Indian Columbus

Teppakulam, the sacred tank associated with the Nellaiyappar temple, is situated approximately 400 meters from the temple's main entrance. This tank has remained a revered landmark for countless centuries, to the extent that the surrounding locality has adopted the name "Teppakulam." A street originally designated as Teppakulam Street (now known as Satyamurti Street) terminates at this tank. One of the most celebrated events at this location is the Teppam Poosam festival, a grand and festive occasion. On the eastern bank of this tank, there stands a temple dedicated to Meenakshi Sundareswarar. Nearby, you will find Thayammai Girls School, which, despite its modest size, holds historical significance. Established in 1909, it was one of the few schools that provided education to the women of Tirunelveli town during its early days. While Valampuri Vinayaka is a well-known deity, there is also a Goddess known as Valampuri Amman. Her temple, though small in scale, can be found...

Located on Courtallam Road, the Western Block branch of Schaffter Higher Secondary School in Tirunelveli holds a significant place in the school's rich history. Originally known as Church Mission College when it was founded in 1880, this humble yet elegant structure has undergone a fascinating transformation from a college to a branch of a renowned school. Schaffter Higher Secondary School is renowned as one of the oldest educational institutions in Tirunelveli, and its name pays tribute to an exceptional individual, Rev. Schaffter. Born into a family with a long-standing commitment to education in the Tirunelveli district, Rev. Henry James Schaffter's roots can be traced back to Nallur village near Alankulam. After completing his education in Ireland and earning an M.A. degree, Rev. Schaffter returned to Tirunelveli in 1871. From 1876 to 1880, he served as a faculty member at C.M.S. English School on Courtallam Road, which coincidentally is the present site of the Western Bloc...

The Upper Clapton School, situated on the same street as the magnificent Nellaiyappar temple in Tirunelveli, holds a prominent place in the local community as one of the oldest schools. However, only some individuals have shown interest in uncovering the fascinating historical details surrounding its origins, despite its 160-year history. The unique name of the school has also failed to pique curiosity among the townspeople. Originating from the Clapton district in London, United Kingdom, divided into Upper Clapton and Lower Clapton, Ann Sutton, a Christian missionary residing in Upper Clapton, played a crucial role in establishing a school in Tirunelveli. The school was named after the Upper Clapton Society, formed by the wives of pastors. Emily Lewis took charge of the school, which commenced its operations in 1863, with a primary objective of educating girls from the Devadasi families. The school's location near Aram Valarththa Pura Mada Street, a locality with a significant Dev...

If you mention any famous personality from Tirunelveli, chances are they attended Schaffter School. As you travel from Junction to Town, it is impossible to miss this historical institution with its expansive playground. Until the 1990s, all political parties held their gatherings on this school ground, one of the largest in the twin cities of Tirunelveli and Palayankottai. Founded over a century ago, Schaffter School has become a symbol of educational excellence in Tirunelveli. Its motto, "Disce aut discede," which translates to "Learn or Leave!" in Latin, reflects the school's strong emphasis on fostering a love for learning and personal growth among its students. Schaffter Higher Secondary School holds a prestigious position as one of the oldest educational institutions in Tirunelveli, and its history is deeply intertwined with the remarkable individual it is named after Rev. Schaffter. Rev. Henry James Schaffter was born into a family that had dedicated thre...

Welcome to M D T Hindu College Higher Secondary School, the alma mater of Mahakavi Sri Subramania Bharatiar, one of the greatest poets and a freedom fighter. This historic institution has a rich and fascinating history that dates back to 1859, when it was founded as the Anglo Vernacular School by the Hindu Saiva Clan of Tirunelveli. Over the years, the school has undergone several transformations. In 1861, it was moved to its present location in Junction and renamed Hindu Kalasalai. In 1878, it was renamed Hindu College and later upgraded to a first-grade college in 1924, thanks to its exemplary service. During the Great Depression of 1929, the college faced a severe financial crisis. But in 1936, Diraviam Pillai, a philanthropist from Madurai, came to its aid with a generous donation of One Lakh rupees. In recognition of his contribution, the college was renamed "The Madurai Diraviyam Thayumanavar Hindu College," or simply M D T Hindu College. Today, the college has shifted ...

