Parry's

With these pictures I hope to run a series of photographs or short pieces on Parry's -- that area just beyond Central railway station going right up to First Line Beach or North Beach Road or Rajaji Salai, as it known now.
This picture of a plaque that marks the boundary of the Esplanade is outside the Dare House -- headquarters of the Murugappa Group, to which belongs E.I.D. Parry, from where that old part of Madras got its name. The plaque refers to the Esplanade, by which name not too many people in Madras now refer to that area. The plaque is at the corner of Moore Street (or Dr Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin Saheb Street, as it has been renamed) and NSC Bose Road.
Parry's thrives with life and still remains a place where you can get anything you want, although there are many other places in Madras now where you can get whatever you want. But, shopping in Parry's is still fun for those prepared to brave the crowds, the jostling and the lack of parking space. A number of stately buildings still remain in this area, some in good condition and many others in a state of permanent disrepair. Some fine buildings and landmarks have completely disappeared.
The Murugappa group has moved all its offices (after selling TIAM House, a short distance away on First Line Beach) to Dare House -- named after one of the partners of Parry & Co. Dare House, according to Madras Discovered by S. Muthiah, was built in the late 1930s and occupied in 1940. This rather modern day building stands at the corner of NSC Bose Road and First Line Beach, with entry and exit points on Moore Street also. This picture of Dare House was taken on a Sunday, which probably explains why there aren't too many vehicles or people to be seen.