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Vol. XXVII No. 7, July 16-31, 2017

A new landmark in Chennai

by N.S. Parthasarathy

MGR’s Birth Centenary was remembered with a book release in…

MGR Wrappper

To many old Chennai residents, the building constructed for the Secretariat in Government Estate, and later converted into a multi-speciality hospital, has been a disappointment – its monstrous proportions certainly devoid of art and grace in design. The new Kalaivaanar Arangam in the Estate is some compensation – beautifully executed as it is and sporting a commanding presence at a vantage point on Wallajah Road. Commissioned earlier this year, it has the potential to host prestigious national and international conferences when the requisite support facilities and equipment are furnished. The Arangam, meant to celebrate the memory of N.S. Krishnan (NSK), that highly popular artiste of Tamil cinema, has turned out to be probably the best among all the memorials in the City for public personalities.

The new Arangam has been raised on the site of the original building which was built as a New Assembly Hall in the early 1950s at a cost of Rs. 10 lakh when it was found that the one in Fort St. George was not able to seat the 375 legislators expected to be elected in 1952. It was declared open in 1952 and, on the very next day, the Assembly met in it with C. Rajagopalachari as Chief Minister. With the creation of Andhra Pradesh in 1953, Assembly strength fell to 205 and it was decided to move back to Fort St George. The building was converted into a children’s theatre, Balar Arangam. In 1974, it was named after Kalaivaanar N.S. Krishnan. In 2009, as part of the development of the new Secretariat complex project, the building was demolished and a a new Arangam with all modern facilities promised. This has been done at a cost of Rs. 63 crore and the building was inaugurated in 2016, but was not available for use till earlier this year.

The fully air-conditioned facility has seats for 1,100 persons in the second-floor auditorium and about 1,300 persons in the third-floor multi-purpose hall, each with its own lobby. The structure has about 50,000 square feet of space on each of its four floors – with the ground floor housing administration offices, utility rooms, store room, tool room and other service facilities, and the first floor serving as a large lobby.

Kalainavanar Arangam scaled_edit

Kalaivaanar Arangam.

There are two mini-halls for training programmes, one each on second and third floors. There is a separate entrance for VVIPs to drive into the portico for access to a dedicated lift. Projection equipment, lighting effects, excellent acoustics and comfortable modern seating arrangements are all in position. Manicured lawns and flower beds surround the parking area, which can accommodate over 300 cars, imparting a sense of expanse and openness.

The Arangam is managed by the Department of Information & Public Relations and the maintenance is entrusted to the PWD, like the arrangement in Valluvar Kottam. Hopefully its fate will not be the same (see MM April 1st, 2017). The rental charge is Rs. 1.3 lakh for 3 hours for the auditorium and Rs. 1.75 lakh for the hall for the whole day. The hall can be divided into two independent spaces and made available in halves at half the charge. There is full back-up for uninterrupted power.

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