MGR Memorial
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MGR memorial is a memorial structure built on the Marina beach in Chennai, India. It was built in memory of former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M. G. Ramachandran. Spread over 8.25 acres, the memorial is located adjacent to the Anna Memorial and has the highest footfall on the seafront.[1]
History
The memorial was built in 1988 and was inaugurated by Janaki Ramachandran, wife of M. G. Ramachandran, in May 1990.[2] The memorial was remodelled and the whole complex was laid with marbles and opened in 1992 by J. Jayalalitha when she became the chief minister of the state of Tamil Nadu the previous year. This structure was designed by Architect Mr. K. Ramachandran, retired chief architect of PWD, Tamil Nadu. Between 1996 and 1998, the mausoleum was again renovated at a cost of about ₹ 27.5 million. After the Indian Ocean tsunami struck the seafront in December 2004, the memorial was affected. Repair works were taken up at the cost of about ₹ 13.3 million.[3]
In 2012, the memorial was again renovated at a cost of ₹ 43 million, including ₹ 34 million for remodelling the facade and the wall around the memorial.[4] The renovation included a new entrance sporting AIADMK party's two-leaves symbol and Pegasus, the horse from Greek mythology, landscaping the open area around the memorial using Korean grass, and planting exotic decorative plants such as palmyra alpha, date palm, spider lily and atinium, a granite pathway shaped like a massive guitar in the middle of the memorial, stainless steel handles around the memorial, a fountain in the middle, waterfall at the rear, decorative lamps, and an overhead tower with lights both at the entrance and on the arch.[1][5] Two pergolas having 18-metre width have also been constructed, in addition to ramps for the physically challenged.[4]
The erection of the two-leaves insignia was opposed by the opposition DMK party.[6] A public interest writ petition was filed in the Madras High Court in October 2012 against the erection of the two-leaves insignia,[7] but was dismissed by the court.[8][9]
Entrance
Until 2012, the facade of the memorial was a tall entry arch with folded hands when it was replaced with a concrete replica of two-leaves emblem, the symbol of AIADMK party founded by M. G. Ramachandran. The facade was also given a Grecian touch with the erection of a 12-foot-high bronze sculpture of Pegasus, the winged horse of Greek mythology.[10] The 3.75-tonne sculpture, worked by architect R. Ravindran, a sthapathi from Mamallapuram, is set on a 4.5-metre-high pedestal.[11]
Two 15.9-metre-high columns serving as the entrance are built with reinforced cement concrete. The elevated "two-leaves" structure is supported by a 6-metre-high beam serving as the stem. The leaf structure, with a span of 10.2 metre for each leaf, will be a metre higher than the nearby towering columns. The leaves has a slight resemblance of a honey comb and is visible from both the front and the rear.[10]
Museum
A museum on M. G. R. is located within the memorial at the northern side of the campus.
Image gallery
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A general view of the MGR Memorial.jpg
A general view of the MGR Memorial
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A newly planted cycad at the MGR Memorial.jpg
A newly planted date palm at the Memorial
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Ant's eye view of MGR Memorial.jpg
Ant's eye view of the Memorial
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MGR Statue at the MGR Memorial.jpg
Statue of MGR at the Memorial
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The beam at the MGR Memorial.jpg
The beam at the Memorial
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The bronze Pegausus as seen at night.jpg
The bronze Pegausus as seen at night
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The ever-burning lamp at the MGR Memorial.jpg
The ever-burning lamp at the Memorial
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The newly installed decorative lamp at the MGR Memorial.jpgThe newly installed decorative lamp at the Memorial
See also
References
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