You cannot miss it! It's monumental size and proportion in an otherwise crowded and congested George Town locality would attract everyone. The entablature of the portico written in Tamil as "Pachaiyappan" tells us it is the Pachaiyappan Hall.  The hall, which dominates the structure, is rectangular in plan and has large pedimented porticos of fluted Ionic columns. It's the brainchild of Captain Ludlow of the Madras Engineers. He designed it by combining the European and Indian styles. The facade is inspired by the design of the Theseum in Athens, Greece. The section in front of the hall has 15 classrooms, each with a verandah. Behind the hall is the school proper, a tiled roof structure entirely Indian in design. This majestic hall, a landmark in George Town, was inaugurated on March 20, 1850. The opening ceremony was predominantly European, with the Governor, Sir Henry Pottinger, presiding and a vocal band singing the British Anthem. The ceremony was attended by Euro...

Located in the charming old neighborhood of Chintadripet, the Satthianandhan Memorial Hall is a stunning structure with an impressive facade. Built in 1895, it's hard to believe that the structure is over 130 years old, as it has been impeccably maintained over the years. The hall is owned by the Zion Church, which was led by Rev. W.T. Satthianandhan - the church's second pastor. He served the church for thirty years, during which time he oversaw its expansion in 1880 and renamed it the Zion Church. After his passing in 1892, his son-in-law, Rev. W.D. Clarke, took over as pastor. He constructed a multi-purpose hall next to the Zion Church and named it in honor of his father-in-law. The Satthianandhan Memorial Hall has since become an integral part of the church's legacy and a testament to the family's dedication to the community. Chintadripet is filled with many exciting heritage structures, and a walk around the area would be a treat for the eyes of any heritage enthus...

Kanchipuram is a holy city for the Hindus. But, it was one of the sacred cities for the Jains and the Buddhists. It is said that the town once had four divisions, namely Shaiva Kanchi, Vishnu Kanchi, Jina Kanchi, and Buddha Kanchi. There are hundreds of Shiva and Vishnu temples in the city. Even there are a few Jain temples. But, there is not even a single Buddhist temple in the town, which reportedly had a separate Buddhist region once. However, many symbols and icons of Buddhism are found across the city. This article explores one such Buddhist icon. Buddha's five and a half feet high stone icon in his typical seated posture was discovered in the 1970s. It is currently installed in a shed in the playground of Subbaraya Mudaliar School in Kanchipuram. As per the scholars, this attractive icon of Buddha belongs to the 9th century CE. Happy travelling.

The Tondai Mandalam Tuluva Velalar's Higher Secondary School is one of the oldest surviving schools in Madras (Chennai) city. It is located on Mint Street in George Town locality. It was started in 1854 CE. The famous Tamil scholar Maha Vidwan Tiru Mylai Shanmugam Pillai, the first to publish "Manimegalai," was a teacher at this school. As per the historian Mr. V. Sriram, the Bhagavat Katha Prasanga Sabha used to meet regularly in this school, and hence it was also called Tondai Mandalam Sabha. Its secretary C. Muniswami Naidu was the first to attempt selling concert tickets. He sold tickets for a concert in the late 1880s in this school, which was not very successful though. Happy travelling.

Madras has expanded multi-fold in the past 350+ years. Today, there are many schools and colleges in every nook and corner of the city. Obviously, not many of the citizens of the current generation would have the opportunity to know about this historic school called  The Hindu Theological School , which is located in the "original" Madras. This article focuses on this forgotten school, which  Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi visited. The Hindu Theological School is located in Mint Street in Sowcarpet locality. It was founded by  Sivasankara Pandyaji  on  14th January 1889 CE . The objective was to educate the students on Indian culture. Sivasankar Pandyaji Shri Sivasankara Pandyaji belonged to  the Gujarati Khedawal Brahmin  community, which had migrated to Tamil Nadu a few centuries ago. He graduated from Pachaiappan college and briefly worked as a professor in the same college. Then, he pursued his higher studies in the legal field and briefly p...