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Few
Places in Chennai offer greater serenity than the sprawling
gardens of the Theosophical Society, situated
in the city's Adyar neighbourhood, on the banks of the
Adyar river. Founded in New York in 1875, the Society
moved here seven years later when it acquired Huddlestone
Gardens.
Built in 1776 by John Huddlestone, a wealthy civilian,
this large mansion is today the world headquarters of
the Society. Its magnificent 108-ha estate comprises
several
19th Century buildings, one of which is the former home
of its founder Colonel Henry S Olcott. The Main building
houses the great hall, almost spartan in its simplicity,
where prayer meetings are held. Bas-reliefs, representing
the different faiths, and engravings of verses taken
from the holy books of all world religions can be seen
here.
There are also marble statues of the founders Colonel
Olcott and Helena Petrovana Blavatsky, as well as
Annie Besant, who became President in 1907.
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The
Adyar Library and Research Centre, founded by Olcott in
1886, is one of the finest libraries in India. Its Collection
of 165,000 books and 20,000 palm-leaf and Parchment manuscripts
has made it a valuable repository for Indological research.
The surrounding tranquil gardens have shrines dedicated
to various faiths. The greatest attraction
here, however is the 400-years old banyan tree whose spreading
branches cover an immense area of 4,180sq m (44,993 sqft).
Over the decades, many of the Society's meetings and spiritual
discourses were held under its canopy. Unfortunately, a
terrible storm in 1989 destroyed its main trunk.
Brodie
Castle north of the Theosophical society, is
an imposing white structure on the banks of the Adyar.
Now
known as Thennral, it houses the prestigious College
of Carnatic Music. Built in 1976 by James Brodie, an
Employee
of the East India Company. It is said to be among the
first "Garden -Houses" built in the City. These
spacious, airy houses with broad pillared verandahs,
set in sprawing wooded gardens, were characteristic of
Colonial
Chennai. This house later became the home of the first
Chief Justice of the Madras Supreme Court. Further, north
of Brodie castle is the Madras Club built
by George Moubray, who came to india as an accountant
in 1771. He acquired 42 ha of Land on the banks of the
Adyar,
and built a house with a central cupola surrounded by
a beautiful garden. Known as Moubray's Cupola, this was
once
the exclusively preserved by the city's European Population.
Indians were only allowed to have membership in 1964,
after it merged with the Adyar Club.
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