collective memory.

Happy travelling.

Close-up view of the gold-painted bust of P.M. Sivagnana Mudaliar in Chennai
This bust honors one of colonial Madras’s most influential civic administrators.


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