Long drive in

When I was taking this photograph, I did not realize that these gates hid a long driveway into Bedford House. Most of that driveway is hidden by the trees that grow on the grounds, but I can tell you that on your way out, you will find half the route different from what you saw on the way in. Considering that it is owned by a branch of an illustrious family of industrialists and bankers, it should not be surprising that this house is set in a large patch of land, or that there is no way we can  see any part of the house from these gates.

The Bedford House has been with the M.Ct. family for just over a century, now. It was in 1915 that M Ct Muthiah Chettiar, who had moved to Madras from the family seat at Kanadukathan, bought this place. There seems to be no indication why the sellers, Mercantile Bank of India, wanted this property off their hands. 

They may have to wait a long while for that to happen! 

Cycling along

Chennai is home to one of the largest producers of bicycles in the country. TI Cycles, part of the Murugappa Group, owns and manufactures some of the biggest cycle brands in India, including Hercules, BSA and Montra. Between them, these brands cover most kinds of bicycles available on the roads today: the stodgy old-world cycle (being pedalled by the man in the picture), the lightweight sporty cycles that the BSA has been known for and the 'specials' - the mountain, road or hybrid bikes, of which the Montra brand is a part.

In the past few years, cycling in Chennai has changed considerably. On a weekend morning, it is quite common to spot a couple of hundred cyclists breezing away along the ECR or along the Marina. They are still a novelty, for the vast majority of the city's cyclists are those who do it for their regular commute, rather than fitness enthusiasts or hobbyists. But the latter groups have been growing exponentially, to the stage where an entrepreneur spotted a niche business.

It is entirely appropriate that Ciclo Cafe should come up on Gandhi Mandapam Road, for the western side of the road hosts a lot of properties belonging to the Murugappa Group. That road is a quiet, leafy stretch and is one of the roads taking you towards the ECR. On their way back, it would certainly tempt those cyclists to stop and un-famish themselves after their long ride. Oh, you thought the bicycle theme was restricted to the man on the cycle? Look closer. The building behind, touted as India's first cycling themed cafe, opened a few months ago and has caught the city's imagination big-time!

Today is 'Theme Day' for the City Daily Photo bloggers. Head over to http://cdpbthemeday.blogspot.in/ to see bicycles from all over the world!

Future Factory

It looks like something from a future world. A clutch of oddly-shaped buildings greet you as you reach the end of the road leading to the IT Park developed by SIPCOT at Siruseri. These buildings house the offices of TCS, India's largest software developer. According to TCS, this complex is the largest such in Asia, with over 5 million sft of built-up area. When it was opened in 2010, it had the capacity to house over 22,000 employees. In the years since, the facility has expanded a bit and there are now over 30,000 people working here. 

Spread over 70 acres, TCS' facility is the biggest in the SIPCOT IT Park, which is spread over 1,000 acres. Getting off the Rajiv Gandhi Salai (the Old Mahabalipuram Road), the stretch is kind of bare, because the space just off the OMR has not been developed yet. From the time you make the turn, TCS' buildings catch the eye. Unfortunately, the way in does not provide you the complete view of these buildings. 

The buildings were designed by the Uruguayan architect Carlos Ott and Associates, along with Carlos Ponce de León Architects. CRN Rao Architects provided the onsite support as well as structural and MNE services. In the view from the top, the buildings look like butterflies spreading their wings out. Six such buildings are arranged around a central spine, and the overall effect is something quite out of this world. TCS had, much earlier, had one of its buildings on the OMR designed by a San Jose (USA) based architect, but compared to this one, that facility is like a caterpillar to this butterfly!

Daily cleaning

Every day, the tide comes in. And every day, the tide goes out. Each flow of the tide moves a lot of sand and silt. The motion of the sea waters off the Chennai coastline causes the sand to gather along the Marina, having been pulled away from further north. 

Of course it is a problem if the sand blocks up the mouth of the Cooum. There is a permanent effort to keep the sandbars away from the path of the river waters. A couple of dozers and a backhoe-loader-digger are stationed at the northern end of the Marina beach to ensure they carry out the clearing operations in time.

They can't stay there when the tide comes in. Every evening, like some beasts from an industrial age, they go away to roost, moving up above the tide line and then returning to their foraging grounds in the morning!

Another park

As has happened with a lot of other agglomerations of manufacturing units, the industrial estate at Ambattur has seen factories being replaced by swank office buildings housing new-age businesses. This space is owned by the Ambattur Clothing Company and was probably used by one of their factories. 

But now, it has the Ambit IT Park, with over a million sqft of space. That makes it one of the sought after addresses of this western suburb, but given that Ambattur itself still remains a lower priority choice (compared to the OMR) for companies, Ambit IT Park does not have the same bustle about it as seen at Tidel Park or at Ascendas.

The other big difference? Unlike at Tidel or even at Ascendas, where trying to get to the food court  involves convincing 4 layers of security, the words "food court" fast-tracks you through into Ambit, because the food court there clearly says they welcome the 'public'!

Training Centre

The Ambattur Industrial Estate Manufacturers' Association (AIEMA) is celebrating its golden jubilee this year. That's a bit surprising, because, just a little distance away from this building complex is a foundation stone saying that the Industrial Estate was inaugurated on July 3, 1965. It is quite likely that the Association pre-dated the formal Estate; Ambattur is one of those suburbs of the city that pre-dates the creation of the city of Madras itself.

The Technology Centre of the AIEMA came up a while after the Estate itself began functioning. It appears to have been set up with a lot of foresight; even 30 years after it began functioning, it seems to have quite a bit of space. Space enough for it to have its own exhibition area as well as grounds for outdoor events.

The golden jubilee celebrations appear to be in full swing. It would be nice to get there for an event or two! 

Buzzin' around

The Beehive Foundry was named very appropriately, by all accounts. It supposedly employed between 500 and 600 workmen even during the lean season and the "activity which prevails in a hive of bees is not excelled by the industry which is manifested by the large staff of employees of this company". Contractors to shipping companies, the railways and large builders among others, the Beehive Foundry was set up in this building, which housed Oakes & Co., arguably Madras' first department store. The Beehive Foundry was Oakes' foray into engineering and it grew to be quite successful, with the works going completely electric (from the original steam power) in 1914, subsequent upon their being awarded the contract to outfit the hospital ship Madras that year. 

Suryanarayana Rao, the scion of a Vijayawada-based business family set up business for himself in 1907. His friend C.A.Chettiar joined him a few years later, and the two of them ventured into the steel foundry and fabrication business. It is quite likely that they took over the Beehive Foundry soon after and the group came to be known as the Beehive Kowtha Group.

The foundry has moved to Vijayawada. But the Group continues to have fabrication shops in Chennai, as well as Hyderabad and Vijayawada; and its corporate office stays on at this address: Beehive Buildings, 57, Broadway, Chennai 600108!