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{{Short description|Major road in Chennai, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2018}}
{{Infobox street
|marker_image=
|name= NSC Bose Road
|native_name=
|alternate_name= China Bazaar Road
|maint= [[Corporation of Chennai]]
|image= Parrys Corner, Chennai, India.jpg
|caption=Parry's Corner marks the eastern end of China Bazaar Road
|map=
|length_mi= 0.93
|length_round=
|length_ref=
|length_notes=
|established=
|decommissioned=
|direction_a=East
|terminus_a=[[Parry's Corner]], [[George Town, Chennai|George Town]], [[Chennai]]
|junction=
|direction_b=West
|terminus_b=[[Wall Tax Road, Chennai|Wall Tax Road]], [[Park Town, Chennai|Park Town]], [[Chennai]]
|coordinates = {{coord|13.02211|80.224618|display=inline,title}}|counties=
|cities=
|system=
}}

'''China Bazaar Road''', officially '''Netaji Subash Chandra Bose Road''' (or '''NSC Bose Road'''), is one of the main thoroughfares of the commercial centre of [[George Town, Chennai|George Town]] in [[Chennai]], [[India]]. The road connects [[Rajaji Salai, Chennai|Rajaji Salai]] in the east and [[Wall Tax Road, Chennai|Wall Tax Road]] in the west. Passing through thickly populated residential areas of the historical neighbourhood, the road has several streets, lanes, and by lanes joining it, housing several commercial establishments of the city.

==History==
[[File:The road leading to Parry's Corner, Madras.jpg|thumb|An aerial view of NSC Bose Road]]
[[File:Chennai (6708462047).jpg|thumb|NSC Bose Road]]
After [[Fort St. George (India)|Fort St. George]] was built in 1640, a new township for the servants of the inmates of the fort, known as the ''Black Town'', came up outside the fort to the northern side. In 1746, the [[French People|French]] captured the town of Madras and, following the [[Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748)|Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle]], returned the town to the [[British People|English]] in 1749 in exchange for [[Quebec]]. Soon after this, the English flattened a part of the Black Town in order to have a clear field for fire in the event of an attack. In 1773, the English erected 13 pillars along the flattened area of the Black Town, banning all construction activities between the pillars and the fort as it might block the view of possible invaders. Soon a new Black Town was formed beyond these pillars, with the old Black Town giving way to the [[Madras High Court]]. A thoroughfare was formed along the stretch between the pillars and the high court, which eventually became known as China Bazaar Road. Of the 13 original pillars, only one survives today, which is being maintained in the compound of the Parry's building.<ref name="TOI_ChennaiHigh">{{cite news
| title = Chennai High: Where history beckons
| location = Chennai
| date = 27 August 2010
| url = https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Chennai-High-Where-history-beckons/articleshow/6442396.cms
| archive-url = https://archive.today/20130216064603/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-08-27/chennai/28292743_1_pillars-fort-st-george-madras
| url-status = live
| archive-date = 16 February 2013
| newspaper = [[The Times of India]]
| access-date = 19 Jan 2013}}</ref>

Till the 19th century, the road was occupied by a large number of tiled houses. In 1787, [[Thomas Parry (Chennai merchant)|Thomas Parry]], a [[Wales|Welsh]] businessman, bought the land with a garden house lying across the High Court buildings at the junction of NSC Bose Road and Rajaji Salai and developed it as a commercial complex housing the offices of Parry and Lane. The junction eventually became known as [[Parry's Corner]].<ref name="Hindu_ThoroughfareOfGeorgeTown">{{cite news
| last = Madhavan
| first = T.
| title = NSC Bose Road: Thoroughfare of George Town
| newspaper = The Hindu
| location = Chennai
| date = 12 May 2012
| url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/article3404384.ece
| access-date = 14 Jan 2013}}</ref>

In 1850, Pachaiyappa's Hall, another landmark on the road, was built and named after the philanthropist [[Pachaiyappa Mudaliar]]. The building remains today with the ground floor being occupied by several shops.<ref name="Hindu_ThoroughfareOfGeorgeTown"/>

The road was one of the major junctions in the city when [[tram]] transportation began in 1895. The road also housed the [[Kothawal Chavadi]] market to where vegetables from various places around the city were brought. The market was considered the largest in [[Asia]]. The intense business in the market resulted in wholesale vegetable vendors renting the shops in the market on an hourly basis.<ref name="Hindu_ThoroughfareOfGeorgeTown"/> The market remained in the area till 1996, when it was shifted to [[Koyambedu]].<ref name="muthiahp356">{{cite book | title=Madras Rediscovered| last=Muthiah| first=S.| year=2004| author-link=S. Muthiah| publisher=East West Books (Madras) Pvt Ltd| isbn=978-81-88661-24-4|page=356}}</ref>

The road is also considered the origin of the jewellery market in the city. The road housed several [[gold]] and [[diamond]] merchants. The Madras Jewellers & Diamond Merchants' Association, which was established in 1938, was initially headquartered at China Bazaar Road. Later it was shifted to Car Street in [[Sowcarpet]], but it again moved to its own premises on Badria Garden Lane, one of the several lanes of the road.<ref name="Hindu_ThoroughfareOfGeorgeTown"/>

