Panagal Park
Coordinates: 13°02′29″N 80°13′59″E / 13.0413°N 80.2331°E
| Panagal Park பனகல் பூங்கா | |
|---|---|
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| Type | Urban park |
| Location | T.Nagar in Chennai, India |
| Area | 8 acres (3.2 hectares) |
| Created | c. 1923 |
| Operated by | Corporation of Chennai |
| Status | Open all year |
Panagal Park is a park and a locality in T Nagar, Chennai. The park is named after the Raja of Panagal, the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency who created the park. It is an important junction and is the commercial centre of T Nagar.
History
When the Long Lake on the western peripheral region of the old city was drained out and the area of T. Nagar was newly carved out of the existing neighborhood of Mambalam in 1923, a park was developed in the centre of the new locality intended to be a residential one. The park was named Panagal Park honouring the then Chief Minister of Madras, the Raja of Panagal.[1]
In the early days, there was a public radio inside the park to cater the visitors who gathered there to listen to music and news and stayed till the last news broadcast at 7.15 p.m.[1]
The architect of Panagal Park was Ganesh Iyer.
The park
The park covers 8 acres (3.2 hectares) and has three entry points.[2]
Renovation
In 2008, the Chennai Corporation started renovating the park at a cost of ₹ 13 million. The renovated works included construction of children's play area and public convenience (₹ 1.182 million), beautification of the three entry points (₹ 2.281 million), development of lotus pond and sitting gallery (₹ 2.881 million), construction of walkways (₹ 4.370 million) and development of landscaped lawn (₹ 2.418 million).[3]
The renovated park was reopened on 21 February 2010.
Commercial establishments
Panagal Park is home to many commercial establishments and department stores. Almost all the shops are concentrated on South Usman Road and Ranganathan Street.
Several high-end retail stores surround the park, including Sri Krishna Collections, Nalli Chinnasamy Chetti, Pothys, Saravana Stores, and Sri Kumaran Silks.
Roads
Six arterial roads radiate outwards from the park:
- North Usman Road goes north towards Kodambakkam
- G N Chetty Road goes northeast towards Gemini Circle
- Thyagaraja Road (known as pondy bazaar ) goes east towards Teynampet Signal
- Venkatanarayana Road goes southeast towards Nandanam Junction
- South Usman Road goes south towards Saidapet
- Doraiswamy Road goes west towards West Mambalam
See also
References
- 1 2 Varghese, Nina (29 August 2006). "T.Nagar: Shop till you drop, and then shop some more". Business Line. Chennai: The Hindu. Retrieved 14 Jan 2013.
- ↑ "Panagal Park to be renovated". The Hindu. Chennai: The Hindu. 27 June 2008. Retrieved 22 Jul 2012.
- ↑ "Panagal Park to get facilities". The Hindu. Chennai: The Hindu. 26 January 2010. Retrieved 22 Jul 2012.
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