Rajaji Hall
Encyclopedia
Rajaji Hall, previously known as the Banqueting Hall, is a public hall in the city of Chennai
, India
used for social functions. The hall was built by John Goldingham
to commemorate the British victory over Tipu Sultan
in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War
.
, an astronomer and engineer with the British East India Company
. The building was commissioned by Edward Clive
, the then Governor of Madras, who envisaged the hall to be an extension of the Government House which was being renovated that year. The hall was built to commemorate the company's victory over Tipu Sultan
in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War
and designed to be a venue for social functions. The construction of the hall cost about two and a half lakh rupees. The building was opened with a grand ball on 7 October 1802.
From 1875 onwards, the hall was extensively renovated and expanded. In 1895, a colonnaded terrace was constructed and a verandah
was built around it.The convocations of the University of Madras
were held in the Banqueting Hall from 1857 till 1879 when the Senate House
was constructed. During January 27, 1938 - October 26, 1939, the legislature
of the Madras Presidency
met here. The hall was renamed as "Rajaji Hall" after India's independence (in honour of C. Rajagopalachari
). The bodies of important political leaders lay in state in Rajaji Hall before their funeral. At present, it houses the offices of the Tamil Nadu State Raffle.
The Government House and Gandhi Illam were demolished during the construction of a new Tamil Nadu legislative assembly-secretariat complex
between 2008 and 2010, apparently causing irreparable damage to the hall's foundations.
and is believed to have been modelled after the Parthenon
in Athens
. It is built on a basement of arched cellars and store rooms and is surrounded by a colonnaded terrace. The exterior of the hall is constructed in the 16th century Italian Manneristic
style. The building is 120 feet long, 65 feet wide and 40 feet high and is enclosed by a gallery which had portraits of popular Anglo-Indian
leaders and administrators including Edward Clive, Richard Wellesley
, Sir Eyre Coote, Sir Thomas Munro, Lord Hobart
and Lord Harris
and British monarchs George III and Queen Charlotte
. The southern end is connected to the Government House by an array of steps. Sten Nilsson describes the hall as resembling "a Heroum, a neo-classical temple for hero worship".
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
used for social functions. The hall was built by John Goldingham
John Goldingham
John Goldingham was the first official astronomer of the Madras Observatory, appointed in 1802. Goldingham headed the Madras Survey School later which grew into the Guindy Engineering College and then Anna University...
to commemorate the British victory over Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan , also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the son of Hyder Ali, at that time an officer in the Mysorean army, and his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-Nissa...
in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War
Fourth Anglo-Mysore War
The Fourth Anglo-Mysore War was a war in South India between the Sultanate of Mysore and the British East India Company under the Earl of Mornington....
.
History
The Banqueting Hall was constructed between 1800 and 1802 by John GoldinghamJohn Goldingham
John Goldingham was the first official astronomer of the Madras Observatory, appointed in 1802. Goldingham headed the Madras Survey School later which grew into the Guindy Engineering College and then Anna University...
, an astronomer and engineer with the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
. The building was commissioned by Edward Clive
Edward Clive, 1st Earl of Powis
Edward Clive, 1st Earl of Powis , known as the Lord Clive between 1774 and 1804, was a British peer and politician.-Background:...
, the then Governor of Madras, who envisaged the hall to be an extension of the Government House which was being renovated that year. The hall was built to commemorate the company's victory over Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan , also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the son of Hyder Ali, at that time an officer in the Mysorean army, and his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-Nissa...
in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War
Fourth Anglo-Mysore War
The Fourth Anglo-Mysore War was a war in South India between the Sultanate of Mysore and the British East India Company under the Earl of Mornington....
and designed to be a venue for social functions. The construction of the hall cost about two and a half lakh rupees. The building was opened with a grand ball on 7 October 1802.