The office of the [[American Consulate, Chennai|Consulate General of the United States]] was located on this road from 1908 till the 1950s before moving to the current location at the [[Gemini circle, Chennai|Gemini Circle]].<ref name="100YearsOfUSRep">{{cite news
| last = Muthiah
| first = S.
| title = 100 years of U.S. representation
| location = Chennai
| date = 22 September 2008
| url = http://www.hindu.com/mp/2008/09/22/stories/2008092250870500.htm
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080925200447/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2008/09/22/stories/2008092250870500.htm
| url-status = dead
| archive-date = 25 September 2008
| newspaper = [[The Hindu]]
| access-date = 2 Aug 2012}}</ref>

==Landmarks==
From the eastern side, the roads begins at the Parry's Corner and the eastern entrance of the [[Madras High Court]], with the [[Chennai Beach|Beach railway station]] and [[Chennai Port]] lying further to the east marking the land's end. Famous landmarks of the road include Kuralagam, [[Broadway bus terminus]], [[St. Mary's Anglo-Indian Higher Secondary School]], [[Kothawal Chavadi|Kothawal Chavadi vegetable market]], and flower market, in addition to several places of worship. The twin temples of [[Mallikesvarar Temple, Chennai|Sri Chenna Mallikeshwarar]] and [[Chennakesava Perumal Temple, Chennai|Sri Chennakesava Perumal]] are located on the road.<ref>{{cite news
| title = Top 5 streets of George Town in Chennai
| newspaper = The Hindu
| location = Chennai
| publisher = Kasturi & Sons
| date = 28 August 2017
| url = https://www.thehindu.com/real-estate/top-5-streets-of-george-town-in-chennai/article19575578.ece
| access-date = 24 September 2020}}</ref>
[[File:Georgetown panorama.jpg|thumb|centre|700px|Panoramic view of NSC Bose Road from the Madras High Court buildings]]

==The present-day road==
NSC Bose Road runs from Parry's Corner on the east to Wall Tax Road on the west for a length of 1.5 km. The width of the road ranges from 50 m near Parry's Corner to 10 m near Wall Tax Road junction. However, owing to congestion, less than one-third of the road remains motorable in many parts, chiefly between Wall Tax Road and Flower Bazaar.<ref name="TOI_NoFreedomOnBoseRoad">{{cite news
| last = Philip
| first = Christin Mathew
| title = No Freedom on Bose Road
| newspaper = The Times of India
| location = Chennai
| publisher = The Times Group
| date = 14 March 2013
}}</ref>

Despite the central business district of the city having moved gradually towards the south side, the road still remains an important commercial hub of the city.<ref name="Hindu_ThoroughfareOfGeorgeTown"/> The thoroughfare is the second biggest bullion market in the country. For a long time, it remained the nerve centre of the city till [[Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus|the principal bus terminus]] was shifted to Koyambedu in 2002. Wholesale businesses based in this area includes drugs, cosmetics, hardware, stationery, and grocery.<ref name="TOI_NoFreedomOnBoseRoad"/> Every street radiating from the road is known for its own distinct business. For instance, Badrian Street located opposite the Flower Bazaar houses the city's retail flower trade. Although, the wholesale trade has been shifted to Koyambedu with the shifting of the Kothawal Chavadi market, there are still several shops on Badrian Street dealing with varieties of flowers. Devaraja Mudali Street, which lies closer to the Chenna Kesavaperumal temple, is famous for turmeric and kumkum powder meant for Hindu ritual purposes, with several shopkeepers having it as their family business.<ref name="Hindu_ThoroughfareOfGeorgeTown"/>

The tiled houses of the 18th and 19th centuries, many with a verandah on the top, have been gradually replaced with modern commercial complexes. However, there are few buildings that still remain on the western side of the NSC Bose Road and Govindappa Naicken Street.<ref name="Hindu_ThoroughfareOfGeorgeTown"/>

In January 2013, further to the public interest litigation petition filed in the court, the [[Corporation of Chennai|Corporation]] decided to improve the 1.5-acre Broadway bus terminus at an estimated cost of {{INR}} 33.6 million.<ref>{{cite news
| title = Broadway bus stand to get facelift
| newspaper = The Hindu
| location = Chennai
| date = 9 January 2013
| url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/broadway-bus-stand-to-get-facelift/article4287844.ece
| access-date = 9 Jan 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
| title = கலக்கப் போகுது பிராட்வே பஸ் நிலையம்
| newspaper = Dinamalar
| location = Chennai
| date = 22 July 2012
}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|India}}
* [[Parry's Corner]]
* [[George Town, Chennai|George Town]]
* [[History of Chennai]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book | title=Madras Discovered| last=Muthiah| first=S.| year=1981| author-link=S. Muthiah| publisher=East West Books (Madras) Pvt Ltd|page=124}}

{{Chennai Topics}}
{{Roads of Chennai}}
{{Transport in Chennai}}

[[Category:Roads in Chennai]]
[[Category:Streets of George Town, Chennai]]
[[Category:Shopping districts and streets in India]]

China Bazaar Road, Chennai - Revision history

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