Chennai’s own Central Park – The Theosophical Society

Chennai is a sprawling city with towering skyscrapers and massive flyovers dominating the city’s landscape. However, it has a large number of lung spaces and green escapes as well, making it a thriving hub for birds and other species. One of the oldest, large, green spaces in Chennai belongs to the Theosophical Society which has a massive campus in Adyar.

About the Theosophical Society

The Theosophical Society is a worldwide organization and has branches in sixty countries around the world. The Theosophical Society, Adyar was founded by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and others in 1875. Annie Besant popularized the movement in India.

The aims and ideals of the Theosophical Society are:

• To form a nucleus of the Universal Brotherhood of Humanity, without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste, or colour
• To encourage the study of Comparative Religion, Philosophy and Science
• To investigate unexplained laws of Nature and the powers latent in man

Annie Besant of The Theosophical Society was responsible for grooming and promoting the Indian philosopher J. Krishnamurti. He became famous all over the world and was known as the “World teacher”. However, as a young man, J. Krishnamurti disavowed his expected “mission” and disassociated himself from the Theosophical Society and its doctrines and practices. Over the next six decades, he pursued an independent course, becoming widely known as an original, influential thinker and speaker on philosophical subjects.

The Theosophical Society gardens

On the south bank of the Adyar river lies a vast area covered with trees, greenery and shrubs that covers a massive area of 260 acres. The gardens are also known as the “Huddleston Gardens”. The garden is home to many migratory birds, fruit bats, snakes, jackals, wild cats, mongoose, hares, and various spiders.

Many varieties of trees are found here, including the rare mahogany and 50 other varieties. However, the most famous tree here is the 450-year-old banyan tree. Known to the locals as the “Adyar aala maram,” it has aerial roots that cover an area of 60,000 sq.m. In 1996, the tree’s main trunk fell due to its weight during a cyclone but the other roots remain. The tree is now fenced for its protection and is a landmark of Chennai.

The Adyar Library and Research Centre

The Adyar Library and Research Centre (ALRC) was founded in 1886 by Colonel Olcott with a small but valuable collection of the Founders’ books. The library is a repository of spiritual literature and houses an extensive collection of books. It is also known for a collection of Buddhist scrolls that are over 1000 years old and handmade Bibles from the 19th century. The library is open to members and the public and is dedicated to research and publication in Eastern civilisation, philosophy, and religion. The library hosts over 2,50,000 books and 20,000 palm-leaf manuscripts from India, Sri Lanka, and China. The Chinese Tripitakas, the Tibetan Kanjur and Tanjur, a collection of rare works in Latin and other Western languages, and a complete set of essential research journals are among the priceless possessions of the library.

To become a member, readers must pay a fee of Rs 50/- and a refundable deposit of Rs 250/-, on payment of which they will be provided with an admission card valid for a year.  If you are a resident of Chennai and wish to borrow a book, you must register yourself as a borrower and pay a borrower’s fee of Rs 100/- per year as well as a refundable deposit of Rs 800/-.

Education

The Theosophical Society campus also houses The Olcott Memorial Higher Secondary School, a social welfare centre, a vocational training centre, and an HPB boys hostel. The Adyar Theosophical Academy (ATA) is another school established by the society in its Besant Gardens complex. The ATA prepares students for the Indian School Certificate Examination (ICSE) through its carefully crafted academic program and co-curricular activities that will serve students from different social, economic, cultural and diverse backgrounds. The school currently offers classes in Nursery, LKG, UKG, Grade 1 and 2 and is set to expand to Middle School and High School very soon.

There is a bookshop near the main gate which is open from 9,30 am to 12.30 pm and from 2.30 pm to 5.30 pm. It is closed on Sundays and public holidays.

Temples and Shrines

The Theosophical Society is also home to a Buddhist Shrine built in 1925. It enshrines a grey sandstone image of the Buddha. There is a lotus pond and a Bodhi tree there as well. You can also find a zen memorial stone, which was unveiled in 2009.

There is also a Hindu, Bharata Samaja temple which is architecturally beautiful. It is a non-sectarian Hindu shrine and is called the “Temple of Light.” There is no idol, it has only a flame. Every day at sunrise, a small band of devoted worshippers gather to perform the ‘Bharata Samaj Puja’ here.

The Theosophical Society also hosts The Church of St.Michael and All Angels. It is an attractive non-sectarian church where services are conducted according to the rites of the Liberal Catholic Church on Sunday mornings and other important days.

Also housed in the Society is a Zoroastrian temple. The figures are Assyrian in origin deeply symbolic and deserving of reflection. There is also a mosque built in 1937 modelled on the famous Pearl Mosque at Agra. It has simple interiors by the teachings of Islam that the ONE Supreme is beyond representation. There is also a Sikh shrine built in 1978, which has a small and simple prayer hall that symbolises the direct path to the Divine.

Visiting 

The Theosophical Society is open from 8.30 am to 10.00 pm & 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm. It is closed on all national holidays. No guided tours of the place are offered. It is important to call the Theosophical Society and check before you go there for a visit. They follow a lot of rules and regulations for visitors. Photography is restricted and permissions need to be obtained.

Visit: http://www.ts-adyar.org

Email: info@ts-adyar.org

Phone: Telephone: (044) 2491 2474

Summary

The Theosophical Society in Adyar is an exclusive place that is not commonly open to visitors. It is a massive campus and permissions must be sought if you want to visit the place. It is advisable to call before you go there.