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|— Neighbourhood —|
|Time zone||IST (UTC+5:30)|
|Vehicle registration||TN-07 Z|
|Lok Sabha constituency||South Chennai|
|Vidhan Sabha constituency||Mylapore|
Mylapore is a major commercial center, as well as one of the oldest residential parts of the city. It is connected to other parts of city by road and the MRTS system. It is known for its tree-lined avenues, the seventh-century Kapaleeshwarar Temple, katcheri season and Ramakrishna Math. Mylapore is regarded as the birthplace of Tamil poet and saint Thiruvalluvar, one of the icons of Tamil literature.
The word Mylapore is derived from Mayil arparikum oor, which means "Land of the peacock scream". Historically, peacocks have been known to thrive in the area, which is evident from the emblem of the Portuguese-built Santhome Church.
Mylapore is located a few kilometres to the south of the British-built Chennai city. It lies between Triplicane and Teynampet in the west then across to the coast in the east. It is bounded by Royapettah to the north. Its southern frontier corresponds roughly with that of the River Adyar. It extends for around 4 km from north to south and 2 km from east to west.
The population of Mylapore is estimated to be around 150,000 to 300,000. It has long been a site of cultural importance for Brahmins, which can be attributed to Mylapore's early role as a temple center. Smartha Brahmins, a subsect, were one of the first people to settle in this township. More accurate statistics are not available as Mylapore is not a separate township by itself, but a part of Chennai city. The different neighborhoods within Mylapore have been distributed among the different wards of the Chennai Corporation.
The town of Mylapore predates British rule by several centuries. It was historically known as Vedapuri. As the available historical and archaeological evidence shows, it could well be the oldest part of Chennai, with written records of early settlements going back to the first century BC. It was known for its ancient port with a flourishing trade with the Roman Empire, receiving gold in exchange for its products like pepper and fine cloth. Ptolemy had recorded in the 2nd century AD that the port of Mylapore was known to the Greeks and the Romans. Mention has been made of the early settlement of Santhome by Arab travelers and merchants of the 9th and 10th centuries AD. Marco Polo visited the place in the late 13th century, and the Portuguese settled around Santhome in the early 16th century.
Mylapore was occupied by the Portuguese in 1523, who established the viceroyalty of "São Tomé de Meliapore" or "Saint Thomas of Mylapore." Portuguese rule lasted until 1749, except for a brief interregnum between 1662 and 1687, when the town was occupied by the French.
After 1749, the town fell into the hands of the British East India Company, who took possession of the settlement in the name of Muhammad Ali Khan Wallajah, the Nawab of Arcot. In that same year, Mylapore was incorporated into the administration of the Presidency of Madras. The settlement known as "Luz" developed during this period. As early as 1760, an English writer by the name of James Taylor applied for land in the region known as "Luce." The name "Luz" might have originated from this.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the town became the commercial and intellectual hub of Madras city and home to British-educated lawyers and statesmen. Some of the luminaries based in Mylapore included Sir V. Bhashyam Aiyangar, Sir S. Subramania Iyer, Sir T. Madhava Rao, Eardley Norton, Sir P. S. Sivaswami Iyer, Pennathur Subramania Iyer, V. Krishnaswamy Iyer, Sir C. P. Ramaswami Iyer, H Bhimasena Rau, C S Rama Rao Sahib, Subanthore Vasudeva Rao, CR Krishnaswamy Rao Sahib and the civil engineer C R Narayana Rao. Subanthore Vasudeva Rao's descendants still reside in his 100-year-old house near Kapaleeswarar Temple, Mylapore.
In recent times, increasing commercialization has changed the look of the area. Today, Mylapore is known for its residential colonies, temples, shopping malls, music halls and sabhas, along with old 19th century style residential buildings and houses.
Notable personalities 
The Tamil sage of the Sangam Period Thiruvalluvar, author of the Tamil work Thirukkural, is said to have been born in Mylapore. The temple dedicated to Thiruvalluvar is one of the major attractions of the area.
The area is associated with Ptolemy, an noted Egyptian traveller. He is believed to have arrived at Mylapore to find a thriving port city. Marco Polo visited Mylapore; he left a detailed description of the land, the people along with their customs and religion.
