Rajaji Hall - Revision history

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2025-08-17T12:11:48Z

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			{{Short description\|Building in India}}
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	The Banqueting Hall was constructed between 1800 and 1802<ref name="groseclosep34">{{cite book\|title=British sculpture and the Company Raj: church monuments and public statuary in Madras, Calcutta, and Bombay to 1858\|first=Barbara S.\|last=Groseclose\|page=34\|publisher=[[University of Delaware Press]]\|year=1995\|id={{ISBN\|0874134064}}, {{ISBN\|978-0-87413-406-3}}}}</ref> by [[John Goldingham]], an astronomer and engineer with the [[British East India Company]].<ref name="tercentenary">{{cite book\|title=The Madras Tercentenary commemoration volume\|chapter=Government Houses in Madras\|first=A. D.\|last=Crombie\|pages=13–20\|year=1939}}</ref><ref name="srinivasacharip202">[[#Srinivasachari\|Srinivasachari]], p 202</ref> The building was commissioned by [[Edward Clive, 1st Earl of Powis\|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.<ref name="tercentenary" /><ref name="srinivasacharip203">[[#Srinivasachari\|Srinivasachari]], p 203</ref> The hall was built to commemorate the company's victory over [[Tipu Sultan]] in the [[Fourth Anglo-Mysore War]]<ref name="tercentenary" /> and designed to be a venue for social functions.<ref name="groseclosep34" /> The construction of the hall cost about two and a half lakh rupees.<ref name="tercentenary" /> The building was opened with a grand ball on 7 October 1802.<ref name="chopra">{{cite book\|title=Monuments of the Raj: British buildings in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Srilanka and Myanmar\|pages=7–8\|first=Prabha\|last=Chopra\|publisher=Aryan Books International\|year=1999\|id={{ISBN\|8173050945}}, {{ISBN\|978-81-7305-094-7}}}}</ref>		The Banqueting Hall was constructed between 1800 and 1802<ref name="groseclosep34">{{cite book\|title=British sculpture and the Company Raj: church monuments and public statuary in Madras, Calcutta, and Bombay to 1858\|first=Barbara S.\|last=Groseclose\|page=34\|publisher=[[University of Delaware Press]]\|year=1995\|id={{ISBN\|0874134064}}, {{ISBN\|978-0-87413-406-3}}}}</ref> by [[John Goldingham]], an astronomer and engineer with the [[British East India Company]].<ref name="tercentenary">{{cite book\|title=The Madras Tercentenary commemoration volume\|chapter=Government Houses in Madras\|first=A. D.\|last=Crombie\|pages=13–20\|year=1939}}</ref><ref name="srinivasacharip202">[[#Srinivasachari\|Srinivasachari]], p 202</ref> The building was commissioned by [[Edward Clive, 1st Earl of Powis\|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.<ref name="tercentenary" /><ref name="srinivasacharip203">[[#Srinivasachari\|Srinivasachari]], p 203</ref> The hall was built to commemorate the company's victory over [[Tipu Sultan]] in the [[Fourth Anglo-Mysore War]]<ref name="tercentenary" /> and designed to be a venue for social functions.<ref name="groseclosep34" /> The construction of the hall cost about two and a half lakh rupees.<ref name="tercentenary" /> The building was opened with a grand ball on 7 October 1802.<ref name="chopra">{{cite book\|title=Monuments of the Raj: British buildings in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Srilanka and Myanmar\|pages=7–8\|first=Prabha\|last=Chopra\|publisher=Aryan Books International\|year=1999\|id={{ISBN\|8173050945}}, {{ISBN\|978-81-7305-094-7}}}}</ref>

