STAMP OF CHENNAI - 11: Madras Day 2007

A special cover released by the Postal Department on August 22 to commemorate the 368th Madras Day. It is on August 22, 1739 that the East India Company received a piece of land from the Vijayanagar Kingdom to set up a trading post. Fort St George came up at the place and was the root from which Madras city grew.
Check out more details in Stamp of Chennai - 9, the Madras Day 2006 special cover.
The special cover this year carries a map of the Fort St George and a cancellation with a drawing of the flag mast -- the tallest in India -- in the fort.
A nice cover, though a very cluttered design. Last year's was definitely more simple and elegant.
The back of the cover carries ten black and white photographs of various locations in the Madras of the late 1800s and early 1900s.


I just thought I would add a picture of the Ripon Building, the headquarters of the City's administration. The Corporation of Madras, the oldest in India, came into being through a charter of September 29, 1688. It was decided that Madras Corporation would the area up to a distance of 10 miles (16.09 km) from Fort St George. Madras city, Chennai now, has grown several miles past that limit but the boundary remains the same.
In another two years the Ripon Building will celebrate its centenary.
(Check the Chennai Corporation's official website for an interesting history of the City.)

Stamp of Chennai - 10

A.M.M. Murugappa Chettiar - a member of a family with a history that can be traced back more than a century and a family whose links contributed to one of the most famous and well known names in the City - Parry's Corner.
India Post released a stamp of A.M.M. Murugappa Chettiar in October 2005 to commemorate his centenary.
From the information sheet published on the occassion: Son of Dewan Bahadur A.M. Murugappa Chettiar (the founder of the Murugappa Group, which is now headed by the fourth generation), A.M.M. Murugappa Chettiar was born on January 22, 1902 at Pallathur in Ramnad District, Tamil Nadu. His vision resulted in teh establishement of the well known Tube Investments India Ltd in collaboration with the famous British Group, Tube Investments Ltd, Birmingham. Along with other companies in the group such as TI Metal Sections, Wright Saddles of India, TI Diamond Chain Ltd and TI Miller Ltd the group produced world famous brands of cycles -- Hercules, Phillips and BSA.
He was also responsible for developing Carborundum Universal in collaboration with the Carborundum Company, UK.
He set up a charitable trust, A.M.M. Charities, now A.M.M. Foundation which established A.M.M. Hospital, Murugappa Chettiar Memorial Polytechnic, Sir Ramaswami Mudaliar Higher Secondary School, Vellayan Chettiar Higher Secondary School, and Sir Ivan Stedford Hospital...

Here is an extract of the history of Dare House, the headquarters of the Murugappa Group, from the Group's Website.
"History of Dare House
The foundation of Dare House was laid in 1938 but the need for the building was felt as early as 1915. The existing building was inadequate spacewise for Parrys and architecturally better looking buildings were coming up in the vicinity. This contrast it was felt was not good for business. However the London office did not share similar views. Due to pressing demand for space the tenants in the lawyers block were turned out in 1919 but this did not help much and the need for a a new building become imperative. William Wright, the then chairman wrote to the London office that Parry's dingy approach and entrance would not fail to give the impression that the firm was out of date. Finally in 1938 the requisite money was mobilized for the new building and the foundation stone of Dare House was laid. With Parrys expanding year after year, Parry House was built behind Dare House and Parry Annexe came up in Moore Street.
Dare House is today one of the finest landmarks in Parrys rooted in a rich heritage and housing one of the futuristic conglomerates in the country - Murugappa Group."

Stamp of Chennai - 9

A post I planned to do on Madras Day - but finally managing to do now - a belated birthday post.
The special cover above was released by India Post on August 22, 2006 to commemorate the founding of Madras on August 22, 1639, the day when the Nayaks of Vijayanagar Empire granted a piece of land to the East India Company - the land on which the EIC built Fort St George, which even today is the seat of power.
A great special cover - one because it is nicely done - senior philatelists say that the Postal Department decided to release this cover in the last minute and the cover was designed and readied in about two days.
But the other important reason is the great stamp that they decided to put on it - a stamp released in 1986 to mark 200 years of General Post Office in Madras. That made the cover a double treat for stamp lovers.

