The Senate House serves as the administrative center of the University of Madras. The construction of the building started in 1869 and was completed in 1879 by Robert Fellowes Chisholm. This was built in Indo-Saracenic architecture.
About Senate House :
Located in the campus of the University of Madras, nearby Marina Beach, Senate House is an architectural marvel built by Robert Fellowes Chisholm. Built between 1869 – 1873, Senate House exhibits a blend of Indo-Saracenic and Byzantine styles of architecture.
The huge Central Hall of the Senate House is supported by six mammoth pillars. Senate House has two entrances, which are located on the northern and southern sides of the building. There are domes on each corner of Senate House which are intricately designed and coloured.
Senate House, a former landmark of Chennai, had housed some university departments and offices of the Vice-Chancellor and Registrar of the University of Madras.
Features of Senate House in Chennai :
- The construction work for the Senate House began in the year 1869 and was completed by 1873. The entire construction work was done under the professional eyes of one of the greatest architecture of the 19th century, Robert Fellowes Chisholm.
- The architectural design of the Senate House is a marvel in itself. The design of the building reflects the use of Byzantine and Indo- Saracenic architectural concepts.
- The Central Hall with exclusive corridors of the Senate House is located on the Ground Floor. The corridors are supported by six strong pillars placed on either side. The four elegantly designed colorful domes at each corner of the building dazzles the eye.
- The Senate House has been ruling the site for almost 125 glorious years now. It has been the venue of many functions, convocations and official meetings. The convocations took place at the Central Hall till 1965 and later the venue was shifted to Centenary Convocation Auditorium.
- There are two entrances of the Senate House. The northern entrance leads to the Convocation Auditorium whereas the southern one leads to rooms in the southern wing. The entrances are accompanied by lovely porticos. Each of the porticos are in turn further surrounded by parapets.
- High officials like the Vice Chancellor and the Registrar enjoyed their offices at the Senate House. The smaller halls were meant for meetings of the academic council and the faculty members.
Attractions Of Senate House In Chennai :
- The building essentially consists of a cellar hall, a ground floor hall called as Great Hall with a high ceiling, Northern and Southern wings and main entry porches. In addition the building has minarets and additional porches in the Eastern and Western sides.
- The land once belonged to the Nawabs of the Carnatic, the then sovereign and independent rulers of this part of the country. They were taken over by the British in 1855. In 1857, the university and the Senate House were built on the palace lands.
- This building, whose foundation stone was laid in 1869, was occupied in 1873. The entire structure is a harmonious blend of Indo-Saracenic style, with Byzantine architectural features.
- The floor consists of timber planks. The central hall is flanked on the east and west by wide corridors supported by six massive but exquisitely chiseled stone pillars on either side. The capitals of all the pillars are carved with Hindu deities, human and animal figures and geometric designs. The arches between the pillars are splendidly executed.
- Below the central hall is the Cellar Hall and its floor is 2.69m below the ground level. It is provided with massive end and intermediate walls of brick masonry. The roof is further supported by main and secondary timber beams with additional brick pillars, probably provided to add additional support at a later date.
History Senate House :
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.
Location Senate House In Chennai :
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.
Recent Developments Senate House :
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.
How To Reach the Senate House Chennai :
- By Air : Chennai has its own airport which has both domestic as well as international terminuses. The city is also well-connected to a number of other important cities of the world by regular daily flights.
- By Rail : Chennai is one of the major railway junctions in India.
- By Road : Chennai is well-connected to the other major cities of Southern India by roads which are wide and can be easily traveled on.