Mylapore contains many educational institutions, including Vivekananda College, Lady Sivaswamy Ayyar Girls Hr.Sec.School St., Sir Sivaswami Kalalaya Senior Sec School, Sir Sivaswami Kalalaya Higher Sec School, Raphael's Girls Hr.Sec.School, Rosary matriculation Higher secondary school, St Bede's Anglo Indian Higher secondary school, Santhome Higher Sec. School, Montfort Academy, MCTM Chidambaram Chettyar International IB School, Dominic Savio School, St. John's Schools, P. S. Senior Secondary School, Vidya Mandir Secondary School, P.S Higher Secondary School, with the latter being over a hundred years old. India's first digital media college — the Image College of Arts, Animation, and Technology is also based in Mylapore.
Religious importance 
Mylapore is known for its cultural and religious heritage. Mylapore is home to hundreds of temples, churches and mosques. A few of the notable sites are the Kapaleeshwarar Karpagambal temple, AdiKesava Perumal Temple, the San Thome Basilica, and Madhava Perumal temple.
Kapaleeswarar temple 
The temple was built by Pallava kings in the ninth century. The main deity of the temple is Lord Shiva. The temple exhibits exquisite architecture.
San Thome Basilica 
San Thome Basilica is a Roman Catholic (Latin Rite) minor basilica in Santhome, in the city of Chennai (Madras), India. It was built in the 16th century by Portuguese explorers, and rebuilt again with the status of a cathedral by the British in 1893 which still stands. San Thome Basilica is the principal church of the Madras-Mylapore Catholic Archdiocese. In 1956, Pope Pius XII raised the church to the status of a Minor Basilica, and on February 11, 2006, it was declared a national shrine by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India. The San Thome Basilica is a pilgrimage center for Christians in India. The church also has an attached museum.
Ramakrishna Math 
|This section requires expansion. (August 2012)|
Sri Ramakrishna Mutt, is the oldest center of the Ramakrishna Order in the South India. Sri Ramakrishna is the main deity of the temple. Architecture of the temple is a blend of Hindu, Islamic, Buddhist, Rajput, and Christian styles.
AdiKesava Perumal Temple 
Mylapore is known for the AdiKesava Perumal Temple constructed in honor of Keshava or Lord Vishnu, a principal God in the Hindu pantheon and the "Savior" in the Hindu trinity. The temple has an idol of Lord Vishnu accompanied by his celestial consort Goddess Lakshmi.
Sri Vedantha Desikar Devasthanam/Sri Srinivasar Koil 
Mylapore has the Srinivasar temple near Chitra Kulam in Mylapore, which is administered by the Vedantha Desikar Devasthanam (SVDD)]. It is located beside the Adi Kesava Perumal Temple, which has an imposing gopuram that can be seen from quite a distance.
The Srinivasa temple has a history of over 350 years. A vigraha of Sri Vedanta Desika was brought from the adjacent Kesavaperumal temple and installed here. Since elders felt that the Acharya should not preside alone, a vigraha of Lakshmi Hayagriva modelled on the idol of the Mysore Parakala mutt was brought and installed. The Parakala mutt is also located in Mylapore (opposite road to Mylai railway station). The shrine of the great teacher Vedantha Desika is the one that faces north and it is the first shrine one sees in the temple. Sri Vedantha Desika lived over 830 years ago in South India. He wrote erudite commentaries on Ramanuja's Sribhashyam, Gita Bhashyam and was a great exponent of Visishtadvaita.
Hayagriva was the "upasana daivam" of Vedantha Desika and therefore worshiping him here is considered doubly beneficial. He is said to have performed penance in Sivanasamudram on the banks of the Cauvery river for 10 years. He lived on this earth for 120 years, which is the prescribed lifespan of a human being according to ancient texts. He left behind five noted disciples (Jeers). Apart from the sanctum dedicated to Alameluthayar, there are shrines to Lord Rama, Lord Narasimha and the Azhwars.
Throughout the year, festivals are celebrated in the temple. Srinivasa Perumal Brahmothsavam, Desikar Uthsavam, Pavithra Uthsavam, Sri Rama Navami are the more prominent ones.