So I decided to include the first day cover released in 1986 and a special cover, which has another painting of the GPO released on April 26, 1984, to mark the centenary of the GPO building. Before I get on to the topic of my post, here is a related material, a special cancellation of the Fort St George with a painting of the Fort and the beach front in the days of the East India Company - the cover was released on February 5, 1978 - I think on the occassion of the Tamil Nadu Philatelic Exhibition.

Finally, to the topic at hand: Why a stamp of the General Post Office on Madras Day cover? Often the Postal Department does not always stick a related stamp on a special cover - it could be any stamp on any cover.

But here is some info from the information sheet released along with the GPO stamp.

"It (Madras GPO) was opened on June 1, 1786, in a building on the beach in Fort St George Square. It was shifted to a building in Fort St George on October 1, 1837, commonly called the Old Bank near the North Gate (vide notification in Fort St George Gazette dated September 20, 1837."
Above are two pics - it is nearly impossible to replicate the view we see on the stamp. First Line Beach Road is crowded and the road too narrow to get a full, head-on view.

But back to the subject of the GPO - "Madras GPO is one of the three unique offices in the country called as Presidency Offices, the other two being Bombay and Calcutta." The GPO moved to this building in April 26, 1884.

Subsidiary post offices were opened at Vepery and Royapettah after a gazette notification dated March 25, 1834 for "transmission of letter to Madras GPO on payment of 1/2 Anna over and above the regulated postage.

Madras GPO was from the beginning a pioneer Post Office in providing better postal facilities to the public. The postage rates in Madras Presidency were cheaper than at Calcutta up to 1837 when uniform postage was introduced all over India."

On its working: "There was a boat contractor to bring mails from steamer to harbour. No other person except one Postal Official on duty was allowed in the boat. The mails were carried from harbour to GPO in bullock cart with 3 `Coolies' accompanied by a Postal Official.

On opening on June 1, 1786, the staff at Madras GPO consisted of Postmaster General, 1 Deputy Postmaster General, 1 Writer or Native Assistant, 5 Sorters (Clerks), 1 Head `Peon' and 10 `Peons' (postmen) for distributing letters. A Deputy postmaster was appointed from Masulipatnam, Ganjam, Tanjore and Anjango. The Postmaster General had the control of the whole establishment.

The present site of the GPO building was actually a site of warfare and it was called as `Aber Cromble (Crombie) Battery."

MADRAS IN STAMPS - 1

Madras in Stamps - 1

Stamps and year of issue (L to R) ROW 1: University of Madras - Centenary of Indian Universities, 1957; Thiruvalluvar - Philosopher, saint, poet 2nd-1st century BC, 1960; Subramania Bharati-Poet, freedom fighter, 1960; High Court of Madras - Centenary of High Courts, 1962; Srinivasa Ramanujan - Mathematician, 1962; Dr Annie Besant - Theosophist, 1963.
ROW 2: St Thomas, 1964; Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan - philosoper, educationist and diplomat, 1967; 2nd International conference and seminar on tamil studies - 1968; Kasinadhuni Nageswara Rao - journalist, 1969; C.N. Anna Durai- politician, 1970; V.S. Srinivasa Sastri - educationist, 1970; Sir C.V. Raman - educationist, 1971; Tanguturi Prakasam - freedom fighter and the first Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, 1972.
ROW 3: Church on St Thomas Mount, 1973; C. Rajagopalachari - Statesman, 1st Indian Governor General of India, 1973; Kandukuri Veeresalingam - social reformer, 1974; V.V. Giri - 4th President of India, 1974; Theosophical Society Emblem - centenary, 1975; Bicentenary of 16th light infantry (Vijayanta Tank), 1976; K. Kamaraj - politician, 1976; E.V. Ramasami - Social Reformer, 1978.

