TRAVEL
SERIES IN PARRY'S
Parry’s
Corner
The History and the Culture of the
famous Parry's Corner.
All
Roads Lead to Parry’s
Remnants
of a glorious past, one can find in Parry’s. Even as it is enjoys an
undisputable recognition as the commercial capital of Chennai, it holds on to
its Brit time ingenuity, a distinct feature that only Parry's can associate
itself with even today.
People
still flock to Parry’s in search of the best deal, be it for hardware goods or
temple jewellery. Parry’s Corner, as it is popularly known always conjures up
in the mind of a Chennaite, a colorful picture.
Here
as we explore the unique links of this area that has its links with the
historical past of Madras, while living through the color and rhythm of life in
Parry’s.
A
Hub of Commerce
Parry’s
has been the first part of the city to come up with a fascinating piece of
history. Thomas Parry who first landed in Madras in 1788, was a Welsh merchant
who established the E.I.D Parry building which now houses the giant
conglomerate called the Murugappa Group. John Binny was the next person who
came to Madras in 1797 and he established the textile company Binny &
Co.
Old and prominent Educational
Institutions
Many old schools like the
St.Columban’s School or the Bharathi Women’s College, reminding of our charming
past as well as carrying forward the wonderful tradition of Educational values
and making its presence felt here for many decades has seen generations of
students passing through its portals.
Fort
of St. George
Colonial
rule marked the beginning of the city's growth as a major commercial centre.
Today, most of the large business houses have their offices in George Town,
while Fort St George is the power centre of the Tamil Nadu state government.
One of the first settlements of modern Madras has been located in this very
area, with the workers at Fort. St George had their families dwelling in the
nearby town. Known as the Black-Town earlier, it eventually came to be known as
George-Town, linking itself to the Fort of St. George.
The
Socio-cultural milieu
The
fruit seller round the corner in Errabalu Chetty Street, has been selling
fruits here in Parry’s for over 40 years now. He brings into highlight that he
has not got a house to live in with his family. And the Government must do the
needful to help people like me, as we have business for over so many years
in the area.
High
Court
The
building of the High Court, an exquisite example of Indo-Saracenic style of
architecture, was built in 1892, under the guidance of the famed architect
Henry Irwin. It has been a very important presence, attracting many visitors. The
surrounding restaurants and bazaars therefore is always buzzing with an
activity, whilst visitors come and go here. A Law Practitioner at the High
Court, Kirthika, points out that though High Court is situated in Parry’s,
the main center for all law practices to get approval from here. Most of the
time I find that there is little amenity provided for people in terms of
toilets, infrastructure and good drainage system, which is very contradictory
state for a Law Practitioner to see.
Links
to Armenia
Parry’s
is also home to the only reminder of the bygone
era- the Holy Virgin Mary church of 1772, located at the Armenian Street, South
Black Town (this area is now called Georgetown).
The
Armenians have been staying in India since remote antiquity. The Armenians
claim to have arrived in India before the British. They also claim to have been
the forerunners to be converted into Christianity in the European continent.
The
grave of many Armenian merchants lying in the silence of this beautiful
monument is a testimony to the trade and commercial relations between Armenia
and India some centuries back.
Fleet
of Bus Services
The
Khadi Kraft Bus Depot was the centre of all Bus services until in 2002, the
CMBT was moved to Koyambedu. Though still for long distances there are two main
stands in the George Town called Express Bus Stand and Broadway.
Shopping
To
shop in Parry’s means to shop always for a good bargain. Well, isn’t that what
we hear about Parry’s. Many interesting names of streets such as Stringer’s
street, Bunder Street, Godown street, is also a place to check out as they are
a haven for wholesale buffs. And the stuff that one can get here – right from kirana
dry fruits, to foot wear to apparel… which is all at the best deal. Now it
will leave little for you to wonder why Parry’s holds a special place in a
shopper’s diary for things to buy at wholesale value.
Parry’s
continues to be the hub of commercial activity. Such as wholesale markets of
shoe, apparel, and hardware items as well as it is well connected with public
transport system, such as the Madras Transport Corporation, had its all city
Bus Depot located right here which was shifted last decade to Koyembedu.
With
much development during the recent past, Parry’s has witnessed much of commercial
and institutional activities. And thanks to this, that Parry’s is still the
amalgamation of all that is modern yet historical.
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