	From 1875 onwards, the hall was extensively renovated and expanded.<ref name="madrasmusingsv19i23">{{cite journal\|title=Once a Council Hall\|first=Savitha\|last=Gautam\|work=Madras Musings\|volume=19\|issue=23\|date=16–31 October 2010\|url=http://madrasmusings.com/Vol%2019%20No%2023/otherstories.html#story1}}</ref> In 1895, a colonnaded terrace was constructed and a [[verandah]] was built around it.<ref name="tercentenary" /><ref name="madrasmusingsv19i23" /> The convocations of the [[University of Madras]] were held in the Banqueting Hall from 1857 till 1879 when the [[Senate House (University of Madras)\|Senate House]] was constructed.<ref name="srinivasacharip327">[[#Srinivasachari\|Srinivasachari]], p 327</ref> During 27 January 1938 – 26 October 1939, the [[Madras Legislative Council\|legislature]] of the [[Madras Presidency]] met here.<ref>{{cite news\|last=Ramakrishnan\|first=T\|title=Another milestone in Tamil Nadu's legislative history\|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/article243990.ece\|access-date=29 November 2011\|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]\|date=13 March 2010}}</ref> The hall was renamed as "Rajaji Hall" after [[India's independence]] (in honour of [[C. Rajagopalachari]]).<ref name="chopra" /> The mortal remains 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.<ref name="chopra" />		From 1875 onwards, the hall was extensively renovated and expanded.<ref name="madrasmusingsv19i23">{{cite journal\|title=Once a Council Hall\|first=Savitha\|last=Gautam\|work=Madras Musings\|volume=19\|issue=23\|date=16–31 October 2010\|url=http://madrasmusings.com/Vol%2019%20No%2023/otherstories.html#story1}}</ref> In 1895, a colonnaded terrace was constructed and a [[verandah]] was built around it.<ref name="tercentenary" /><ref name="madrasmusingsv19i23" /> The convocations of the [[University of Madras]] were held in the Banqueting Hall from 1857 till 1879 when the [[Senate House (University of Madras)\|Senate House]] was constructed.<ref name="srinivasacharip327">[[#Srinivasachari\|Srinivasachari]], p 327</ref> During 27 January 1938 – 26 October 1939, the [[Madras Legislative Council\|legislature]] of the [[Madras Presidency]] met here.<ref>{{cite news\|last=Ramakrishnan\|first=T\|title=Another milestone in Tamil Nadu's legislative history\|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/article243990.ece\|access-date=29 November 2011\|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]\|date=13 March 2010}}</ref> The hall was renamed as "Rajaji Hall" after [[India's independence]] (in honour of [[C. Rajagopalachari]]).<ref name="chopra" /> The mortal remains 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.<ref name="chopra" /> The dead bodies of former chief ministers of Tamil Nadu, [[C. N. Annadurai]], [[M. G. Ramachandran]] , [[J. Jayalalithaa]] and [[M. Karunanidhi]] were kept here for public view.

	The Government House and [[Gandhi Illam]] were demolished during the construction of a new [[Tamil Nadu legislative assembly-secretariat complex]] between 2008 and 2010,<ref name="madrasmusingsv18i15">{{cite journal\|title=Threat to Rajaji Hall from new Assembly?\|work=Madras Musings\|volume=18\|issue=15\|date=16–30 November 2008\|url=http://madrasmusings.com/Vol%2018%20No%2015/index.html}}</ref> apparently causing irreparable damage to the hall's foundations.<ref name="madrasmusingsv18i15" />		The Government House and [[Gandhi Illam]] were demolished during the construction of a new [[Tamil Nadu legislative assembly-secretariat complex]] between 2008 and 2010,<ref name="madrasmusingsv18i15">{{cite journal\|title=Threat to Rajaji Hall from new Assembly?\|work=Madras Musings\|volume=18\|issue=15\|date=16–30 November 2008\|url=http://madrasmusings.com/Vol%2018%20No%2015/index.html}}</ref> apparently causing irreparable damage to the hall's foundations.<ref name="madrasmusingsv18i15" />

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{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2018}}
[[File:The Banqueting Hall, Government House.jpg|thumb|The Banqueting Hall, c. 1905]]
'''Rajaji Hall''', previously known as the '''Banqueting Hall, Madras''', 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]].<ref name="tercentenary" />

== History ==
The Banqueting Hall was constructed between 1800 and 1802<ref name="groseclosep34">{{cite book|title=British sculpture and the Company Raj: church monuments and public statuary in Madras, Calcutta, and Bombay to 1858|first=Barbara S.|last=Groseclose|page=34|publisher=[[University of Delaware Press]]|year=1995|id={{ISBN|0874134064}}, {{ISBN|978-0-87413-406-3}}}}</ref> by [[John Goldingham]], an astronomer and engineer with the [[British East India Company]].<ref name="tercentenary">{{cite book|title=The Madras Tercentenary commemoration volume|chapter=Government Houses in Madras|first=A. D.|last=Crombie|pages=13–20|year=1939}}</ref><ref name="srinivasacharip202">[[#Srinivasachari|Srinivasachari]], p 202</ref> The building was commissioned by [[Edward Clive, 1st Earl of Powis|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.<ref name="tercentenary" /><ref name="srinivasacharip203">[[#Srinivasachari|Srinivasachari]], p 203</ref> The hall was built to commemorate the company's victory over [[Tipu Sultan]] in the [[Fourth Anglo-Mysore War]]<ref name="tercentenary" /> and designed to be a venue for social functions.<ref name="groseclosep34" /> The construction of the hall cost about two and a half lakh rupees.<ref name="tercentenary" /> The building was opened with a grand ball on 7 October 1802.<ref name="chopra">{{cite book|title=Monuments of the Raj: British buildings in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Srilanka and Myanmar|pages=7–8|first=Prabha|last=Chopra|publisher=Aryan Books International|year=1999|id={{ISBN|8173050945}}, {{ISBN|978-81-7305-094-7}}}}</ref>