Madras in Stamps - 2

A series of five images that show a collection of commemorative stamps on topics that directly relate to Madras and Chennai. Starting from 1957 with the stamp of the Senate House of the University of Madras (Check out Stamp of Chennai - 8), which I think was the first on a Madras subject post-independence, up to the stamp on L.V. Prasad, the founder of Prasad Studios.
They are all here - Educational insitutions, academics, religious leaders, philosophers, politicians, actors and industrialists, and stamps of statues, buildings, monuments and industries - and the list will grow.
Apart from this there are also the special commemorative covers, which I will post at some later date.
If any more stamps need to be added please point out the ones left out.
These images will be the topics I hope to post in the Stamps of Chennai series with pics and additional information.
Madras in Stamps - 2

Stamps and year of issue (L to R). ROW 1: C. Rajagopalachari - taking oath as Governor General, 1978; Rajah Annamalai Chettiar - banker and educationist, 1980; Bicentenary of Madras Sappers, 1980; Map of South East Asia showing Madras and Penang linked by the Indian Ocean Commonwealth Submarine Cable, 1981; Durgabai Deshmukh - Social Reformer, 1981; Madras Medical College, 1985; Bicentenary of Madras General Post Office, 1986.
BLOCK of four stamps shows early congress leaders.
ROW 2: S. Satyamurti - Congress leader, Martyr, 1987; Madras Christian College, 1987; J. Krishnamurti - philosopher, 1987; Rukmini Devi & Dancer - exponent of art and culture, educationist, 1987.
ROW 3: Dr Rajah Sir Muthiah Chettiar - educationist and philathropisy, 1987; B.N. Rau - architech of Indian constitution (and a genius mathematician), 1988.

Madras in Stamps - 3

Madras in Stamps - 3

Stamps and year of issue (L to R) ROW 1: Bishnu Ram Medhi - politician, 1989; Dr S. Radhakrishnan, 1989; P. Subbarayan - patriot and politician, Founder President Indian Cricket Control Board, 1989; M.G. Ramachandran - actor, politician, 1990; Dr S.R. Ranganathan and Madras University Library, Father of Library Science, 1992; Bicentenary of 4th Battalion (Wallajahbad Light Infantry), The Madras Regiment, 1994; Bicentenary of the Institute of Mental Health, Madras, 1994.
ROW 2: 200 years of College of Engineering, Guindy, Madras (It is now Anna University), 1994; Field Marshall Cariappa, 1995; Pasumpon Muthuramalingam Thevar, 1995; Muhammad Ismail Sahib - politician, 1996; Chemabai, Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar - musician, 1996; St Andrew's Church, Egmore, Madras, 1997; Rukmini Lakshmipathy - patriot and Social Reformer, 1997; Kotamaraju Rama Rao - Freedom fighter, journalist, 1997.
ROW 3: Dr Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramayya - patriot and journalist, 1997; Jerome D' Souza and Cathedral - educationist and statesman, 1997; Dr C. Vijayaraghavachariar - patriot, lawyer and social reformer, 1998; Centenary of Connemara Public Library, 1998; 40 years of Defence Research and Development Organisation (tank in stamp is Arjun - Main Battle Tank manufactured at Avadi, Madras), 1999; P. S. Kumaraswamy Raja and Gandhi Kala Mandiram - politician, 1999; Kalki R. Krishnamurthy - patriot and tamil writer, 1999.

Madras in Stamps - 4

Madras in Stamps - 4

Stamps and year of issue (L to R). ROW 1: Musiri Subramania Iyer - Modern master of music, 1999; P. Kakkan and symbol of agriculture, 1999; Potti Sriramulu - activist, 2000; Dr Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao - actor, politician and reformer, 2000; Diwan Bahadur R. Srinivasan - leader of depressed classes, 2000; C. Sankaran Nair - lawyer, 2001; Sivaji Ganesan - Actor and cultural ambassador, 2001.
ROW 2: Bharathidasan - Tamil Poet, 2001; Bicentenary of Indian Ordnance Factories (tank Ajeya), 2002; T.T. Krishnamachari - economist and social reformer, 2002; Palace of Chandragiri Fort, 2002; Ghantasala Venkateswara Rao - freedom fighter, playback singer and music director, 2003.
ROW 3: 151 anniversary of Madras Museum, 2003; Tricentenary of the 9th battalion of Madras Regiment, 2004; Murasoli Maran - writer and statesman, 2004; Thiruthuraipoondi Subramanian Srinivasan (S.S. Vasan) - film maker and media baron, 2004; K. Subramanyam - film maker, 2004; A.M.M. Murugappa Chettiar - industrialist, 2005.