From 1875 onwards, the hall was extensively renovated and expanded. In 1895, a colonnaded terrace was constructed and a verandah
Verandah
A veranda or verandah is a roofed opened gallery or porch. It is also described as an open pillared gallery, generally roofed, built around a central structure...
was built around it.The convocations of the University of Madras
University of Madras
The University of Madras is a public research university in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the three oldest universities in India...
were held in the Banqueting Hall from 1857 till 1879 when the Senate House
Senate House (University of Madras)
The Senate House is the administrative centre of the University of Madras in Chennai, India. It is situated in Wallajah Road, along Marina Beach...
was constructed. During January 27, 1938 - October 26, 1939, the legislature
Madras Legislative Council
Tamil Nadu Legislative Council is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It began its existence as Madras Legislative Council, the first provincial legislature for Madras Presidency. It was initially created as an advisory body in 1861, by the British...
of the Madras Presidency
Madras Presidency
The Madras Presidency , officially the Presidency of Fort St. George and also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision of British India...
met here. The hall was renamed as "Rajaji Hall" after India's independence (in honour of C. Rajagopalachari
C. Rajagopalachari
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari , informally called Rajaji or C.R., was an Indian lawyer, independence activist, politician, writer and statesman. Rajagopalachari was the last Governor-General of India...
). The bodies of important political leaders lay in state in Rajaji Hall before their funeral. At present, it houses the offices of the Tamil Nadu State Raffle.
The Government House and Gandhi Illam were demolished during the construction of a new Tamil Nadu legislative assembly-secretariat complex
Tamil Nadu legislative assembly-secretariat complex
Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and Secretariat Complex also known as the Omandurar Government Estate is a complex of buildings constructed at Government estate grounds off Anna Salai in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The complex is named after O. P. Ramaswamy Reddiyar...
between 2008 and 2010, apparently causing irreparable damage to the hall's foundations.
Structure
Rajaji Hall was built in the form of a Greek templeGreek temple
Greek temples were structures built to house deity statues within Greek sanctuaries in Greek paganism. The temples themselves did usually not directly serve a cult purpose, since the sacrifices and rituals dedicated to the respective deity took place outside them...
and is believed to have been modelled after the Parthenon
Parthenon
The Parthenon is a temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their virgin patron. Its construction began in 447 BC when the Athenian Empire was at the height of its power. It was completed in 438 BC, although...
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. It is built on a basement of arched cellars and store rooms and is surrounded by a colonnaded terrace. The exterior of the hall is constructed in the 16th century Italian Manneristic
Mannerism
Mannerism is a period of European art that emerged from the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520. It lasted until about 1580 in Italy, when a more Baroque style began to replace it, but Northern Mannerism continued into the early 17th century throughout much of Europe...
style. The building is 120 feet long, 65 feet wide and 40 feet high and is enclosed by a gallery which had portraits of popular Anglo-Indian
Anglo-Indian
Anglo-Indians are people who have mixed Indian and British ancestry, or people of British descent born or living in India, now mainly historical in the latter sense. British residents in India used the term "Eurasians" for people of mixed European and Indian descent...
leaders and administrators including Edward Clive, Richard Wellesley
Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley
Richard Colley Wesley, later Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley, KG, PC, PC , styled Viscount Wellesley from birth until 1781, was an Anglo-Irish politician and colonial administrator....
, Sir Eyre Coote, Sir Thomas Munro, Lord Hobart
Robert Hobart, 4th Earl of Buckinghamshire
Robert Hobart, 4th Earl of Buckinghamshire PC , styled Lord Hobart from 1793 to 1804, was a British Tory politician of the late 18th and early 19th century.-Background:...
and Lord Harris
George Harris, 3rd Baron Harris
George Francis Robert Harris, 3rd Baron Harris GCSI , was a British peer, Liberal politician and colonial administrator...
and British monarchs George III and Queen Charlotte
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was the Queen consort of the United Kingdom as the wife of King George III...
. The southern end is connected to the Government House by an array of steps. Sten Nilsson describes the hall as resembling "a Heroum, a neo-classical temple for hero worship".