From 1875 onwards, the hall was extensively renovated and expanded.<ref name="madrasmusingsv19i23">{{cite journal|title=Once a Council Hall|first=Savitha|last=Gautam|work=Madras Musings|volume=19|issue=23|date=16–31 October 2010|url=http://madrasmusings.com/Vol%2019%20No%2023/otherstories.html#story1}}</ref> In 1895, a colonnaded terrace was constructed and a [[verandah]] was built around it.<ref name="tercentenary" /><ref name="madrasmusingsv19i23" /> The convocations of the [[University of Madras]] were held in the Banqueting Hall from 1857 till 1879 when the [[Senate House (University of Madras)|Senate House]] was constructed.<ref name="srinivasacharip327">[[#Srinivasachari|Srinivasachari]], p 327</ref> During 27 January 1938 – 26 October 1939, the [[Madras Legislative Council|legislature]] of the [[Madras Presidency]] met here.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ramakrishnan|first=T|title=Another milestone in Tamil Nadu's legislative history|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/article243990.ece|access-date=29 November 2011|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=13 March 2010}}</ref> The hall was renamed as "Rajaji Hall" after [[India's independence]] (in honour of [[C. Rajagopalachari]]).<ref name="chopra" /> The mortal remains 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.<ref name="chopra" />

The Government House and [[Gandhi Illam]] were demolished during the construction of a new [[Tamil Nadu legislative assembly-secretariat complex]] between 2008 and 2010,<ref name="madrasmusingsv18i15">{{cite journal|title=Threat to Rajaji Hall from new Assembly?|work=Madras Musings|volume=18|issue=15|date=16–30 November 2008|url=http://madrasmusings.com/Vol%2018%20No%2015/index.html}}</ref> apparently causing irreparable damage to the hall's foundations.<ref name="madrasmusingsv18i15" />

== Structure ==

Rajaji Hall was built in the form of a [[Greek temple]] and is believed to have been modelled after the [[Parthenon]] in [[Athens]].<ref name="srinivasacharip202" /> It is built on a basement of arched cellars and store rooms<ref name="srinivasacharip202" /> and is surrounded by a colonnaded terrace.<ref name="srinivasacharip202" /> The exterior of the hall is constructed in the 16th-century Italian [[Mannerism|Manneristic]] style.<ref name="groseclosep34" /> 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<ref name="srinivasacharip202" /> and administrators including Edward Clive, [[Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley|Richard Wellesley]], [[Sir Eyre Coote]],<ref name="srinivasachariintro">[[#Srinivasachari|Srinivasachari]], Introduction, pp xxxvii-xxxviii</ref> [[Sir Thomas Munro]], [[Robert Hobart, 4th Earl of Buckinghamshire|Lord Hobart]] and [[George Harris, 3rd Baron Harris|Lord Harris]] and British monarchs [[George III]] and [[Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz|Queen Charlotte]].<ref name="railwayguidep20">{{cite book|title=Illustrated guide to the South Indian Railway (Incorporated in England): including the Tanjore District Board, Pondicherry, Peralam-Karaikkal, Travancore State, Cochin State, Coimbatore District Board, Tinnevelly-Tiruchendur, and the Nilgiri Railways|publisher=South Indian Railway Co. Ltd.|year=1926|page=20}}</ref> The southern end is connected to the Government House by an array of steps.<ref name="srinivasacharip202" /> Sten Nilsson describes the hall as resembling "a ''Heroum'', a neo-classical temple for hero worship".<ref name="groseclosep34" />

== Notes ==

{{reflist}}

== References ==

* {{cite book | title=History of the city of Madras written for the Tercentenary Celebration Committee| first=C. S.|last=Srinivasachari|year=1939| publisher=P. Varadachary & Co.|place=Madras|ref=Srinivasachari}}

{{coord|13.069378|80.274916|display=title}}

[[Category:Buildings and structures in Chennai]]
[[Category:City and town halls in India]]
[[Category:Memorials to C. Rajagopalachari]]