Tuesday, February 20, 2007

It’s an emblem of sacrifice or gallantry?

Most of u would have known this emblem, named Schmidt Memorial; it’s on the Elliot Beach in Besant Nagar (Chennai). This is a familiar place to the chennai residents and those who ever seen this emblem in Tamil and other Indian language films and couldn’t been here, but it no need any abandonment to those. This place has been a spot for filmmakers to direct duet songs; fight sequences once, even today some films may took here. For countless chennai and surrounding lovers this is a romantic place to fondling and romance. But in recent times this emblem once looked gorgeous was un maintained and it looks unpleasant. This is not just an emblem with out any reason to built here, it has a gratitude history. It was on the times of British’s rule in India.

This Elliot Beach in Besant nagar was the place for men and women of the British to swim, take sunbath and enjoy. This Elliot was also a very attractive and entertain place for them. Its early morning on December 30, 1930, one British woman was happily swimming in the sea and many surprised to adoring her beauty from the shore.

Suddenly the alleviate of the sea changed, and sea waves were angry and consecutively hissing towards the shore. Whatever the love the sea got with that woman? It pulled her inside the sea. To the extend, those who were singing in bliss and adoring her beauty from the shore couldn’t come forward to help her, thinking that the wave may pull them inside the sea, all where running from that place. Help help the emerging voice from her, haven’t melt anyone’s mind. But on that time a Dutch sailor rushed to the shore hearing her uproar. Without any little anxiety about his life, he swim against the hissing waves and after a hard struggle he save the women, who was immerse in the sea. At the same time he further saved more people from the waves, but the angry waves took that great hero away. The sailor who saved those who were non-connection to him was named Karl Schmidt.
Its ungrateful world!! That day non-paid concerned homage to that great hero. Next day is December 31st the New Year party and celebration was in high in chennai. Every one was singing, dancing and enjoying the night. To this celebration the women who escape from the waves was also present. She dint have any sense (feeling) from her mind about the death of hero who lose his life to save her last day. She was dancing, jumping, laughing and enjoying, that shows nothing has happened. After some time, the governor comes to join in the celebration. Some people introduced this women to him, that she was the person escaped her life and explained the incident.

The good mind governor got angry on her, and he also not like to see her face who dint have any sense about the scarified life of the hero. This incident of the hero’s sacrifice to an incoherent woman melted the governor’s mind and he refused the party and gone. That great hero’s memories should be remember always, and the future lineages should always give homage, so with this thought the next day the governor built this circle emblem to doing a home to his brave action and the sacrifice. Is this an emblem of sacrifice? or an emblem of gallantry?………… It’s a gallantry emblem for sacrifice!!

Now the stage of this emblem was half destroyed, and looks very unpleasant. Most of them who have visited this Elliot beach don’t know the story behind this emblem. The 76-year-old structure should be saved before it fully destroys. Now a hope has risen by the recent announcement by government to beautify the Beaches, and wish the old relish govt. would rebuild the destroyed parts of the structure. In chennai this is one of the important tourist beach next to marina the world second longest beach.

Photos took from chennai.metblogs.com
Here the satellite pic of that place.

17 comments:

tulipspeaks said...

i always wonder abt the structure. wht is it n why is it build.
now i do. thanks for the info.



=ammu=

Priya said...

Jeevan: Thanks for sharing the info'. Like ammu said, I had no clue too.

starry said...

Thank you for sharing this story, have seen it in the movies but never knew the story.

dumbdodi said...

Hi Jeevan
Like always something new to learn from your blog.
Hope you have been well, missed you. I am back to blogging now so will be coming around. Take care

Shiva said...

Jeevan, it is a good piece of information. Been there in chennai for 5 years, never cared to see what this is all about. It's true that it is being abandoned. Atleast, the move makers, who shoot this monument should have some sense to save this structure from detoriating. The 2nd snap is wonderful.

Nirek said...

wow...ithantha arch-ku pinnadi eppadi oru story unda??! great

Keshi said...

lovely pics Jeevan!

check my blog :)

Keshi.

Anonymous said...

I know! Its sad.
My mother always tells me about it...and looks so nice in the photos she took...so; i went to see it with my cousines (2 years ago)...n i was so :( disappointed... destroyed...that too bz of careless ppl...

geeth said...

Very enlightening.. Now I know what is it when I see it on movies :)

Jeevan said...

Amutha – Thank you!

Priya – Me had a guess before it must be a memorial of someone’s love. Thanks.

Starry – Glad u have seen this in some films. Thanks:)

Radhika – Welcome back dear. Your smiling profile pic makes me too smile:) Thanks, me also missed you, glad you had a nice break!!

Shiva – Thank you friend. I have a little hope the govt will do some to save it. I took the pic from chennai.metblog.com.

Nirek – thanks for sharing bro:)

Keshi – Thank you, again thanks for putting my pic in your blog dear:)

Thooya – Nice you have already known the story:) now its more bad in condition. Some times back we used to climb and sit on chair like place and watch the sea.

Geetha – Thanks dear:)

Marutham said...

Hi jeevan,
:d enga beachu enga beachu :P

Hehe.....Its walkable distance from our house..
Had been there a number of times...
Appa have told us abt the same...
Thanx for sharing :)

Ravi said...

Hi Jeevan,
Being a resident of Besant Nagar, I always loved this structure and felt so much pride when it was shown in movies.

Though there is an inscription on the memorial, did not knoow such elaborate history. Just curious, where did you get this info from?

Yes, I also hope something is done about this structure. Its in ruins.

Syam said...

my dad used to tell this (hi)story when I was a small kid...now totally forgot..thanks for reminding it :-)

Syam said...

Jeevan, enna oru coincidence naan inga comment poturuken...neenga ennoda blog la pottu irukeenga :-)

krystyna said...

Hi Jeevan!
For me it is new, very interesting story. Thank you Jeevan, you are always a Treasury of Light.
Good luck to you!

Jeevan said...

Marutham – hehe… glad you know the story about this Memorial already. I visit this beach every Sunday when I was in adyar, but now only sometime. Ithu namba beachu:)

Ravi – I thought I might be an emblem for some love, till I go through an article about this emblem in DhinaThanthi some times back. Let we hope this gets the beauty again soon…

Syam – it’s my pleasure to remain it :D its really a coincident to share comments at a time:)

Krystyna – hi dear:) Thanks for sharing! And good luck to u too.

Kavi said...

I didnt know that ! Great infor !