| Valluvar Kottam | |
|---|---|
வள்ளுவர் கோட்டம் | |
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 Interactive map of Valluvar Kottam | |
| General information | |
| Type | Monument |
| Location | Chennai,India |
| Coordinates | 13°3′15.88″N80°14′30.3″E / 13.0544111°N 80.241750°E /13.0544111; 80.241750 |
| Completed | 1976 |
| Inaugurated | 15 April |
| Height | 39 metres (128 ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architecture firm | East Coast Constructions and Industries |
Valluvar Kottam (Tamil:வள்ளுவர் கோட்டம்) is amonument inChennai, dedicated to the classicalTamil poet philosopherValluvar. It is the city's biggest Tamil cultural centre.[1]
Valluvar Kottam is located at the intersection of theKodambakkam High road and the Village road inNungambakkam neighbourhood of Chennai.[2] The monument now stands at what was once the deepest point of a local lake called the Nungambakkam lake.[1][3]
The construction of the Valluvar Kottam was conceived and executed by the then Chief Minister of Tamil NaduM. Karunanidhi during the 1970s.[1] It was designed bySouth Indian traditional architectV. Ganapati Sthapati, who is also the architect of theThiruvalluvar Statue atKanyakumari.[3] It was inaugurated in April 1976 by the then President of IndiaFakhruddin Ali Ahmed.[4]
The monument consists of a decorative arch, an auditorium that can accommodate around 3,500 people, and the Kural Manimandapa, where all the 1,330 couplets from all 133 chapters of the Kural literature are inscribed on bas-relief.[4] The hallmark of the monument is the 39-meter-high (128-foot) stone car, a replica of the famedtemple chariot ofThiruvarur.[4] The chariot is made of around 3000 blocks of granite stone fromTiruvannamalai[3] and weighs 2,700 tonnes.[1] The largest of these stones weigh as much as 40 tonnes.[1] The four giant-sized wheels of the chariot measure 11 feet in diameter and 2 feet in thickness.[4] A life-size statue ofValluvar has been installed in the chariot.[3] The chariot is adorned with the famed Kalamkari drawings.[5] The bottom portion of the chariot featuresbas relief sculptures depicting all the 133 chapters of the Kural text.[1] The central auditorium measures 220 feet by 100 feet and is said to be Asia's largest at the time of its construction.[1] The roof of the monument has a terraced garden with two large pools.[1]
The monument is visited by an average of about 700 people during weekdays and 1000 people during weekends.[4]
The monument is maintained by the memorial section of the information and public relations department of the state government. It was renovated in 2007 at a cost of₹ 6 million.[5] In 2018, the department started renovating the memorial at a cost of₹ 8.5 million.[4]
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