Location
Senate House, a very popular monument in Chennai city, stands on
the southern end of Chepauk campus. The Chepauk campus, including
the Senate House are parts of the Madras University, one of the
oldest such institutions in India. The monument lies on the Marina
Beach and as such close to the sea, Bay of Bengal.
History
The construction of the famous monument, Senate House, started in
the year 1869. The monument, built in the characteristic
Indo-Sarcenic Style, took some four years for its completion. The
building represents one of the feats of Robert Fellows Chisolm, who
is considered as one of the greatest architects of his time. The
structure was constructed on an artillery site where salvos were
fired to greet the dignitaries. The monument was primarily built for
important meetings and conferences. After its occupation by the
University, the building used to serve as the conference hall for
important academic meetings. The place also used to house the
administration section of Madras University. The building has seen
renovations in the recent months (ending 2005 to 2006) and is
scheduled to be inaugurated in the month of February.
Features
Senate House is considered as an architectural masterpiece. The
building has been constructed according to Indo-Sarcenic Style and
supplemented with Byzantine and European architecture. The building
consists of a main hall provided on the ground floor. This central
hall is 130 feet long, 58 feet broad and 54 feet in height. On
either side of the corridors are six massive stone pillars. The four
towers rises steeply at the corners of the building. The stone
pillars have been constructed and laid in a way to form arches at
the top. The building is surmounted by a painted dome. The main
entrance to the building is on the northern side. The southern part
is provided with separate rooms and an entrance. The convocation or
the main hall has access from the north. The eastern side and the
western side also have entrances that lead to the building
interiors.
Recent Developments
The renovated Senate House is scheduled to be inaugurated by the
President of India A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Azad towards the end of
February 2006. A twenty four lacs project has been undertaken by
Chitrakala Parishat Art to restore the the canvas painting panels.
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