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Being the melting pot of southern India, and its gateway,
Chennai has a rich cultural and artistic heritage. Essentially
Dravidian, with a rich history of music, art and literature,
Chennai offers numerous places to the visitor to learn more
about its colourful traditions and history.
Art Galleries
National Art Gallery:
The National Art Gallery was built in 1907 by T. Namberumal
Chetty based on a Henry Irwin design and. The building, one
of the finest pieces of period architecture in the city, is
inspired by Mughal architectural motifs. On display in this
pink sandstone-faced building are 11th and 12th century Indian
handicrafts, 17th century Deccan paintings, 16th to 18th century
Mughal and Rajasthani paintings and 10th and 13th century
bronzes. Located on Pantheon Road, Chennai 600 008.
Art World Gallery:
Art World Gallery is the oldest in South India. Established
in 1965, by Soli and Moti Dharuwala, it is the fifth oldest
art gallery in India. Initially functioning from various places
in the city the gallery is now housed off Cenotaph Road. The
gallery has had the privilege of exhibiting the works of some
of the doyens of contemporary art including Professor Dheraj
Chowdhary and Amithab Sen Gupta. About eight to nine exhibitions
are held in a year, with around 45 paintings are exhibited
in one show. What makes this gallery unique is that it gives
an opportunity to artists to exhibit their works at international
shows. Besides holding exhibitions, the gallery also frequently
arranges for Art camps, where art lovers interact directly
with the artists.
Cultural Centers
Mozhi: Mozhi in Tamil meaning language is a public charitable
institution for developing resources in language and culture.
Set amidst serene surroundings in Thiruvanmiyur it was founded
in 1989. It is constantly developing conceptual and technological
tools for understanding culture. Mozhi focuses on three thrust
areas. The Centre at Thiruvanmiyur concentrates on Language
resources. The Roja Muthiah Research Center is the Bibliographic
division and the Seethuraman Centre, is funding research on
language and culture. Mozhi's work and perception of Culture
has won international recognition with UNESCO and the Ford
Foundation offering support to carry out its activities without
interruption. The University of Chicago, Central Institute
of Indian Languages, Mysore and the Tamil University of Tanjavur,
offers research and technical support.
Theosophical Society:
The world headquarters of the Theosophical Society was established
in 1886 on the banks of the Adyar River. You can see the bas-reliefs
of Krishna, Buddha, Christ and Zarathrushtra on the walls
of the hall. The symbols of Mahavir and verses of the Koran
are also displayed prominently there. The statues of the society
founders Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and Col. Henry S. Olcott
are installed in the hall. The shrines of all major faiths
stand in the huge estate gardens. But the biggest attraction
is the 200-year-old Banyan tree (one of the biggest in the
country). Up to 3000 people can sit under its shade.The Society's
Adyar library has nearly 1,65,000 books and 20,000 palm-leaf
manuscripts.
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