The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Coins and stamps tell the story of Madras

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 21, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Coins and stamps tell the story of Madras

Staff Reporter

Exhibition organised at Clive Hall from Monday to Wednesday

CHENNAI : Bank notes, postal stamps, maps and pictures will tell the story of Madras at the Clive Hall in Fort St. George from Monday to Wednesday.

The Madras Week Celebrations over the next week would commemorate the first transaction of land between local Nayak rulers and the East India Company, estimated to be on August 22, 1639.

Colonialism gains its first foothold in the country and the consolidation of various villages in the area began on this day.

"The White Town of former times is now inaccessible to the public because of security reasons," said S.B. Raja Seetharaman, one of the organisers, "We also hope to open the space of Fort St. George and its heritage to the public through the exhibition."

Clive Hall has formerly seen parties hosted by Robert Clive, one of the founders of British rule in India.

The Archaeological Society of India (ASI), Chennai Circle, and the Army, which function within Clive House have now provided the hall for an exhibition of artefacts telling the story of the only metro in the country to recall its founding day.

Coins minted by Aurangazeb's mobile mint marking his incursion into Mylapore and coins of the Madras Presidency prior to their standardisation by the British government in 1835 would be exhibited.

Stamps bearing the cancellation marks of post offices at Vepery and Purasawalkam, when the areas were villages yet to become part of Madras, and stamps released to commemorate personalities and institutions in the city would also be part of the display.

Photographs of the old city of Madras, old maps of the Coromandel Coast and lists of books on Madras and heritage buildings in the city are other attractions.

Visitors can also purchase army postal covers of anniversaries of regiments at the Army Postal Service outlet opposite the Clive House building.

The exhibition is open to the public and would be inaugurated by the Superintendent Archaeologist of the ASI Chennai Circle, Sathyabhama Badrinath, on Monday at 10.30 a.m.

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