Valluvar Kottam, Monument in Chennai, India
Valluvar Kottam is a monument in Chennai, India, built as a stone chariot reaching roughly 39 meters tall (128 feet). The walls display 1330 stone tablets engraved with verses from the Thirukkural.
Architect V. Ganapati Sthapati designed the structure, completed in 1976, to honor Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar. The construction came at a time of growing awareness of Tamil language and literary tradition in the region.
The name derives from Thiruvalluvar, the poet whose Thirukkural serves as a moral guide in Tamil households. Visitors see stone panels inscribed with verses in Tamil script, arranged by chapters on virtue, wealth and love.
The structure sits on Kodambakkam High Road and opens daily, from morning until late afternoon. Access is straightforward, with ramps for wheelchair users at the main entrances.
The stone chariot houses an auditorium space that seats roughly 4000 people, making it among the largest stone halls in Asia. Many visitors overlook the fact that this hall sits below the main platform.
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