Madras in Stamps - 5

Madras in Stamps - 5

Stamp and year of issue (L to R) ROW 1: Dr. T.S. Soundaram, 2005; M.S. Subbulakshmi, 2005; Kavimani Desiga Vinayagam Pillai, 2005; Integral Coach Factory, 2005; Vi. Kalyanasundaranar, 2005.
ROW 2: State Bank of India, 2005; N.M.R. Subbaraman, 2005; AV. Meiyappan, 2006; Devaneya Pavanar, 2006; Dr U.V. Swaminatha Iyer, 2006.
ROW 3: Tamilavel Umamaheswarar, 2006; Thirumuruga Kirubananda Variyar, 2006; Gemini Ganesan, 2006; M. Singaravelar, 2006; Ma. Po. Sivagnanam, 2006; University of Madras, 2006; L.V. Prasad, 2006.

Stamp of Chennai - 8

The University of Madras is into its 150th year. Set up in 1857 -- a year more popularly known for the first war of independence, the sepoy mutiny -- along with the universities in Mumbai and Kolkata this year also marks the start of the western system of education in India.
India Post brought out a commemorative stamp to mark the occasion. It shows a section of the Senate House, the building from which the University started functioning. It is being renovated after it lay disused and dilapidated for over two decades.

The stamp brought out in 1957 to mark the centenary of the University of Madras also featured the Senate House. I think despite the monotone print this stamp brings out the Senate House's grandeur better than the recent colourful version.

A First Day Cover and special cancellation to mark the 150th year.  

STAMP OF CHENNAI - 7

Stamp of Chennai - 7: The St Andrew's Kirk, Chennai. 

Stamp of Chennai - 7: This stamp released by India Post in 1997 was to commemorate the 175th anniversary of the St Andrew's Church in Chennai. It was built for the members of the Scottish Church and is known popularly as the St Andrew's Kirk. 

STAMP OF CHENNAI - 5

The Church of Our Lady of Expectations on St Thomas Mount, Chennai. As a part of the stamp of Chennai series this is related to last month's post on Santhome Church (Stamp of Chennai - 4). It is on this mount that St Thomas is believed to have been martyred. The Church was constructed in 1523. Though simple from outside, it has some interesting details in the interior, including a set of ancient paintings. 

Stamp of Chennai - 5: The stamp issued in 1973 to commemorate the 19th death centenary of St Thomas, the apostle. The image here is a likeness of the cross that can be seen on altar.  

STAMP OF CHENNAI - 3

One more in the stamp of Chennai series - like the rest of the posts in this blog a random selection. But the combination of pics here is the fall out of a piece of information that was new to me, when I heard it in January 2006, when the AVM stamp was released. The stamp to commemorate AV. Meiyappan, who started AVM studios. He was one of the persons responsible for so many of Bharatiar's songs being popularised in movies.
He purchased the copyright of Mahakavi Bharatiar's songs for Rs 10,000 from another individual who had bought it for Rs 600. AVM then used many of the songs in his movie `Naam Iruvar' (we two) released in January 1947. Then he donated the copyrights to the Tamil Nadu Government.
This I heard at a presentation on AVM studios by his son Mr AV.M. Saravanan.

Stamp of Chennai - 3. The stamp of Subramania Bharati (1882-1921). Popularly called `Mahakavi Bharatiar' a poet and freedom fighter, known for his patriotic songs. He was also a teacher, a journalist - editor of a nationalist paper `Swadesamitran.'  

The man we can thank for bringing Bharathiar's songs into the public domain -AV. Meiyappan. The AV.M stamp and first day cover is at the top. The lower cover is a special cover and cancellation to commemorate AV.Meiyappan (1907-1979). The stamp was released in January 2006, as a part of the 60th anniversary celebrations of AVM studios, one of the two studios in Kodambakam, Kollywood, to continue in film business. (The other is Prasad Studios - another post later) The special cover has the stamp of another movie great NTR - N.T. Rama Rao, of telugu filmdom, who went on to become the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. The frames in the special cover include those from `Naam Iruvar' that had a number of Bharathiar songs, next is a pic of Ms Vaijayanthimala Bali in `Vaazhkai,' Sivaji Ganesan in `Parasakthi,' the kid is Kamal Haasan in `Kalathoor Kanamma' aaannd in the last frame MGR - THE `Puratchi Thalaivar' in ANBE VAA. 

A first day cover. 

STAMP OF CHENNAI

Just thought of trying something different - posting other than photographs. Starting a series - without committing myself to any frequency - that I will try to continue. Hope bloggers like the idea.