Mundagakanniamman Koil railway station

Mundagakanniamman Koil முண்டகக்கண்ணியம்மன் கோவில்
Chennai MRTS station
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Construction
Structure type	Elevated
History
Opened	14 May 2014
Services
Preceding station   Chennai MRTS   Following station Light House toward Chennai Beach Chennai Beach-St.Thomas Mount Thirumayilai toward St. Thomas Mount

Mundagakanniamman Koil station is a railway station on the Chennai MRTS, located near Brindavan Street and Mundakakanni Amman Koil Street in Mylapore, along the Buckingham Canal. The station exclusively serves the Chennai MRTS, and serves the neighbourhood of northern Mylapore, Santhome and Royapettah.

History

Mundagakanniamman Koil station is the 18th MRTS station to be operational.^[1] Work on the station began in 2002, at an initial estimated cost of ₹ 85.5 million.^[2] The station has been built as an additional one in the first phase of the Chennai MRTS network completed much earlier. Initially slated to be completed in April 2009 at a cost of ₹ 350 million,^[3] the construction was delayed due to land-acquisition issues. The next deadline was set as 2012 and again it was delayed due to getting approval for the name. The cost of construction was ₹ 100 million.^[4][5] The station was opened to public on 14 May 2014.

Controversy in station's name

The station had been courting controversy ever since it was first slated to be completed in 2009. The construction cost had run to ₹ 100 million.^[6]

The station's name ran into controversy in June 2013 when over 80 per cent work was over, since some local residents opposed the christening of the station after the Hindu goddess Mundagakanniamman. A temple of Goddess Mundagakanniamman is almost in the vicinity of the station, which covers Ganeshapuram and Slatterpuram that have a good number of Christian and Muslim population. The station's name boards were whitewashed by some residents, and the inauguration of the station, which was earlier scheduled for 15 May 2013, was deferred indefinitely. Later the Tamil Nadu government decided to retain the name since the station is located on the very street where the temple is situated, and the station was named "Mundagakanniamman Koil."^[7][8]

Structure

The station is an elevated one built on the banks of the Buckingham Canal like most other MRTS stations. The station building consists of 2,400 sq m of parking area in its basement.^[1] The design of the station is similar to that of the Thirumailai station. The station has only one entrance as the Buckingham canal runs alongside.^[4]

Mundagakanniamman Koil MRTS station under construction as seen from an MRTS train

References

1. "Session II—Traffic Transportation And Parking" (PDF). CMDA. Retrieved 2012-08-20.
2. "HC orders eviction of 360 families from Slaterpuram". The Hindu (Chennai: The Hindu). 26 February 2002. Retrieved 15 Feb 2014.
3. "New MRTS station coming up". The Hindu (Chennai: The Hindu). 11 July 2008. Retrieved 15 Feb 2014.
4. Narayanan, Vivek (4 April 2013). "MRTS station to open next month". The Hindu (Chennai: The Hindu). Retrieved 2013-05-19.
5. "மயிலாப்பூரில் புதிய பறக்கும் ரயில் நிலையம்". Dinamani (in Tamil) (Chennai). 6 April 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-19.
6. Swaminathan, T. S. Atul (7 September 2013). "It's a name game". The Hindu (Chennai). Retrieved 8 Sep 2013.
7. "பறக்கும் ரயில் மார்க்கத்தில் புதிதாக கட்டப்பட்டது முண்டகக்கண்ணியம்மன் கோயில் ரயில் நிலையம் பெயர் அழிப்பு [Newly constructed Mundagakanniamman Koil MRTS station's name board has been whitewashed]". Dinakaran (in Tamil) (Chennai). 19 June 2013. Retrieved 22 Jul 2013.
8. "Mudagakanniamman MRTS kicks up row". Deccan Chronicle (Chennai). 20 June 2013. Retrieved 15 Feb 2014.