Royapuram
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Royapuram, a locality of Chennai, South India, is the place where the first railway station of south India was constructed, and from where the laying down of the second railway line of the South Asia commenced in 1850s. This railway line extended from Royapuram (Madras) to Arcot, then capital of the Carnatic region. This railway line was opened for traffic on July 1, 1856.
Royapuram Railway station building which was previously in a dilapidated condition [1] has now been refurbished. It is believed to be one of oldest surviving railway station structures of the Indian Railways and thanks to the recent makeover stands again proudly posing to the onlookers riding through the Royapuram over bridge connecting Parry's.
Royapuram also has the Chennai's Port Trust located on its shores. Royapuram also has Kalmandapam alongside in its constituency. Previously Royapuram was a home to many Anglo Indians and today their numbers can be very low since people emigrate to other parts of city or to other countries.
The name Royapuram has been derived from the word 'Punitha Royappar' meaning St. Peters. And also it has beautiful church popularly known as 'Madha Kovil' or St. Mary's Church. Adjacent to the church is the famous St. Peter's School. Mother Teresa started an orphanage here known as 'Sishu Bhavan', a place for the abandoned children.
Talking about the school reminds me of some good educational institutions which Royapuram can boast of. Some of them are St,Peters Higher secondary school,Kalaimagal Viddyalaya Hr.Sec School,St. Kevin's School situated at Arathoon Road (one of the peaceful and beautiful roads in the 1980s), Northwick Women's School situated at Shaik Maistry Street, CSI Rajagopal School, Maria Matriculation School, St. Anne's Women's School, etc.
Also Royapuram has the legendary Robinson Park renamed as Arignar Anna Poonga after late chief minister of Tamil Nadu Arignar Anna. This park is a witness to various historic activities such as the birth of DMK and lot of public rallies during the early part of 1950s and 1960s. Now it has been transformed into a more green park with lot of facilities for walkers (thanks to the walkers association and Chennai Corporation for transforming it).
There are places of religious interests such as Kalmandapam Shafia Mosque at Shaik Maistry Street, Muslim Welfare Association for Muslims. Kalmandapam Temple for Hindus, St. Mary's church for Christians, etc.
Royapuram stretches from Clive battery at one end to Kasimedu at the other end, it is primarily a fisherman community area. It has a fine blend of people from various ethnic groups as well (as rightly pointed out earlier). Royapuram retains its speciality as the principal suburb of the Parsi community of Madras
Royapuram has a deep history inculcated within itself and has been part of the Chennai (Madras) city for centuries. It is just in the face of the recent developments that Royapuram got edged out to the periphery of the Chennai.
There is a Government Home for Destitute Boys on Mannarsami Koil Street. The home is one of 8 in Tamil Nadu, which detains, protects, and cares for "runaway and missing children, begging children, victims of child labour, children surrendered by parents, and NGO handover children", and at any moment in time this home houses 125-150 children. Children with no other option of family care normally stay at the home until they are 18.
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