Poonamallee
Poonamallee, 1908
Town and cantonment in the Saidapet taluk of Chingleput District, Madras, situated in 13degree 3' N. and 80degree 7' E., on the western trunk road, 13 miles west of Madras city and 5 miles north of St. Thomas's Mount. It contains a population (1901) of 15,323 persons, and is the head-quarters of a deputy-tahsildar and a District Munsif. The place was formerly a convalescent depot for the troops of the Madras Command, a purpose for which it was well suited by its good drainage and general salubrity. It still contains barracks which could accommodate 500 men, but is now only a sanitarium for con- valescent European troops. Four hundred yards to the east of the cantonment, which is about half a mile square, is the old fort of Poona- mallee, now occupied principally by warehouses, storerooms, and the hospital. It is a Muhammadan work, 175 yards long and 142 broad, surrounded by a rampart 18 feet high. It was of considerable service in holding the country, towards both Madras and Conjeeveram, during the Wars of the Carnatic.
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
