Anna Nagar twin arches
13°4′28″N 80°13′6″E / 13.07444°N 80.21833°E
The Anna Nagar Twin Arches are ornamental structures in Chennai, India, built in 1986 to honor the platinum jubilee of C. N. Annadurai, Tamil Nadu’s former Chief Minister. They are located at the junction of Poonamallee High Road and Third Avenue. They act as southern entrance for Anna Nagar, a suburb named after Annadurai. They were deisgned by the sculptor Ganapathy Sthapathi. Each arch stands 52 feet tall, weighs 82 tonnes, and cost ₹12 lakh (equivalent to ₹1.6 crore or US$190,000 in 2023). Then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M. G. Ramachandran inaugurated the arches on January 1, 1986, to commemorate Annadurai. In 2012, protests erupted between government and local, when a plan was proposed to demolish the arches for a flyover, later they were forced to redesign in order to save the arches.
History
[edit]The Anna Nagar Twin Arches were built to celebrate the platinum jubilee of C. N. Annadurai, which marks 75 years since his birth on September 15, 1909.[1][2] Annadurai, or "Anna", was founder of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), and served as Chief Minister from 1967 to 1969.[3] In 1984, the Corporation of Madras proposed the Twin Arches in Anna Nagar, a suburb named after him. Anna Nagar was planned by the Tamil Nadu Housing Board in the 1970s.[4] Ganapathy Sthapathi, known for his traditional Tamil designs was assigned as sculptor for the arches in 1985.[2] Each arch is 52 feet high and, weighs 82 tonnes. The project was completed in 105 days with a budget of ₹12 lakh (equivalent to ₹1.6 crore or US$190,000 in 2023).[5] A statue of Annadurai was erected in front of the arches.[6] They were inaugurated on January 1, 1986 by then Chief Minister, M. G. Ramachandran.
Recent Developments
[edit]The Chennai Corporation planned to construct flyovers and a subway at the Poonamallee High Road and Third Avenue junction to fix traffic jams with a budget of ₹117 crore (equivalent to ₹221 crore or US$26 million in 2023). The arches were proposed to be ddemolished to incorporate this development.[7] Early plans called for demolition, and workers even started cutting into them with diamond cutters.[8] However, local residents staged protest against the government's plan to demolish the arches.[9] Localities argued the arches wasn’t just concrete but a piece of Chennai’s soul, tied to Annadurai’s legacy. [10] The Corporation and Highways Department scrapped the demolition idea and redesigned the flyover to curve around the arches.[7] Government had placed a crane to support the arches, but removed them following a local unrest and then erected a temporary pillar to support them.[11][12] The Annadurai statue, moved during construction was placed back in its original location.[6] By December 2013, the flyover opened, easing traffic while keeping the arches intact.[7]
The twin arches were renovated from their plain cream with dark green lettering. The city government in 2012, incorporated six colors, the color of letter was not changed, but the dome-shaped decorations on top were changed to red. Different shades of ivory and pink were also be used, while the leaves will be of a lighter green.[13]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ Mangai, A. (5 October 2023). "Book Review: 'Help Me with This Tricky Case' by C.N. Annadurai, translated by Ramakrishnan V." Frontline. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
- ^ a b Ramakrishnan, Deepa H. (5 September 2012). "How the Anna arches stood their ground". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
- ^ "HT This Day: Feb 03, 1969 — Annadurai is Dead". 2 February 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
- ^ "Handbook – Tamil Nadu Housing Board" (PDF). tn.gov.in. Government of Tamil Nadu. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
- ^ Mathi (5 September 2012). "சென்னை அண்ணா நகர் ஆர்ச்சை இடிக்கும் பணிக்கு முதல்வர் ஜெயலலிதா தடை". tamil.oneindia.com (in Tamil). Retrieved 19 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Bid adieu to city's landmark arch in a day or two". The New Indian Express. 29 August 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
- ^ a b c Ramakrishnan, Deepa H. (1 March 2016). "Anna Arch flyover opened for traffic". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
- ^ "Anna Arch refuses to give in". The Hindu. 3 September 2012. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
- ^ Yasashvini, Rajeshwar (30 October 2013). "Do you know the story?". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
- ^ "Anna arch defies drills, frustrates removal bid". The Times of India. 3 September 2012. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
- ^ Ramakrishnan, Deepa H. (20 September 2012). "Restore our arches, say residents". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
- ^ "Anna Arch renovation work to kick-off from Wednesday". The New Indian Express. Chennai: Express Publications. 25 September 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
- ^ Lazarus, Susanna Myrtle (10 December 2012). "Anna arch coming out in flying colours". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
