Besant Nagar: Those were the days when…..
When we were in the fifth standard, my aunt used to pack us, and our sand toys (plastic buckets, spades and the like), into her old Hillman (with real leather seats!), and get the driver to take us all to Elliots Beach. There was no Besant Nagar then, although the Theosophical Society was very much there. The car used to trundle from T Nagar to Cenotaph Road, then to Chamiers Road. Raja Annamalai Puram was a distant suburb in those days, most of the houses were fairly new, with quite a few empty plots.
Right on to Greenways Road and thence to Adyar Bridge. This was the edge of town! The road would rise to the bridge (the old bridge, mind you-the one on the seaward side of the current bridge as you go towards Adyar), and then we would be on it, long and narrow, stretching across the river. Heads breathlessly stuck out of the windows to look at the river passing below us till we reached the other side. Then down into the tree shaded avenue, left after the Theosophical Society, then through woods to the beach.
As we got closer, the trees would give way to acacia groves, as the car would move diagonally straight for the beach (its path completely built up now). Then we would have to walk quite a way through the acacia groves to reach the beach. It used to be quite secluded, and we would have to start back early, before it became dark as it used to be quite lonely and spooky, the trees throwing long shadows across the sand. Not too many people would go that far, preferring to go to the Marina instead, so we often had a large section of the beach to ourselves.
There was not a single house or building that I can recall, just the groves of acacia trees all the way along the beach. It’s difficult to picture the area like that given what it’s become today. What hasn’t changed, of course, is the beach, the unending waves, the strong sea breeze and the timeless Schmidt Memorial. However, the name has changed- I don’t think anyone calls it Elliots Beach anymore, its become Besant Nagar Beach!
Pictures anyone?
“through woods to the beach.”
“As we got closer, the trees would give way to acacia groves” ”
the groves of acacia trees all the way along the beach”
i am sorry i am not able to visualize. yes, few pictures would have made this post very interesting.
hey, nice work.
i have heard stories of my aunt who moved into beasant nagar and had to walk all the way near wheere the adayar bridge is now just to shop. back in those days besant nagar did not exist, as u say. but i have never seen chennai like that. wonder where this city is expanding the most?
http://collectbritain.co.uk/personalisation/object.cfm?uid=019PHO000000248U00026000&largeimage=1#largeimage
This is a photograph of the beach “in outskirts of madras” taken in 1851 (yes 1851). With swaying palm trees and all. David, is this a close approximation :-)
When one of my uncles moved from George Town area to Besant Nagar in 1971, i went in the truck carrying his household articles to Besant Nagar. His house is located behind the present IOB at Besant Nagar. That time the beach was visible from the portico. Let me check any old photo of Besant Nagar is available. Thanks for the post on Besant Nagar
That website provides lot of insights about chennai.
Thank you Nandhu.
David, thanks again for a great nostalgic post. I have heard similar snippets from my parents when my grand dad got a TNHB flat in 1970. There was only a kucha (red soil) road then. Only 2 buses would ply via Besant Nagar – 21 and another bus and that too not after 6 pm! TNHB promoted their flat by offering an option of downpayment of Rs.40,000 for MIG flats or Rs.70,000 payable within 20 years! Nobody wanted to come here you see!!! Imagine the situation now!
David, thanks again for a great nostalgic post. I have heard similar snippets from my parents when my grand dad got a TNHB flat in 1970. There was only a kucha (red soil) road then. Only 2 buses would ply via Besant Nagar – 21 and another bus and that too not after 6 pm! TNHB promoted their flat by offering an option of downpayment of Rs.40,000 for MIG flats or Rs.70,000 payable within 20 years! Nobody wanted to come here you see!!! Imagine the situation now! Read somewhere that the song “Vaadikkai marandhadhum eno” from Kalayana Parisu was shot on Elliots’ beach and the route leading to it.