Siddique Sarai Mosque, Park Town, Chennai
Siddique Sarai Mosque is a choultry built in 19th
Century for Muslim travelers in Park Town area of Chennai, the capital of the South
Indian state of Tamil
Nadu.
History
The 21-year-old Abdul Hakim arrived in Madras from his
native Melvisharam (near Arcot) in 1884 to join his father Siddique Hussain
Sahib. Having picked up the ropes of business, he started in 1907 a small
business in hides and skins but grew it to such an extent that he became a
merchant prince and a major donor to charities. Perhaps the best-known of those
charitable contributions is Siddique Sarai, the Muslim choultry opposite
Central Station.
When Abdul Hakim’s ailing father once arrived at Central
from Bombay he found that there was no choultry nearby with facilities for
Muslim travelers. Build one, he suggested to his son. And so, Abdul Hakim
bought land opposite Ripon Building in an auction for Rs. 50,000 and
laid the foundation stone for the Sarai in 1919. Claiming that the
building was coming too near its tracks, the South Indian Railway raised
objections to its construction.
The consequent case went up to the Privy Council and,
eventually, after its ruling, the building was completed and inaugurated in
1921. The Sarai is now vested in the Jamaath of the Periamet mosque.
Among Abdul Hakim’s other contributions are the Muslim High School in
Triplicane, of which he was one of the founders. In Melvisharam, a higher
secondary school and an engineering college bear his name. He was Sheriff of
Madras in 1930 and in 1937 was elected to the Madras Legislative Assembly from
North Madras.
The
Structure
Siddique Sarai is a three-storey building that
offers 43 retiring rooms whose charges progress from the free to, after three
days, the nominal. It also has a mosque for men and one for women, where
prayers are said at the scheduled hours. On road level and road-facing are
shops whose rental helps to finance the Sarai. Before various
constructions came up all around it, its Islamic architecture of arches, domes
and minarets created a striking landmark in the area.
Connectivity
The place is located at about 100 meters from Central
Metro Station, 400 meters from Park Station Bus Stop, 250 meters from Chennai
Park Railway Station, 600 meters from Chennai Central Railway Station, 3 Kms
from Egmore Railway Station, 11 Kms from Koyambedu Mofussil Bus Terminus and 21
Kms from Chennai Airport. The place is located very close to the Chennai
Central Railway Station. You can proceed on foot to this place from the
station. From other parts of the city, you can take a Cabs, Auto Rickshaw, Bus,
Local Trains and Metro Trains to reach the place.
Location
