Thursday, May 24, 2007

Theosophical Society, Chennai Adayar

One of the things that you understand when a friends visits your city and wants to see the place is how less you know about your own place of residence.

One such occasion happened to me when my friend Jon wanted to visit the Theosophical Society in Adayar. I had never heard of the same and told him so. So we decided to visit this place and have a look at the Giant Banyan Tree that can gave shade to 3000 people during one of the speeches held in its premises.

A quote from an article in The Hindu on Theosophical society and the Banyan tree.

"The giant banyan tree, believed to be around 450 years old, came with property acquired in 1908. Its sprawling branches covered 40,000 square feet of space and were once held up by a 40-foot tall, 30-tonne trunk and thousands of pillar-like roots dropped from the canopy. Under its shade as many as 3000 people at a time have sat and listened to discourses by J. Krishnamurthi, Annie Besant, Maria Montessori and others. When a gale uprooted the giant trunk in 1989, hope was given up for the ancient tree, but it has miraculously survived on a weakened trunk and its drop roots, still attracting thousands of sightseers every month."

I should admit when I visited the place I was pleasantly surprised. We had a wonderful time there...It is a very huge compound full of greenery, though faded when we went because of the merciless sun. The banyan tree was as huge as raved about...it is really big and definitely a charm to watch. We sat under its shade for almost an hour and I really dozed off under it....

There also a library there only for members....I would like to enrol there and look into its collection....I hope to do that soon.

So thanks to Jon I visited a fantastic place in Chennai.

4 comments:

Hip Grandma said...

I'll lok it up when I next visit chennai

Balaji said...

yes...definitely...I am sure you would love it...

Publia said...

Ah, yes, where the polymaths meet . . .

Balaji said...

@ publia >> ??...didn't get you?