Gandhi Nagar, Chennai facts for kids
Gandhi Nagar is a cool neighborhood in Adyar, a part of the big city of Chennai in India. It's known as one of the fanciest and most expensive places to live in Chennai. Property prices here have been going up a lot! Gandhi Nagar is surrounded by the Adyar River, Kasturba Nagar, Kotturpuram, Indira Nagar, and the Buckingham Canal. Today, it's a busy spot with many shops, restaurants, and good ways to get around.
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A Look Back in Time
Gandhi Nagar has a long history, more than 150 years old! The oldest places you can still see are the Pillaiyar Kovil (a temple) and St. Patrick's School. This area was first called 'Gandhi Gram' in January 1948. This was just a week before Mahatma Gandhi passed away.
Gandhi Nagar was one of the very first neighborhoods in the old city of Madras (now Chennai) that was planned out carefully. It had over 322 plots for houses, underground drainage systems, and wide roads. People started moving into Gandhi Nagar around 1949, making it a residential area.
How People First Arrived
The first people who lived here (who weren't part of schools) came from a small town called Sadhuranga pattinam, also known as Sadras. They traveled from Chengulpet to Gandhi Nagar using the Buckingham Canal. They used boats that sometimes sailed with the wind or were pulled by people using ropes! Back in 1942, Gandhi Nagar had lots of green paddy fields where rice was grown. It was also next to the Guindy forest, which is mostly gone now.
The First Families
The Alwaris family is thought to be the very first family to live in Gandhi Nagar.
Next came the Mudaliar Brothers, Mr. S.K. Ramachandra Mudaliar and Mr. S.K.Puniyakoti Mudaliar. They worked in Triplicane but bought huge pieces of land in Gandhi Nagar as their building business grew. The old Adyar Cancer Institute stands on one of the lands that Mr. S.K. Puniyakoti Mudaliar donated. He also built the first independent apartments in Gandhi Nagar. The Mudaliar brothers hired workers from Sathurangapattinam (Sadras). These first workers settled near the Adyar River. This settlement later became known as Malligai Poo Nagar.
Dr. A. Ramachandran was another important person who bought a house in Gandhi Nagar in 1954. He was a very famous Veterinary Doctor and Surgeon. Many people, including politicians, old-time movie stars, and regular people, would visit him. He worked for the government and had special jobs to help care for wild animals and other mammals.
Malligai Poo Nagar (Jasmine Flower Settlement)
The Mudaliar Brothers (S.K.Ramachandra Mudaliar and S.K.Puniyakoti Mudaliar) were builders. They needed many workers for their projects. So, they brought people, mainly from Sathurangapattinam, to help. These workers settled on the banks of the Adyar River. More people joined this group of laborers, and soon a community was formed. They named it Malligai Poo Nagar, which means "jasmine flower settlement."
What's in Gandhi Nagar Today?
Today, Gandhi Nagar is a very popular and busy place in Chennai. It has many businesses, shops, and places to eat.
Businesses and Shops
- Kolam Serviced Apartments
- MAVY Physiotherapy Centre
- The Grand Sweets and Snacks - This is a very popular spot on 2nd Main Road.
- Sri Krishna Sweets
- Sri Lakshmi Systems - For computerised astrological services.
- Spencer's Daily - A store for everyday needs.
- Sangeetha's Desi Destination - A vegetarian restaurant.
- Odyssey - A great place for books and gifts.
- Nuts and Spices
- Cup and Saucer
- Kaya Skin Clinic
- Basics - A men's clothing store.
- Naihaa
- Kumarakom - A restaurant serving Kerala food.
- Munveedu - Another restaurant.
- Ravi's Executive Parlour - A men's stylist and hairdresser.
- Adyar Ananda Bhavan
- McDonald's - You can find it near Naihaa on First Main Road.
- Bata - A shoe store.
- Universal - A shop for gadgets.
- JFA - A furniture store.
- Ramonds - A clothing store.
- @home - A store for home products, located near Spencers Daily on First Main Road.
- Code interesteR - A coding school.
Temples and Churches
- Sri Anantha Padmanabhaswami Temple
- St. Louis Church
- Sundara Vinayagar Temple
- Mookambikai Amman Temple
- Durgai Amman Temple
- Shirdi Sai Baba Temple
Famous People from Gandhi Nagar
Many notable people have lived in or are connected to Gandhi Nagar, including:
- Alwaris family
- S.K.Ramachandra Mudaliar
- S.K.Puniyakoti Mudaliar
- MK Thiagaraja Bagavathar
- Adv R Thiagarajan
- Adv Vasudha Thiagarajan
- MG Ramachandran
- Kalki Krishnamurthy
- Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam
- Anandha Vikatan S.Balasubramaniyan
- Dr.A.Ramachandran
- Komal Anbarasan
- Adv Arcot Vishnuvardhana Mudaliar
- Justice AR. Lakshmanan
- Justice Jagadeesan
- Justice Veerasamy
- Justice Ramaswamy
- Adithanar family
- Advocate R. Gandhi
- Musician T Mukta
- The Chandoks
- DIG Srikanth
Schools in the Area
Gandhi Nagar and its surroundings have several good schools:
- St Patrick's
- St Michael's Academy
- Kumararrajah Muthiah Higher Secondary School
- Kumari Rani Meena Muthiah College of Arts and Science
- Kumari Rani Meena Muthiah Matriculation Higher Secondary School
- Rani Meiyammai
- Bala Vidya Mandir Senior Secondary School
- St. Mark's School