Other temples 
Some of the prominent temples in the area include:
Mylapore is regarded by many as the cultural hub of the city. Mylapore is the home of music sabhas (cultural organizations) and musicians. December is often set aside as the Music Season when regular and continuous kutcheris are organized by the Sabhas in Mylapore. There are performances by Carnatic Music vocalists and artists during this period. The Parthasarathy Swami Sabha in Mylapore is the oldest Sabha (Assembly) in Tamil Nadu. The Madras Music Academy in the north of the district is an important nucleus of art events in the city. Bharatiya Vidhya Bhavan Auditorium conducts cultural events. The Mylapore Fine Arts located near Nageshwara Rao Park is another Sabha.
Nageshwara Rao Garden is known for its play area, shrubs and cultural events.
The Mylapore Times, a weekly neighbourhood newspaper, covers issues relating to the neighbourhood of Mylapore.
There are a number of shops and exhibition halls in Mylapore. Nilgiris 1905 is the most prominent departmental store in Mylapore. There are halls such as Sankara Hall, where book fairs and handloom and art exhibitions are held. Khadims is a footwear store, located on Venkatesha Agraharam Road. Most parts of the Marina beach are located within Mylapore.
The Chennai Citi Centre shopping mall has a multiplex, a food court and many shops.
Mylapore is known for its classical dance accessories. Costumes, jewellery and other dance accessories can be found near the Kapaleeswar Temple.
Nageswara Rao Park, a four acre park, is located on Luz Church Road in Mylapore. The park is open to the public from 5am to 8pm and is a popular place for morning walks.
Localities in Mylapore 
Some of the noted localities in Mylapore include
- Foreshore Estate
- Quibble Island
- Raja Annamalaipuram
- Mayor Ramanathan Chettiar Nagar
- Karpagam Avenue
Places of importance in Mylapore 
- Sri Ramakrishna Math & Universal Temple
- Thiruvalluvar Temple
- Madras Music Academy
- Nageswara Rao Park
- Luz Church
- Kapaleeshwar Temple
- Madras Sanskrit College
- Vivekananda College
- San Thome Basilica
- Lighthouse, Chennai
- All India Radio
- Sai Baba Temple
Location in context 
|Alwarpet||Bay of Bengal|
|Mandaveli||Raja Annamalai Puram||Santhome|
- Partywise Comparison Since in Assembly Elections since 1977
- Profile of candidates who contested 2006 Assembly Elections from Mylapore constituency[dead link]
- Kanakasabhai (1997). The Tamils Eighteen Hundred Years Ago. Asian Education Service. p. 138. ISBN 81-206-0150-5.
- Saints, Goddesses and Kings By Susan Bayly
- Voter population of Mylapore Legislative Assembly constituency
- Womanhood in the Making By Mary Elizabeth Hancock, Mary Hancock
- "Structure of Chennai". Chapter 1. CMDA. Retrieved 24-Feb-2013.
- A brief history of Chennai, From the official website of the Corporation of Chennai
- PALATHOPE -- A Lawyer's Enclave Part I by Ashwin Prabhu, Mylapore Social History Project
- PALATHOPE -- A Lawyer's Enclave Part II by Ashwin Prabhu, Mylapore Social History Project
- Madras Rediscovered by S.Muthiah
- Biography of Thiruvalluvar by Swami Sivananda
- Ptolemy mentions Mylapore as Mylarphon and describes it as a 'rich, vast and grand land'[dead link]
- The Travels of Marco Polo by Henry Yule, Vol 2, Book 3, Chapters XVII and XVIII, Project Gutenberg
- "St Thomas Christians" Catholic Encyclopedia (Newadvent.org). http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14678a.htm . nd. web. accessed FEB 19, 2010.
- "Basilica of the National Shrine of St.Thomas". http://www.santhomebasilica.com . nd. web. accessed FEB 19, 2010.
- "Basilica of the National Shrine of St. Thomas". SanThomeChurch.com. Retrieved 20 February 2010.
- History of Srinivasa Temple
- Sanctums Sanctorum of Lord Srinivasa and Alamelumanga Thayar
- Festivals of Srinivasa Temple
- "List of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies" (PDF). Tamil Nadu. Election Commission of India. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mylapore|
- Mylapore page on Metblogs[dead link]
- Mylapore page on Rediff
- Website of Kapaleeswarar Temple
- Website of Srinivasar Koil
- Official website of the Madras Musical Academy
- Official Website of Ramakrishna Mutt, Chennai
- Official blog of the Member of Legislative Assembly(MLA) from Mylapore
- Website of Santhome church Mylapore
- Website of Santhome Cathedral Mylapore
See also