Heritage Watch: Before the city got a Trade Centre

The Nandambakkam Trade Centre is of recent origin as is well known. This large venue played host to the Tamil Nadu Global Investors’ Meet 2024 last fortnight. It was the latest such event in a long line of such meets, trade fairs and industrial exhibitions that stretch back in time. Madras was the first city of India to ever host an industries exhibition and that was in 1855!

We look back at the venues that played host before Nandambakkam came along. Our first pic is of Banqueting aka Rajaji Hall, which was home to the 1855 exhibition. Second is of Cathedral Gardens, which hosted the exhibition of 1903. Our third picture is a panoramic view of the special layout that hosted the exhibition of 1915, which was held at People’s Park. Our fourth and final visual is of the M. Visveswarayya Tower that commemorates the IITF of 1968.