Vivekanandar Illam, Historical museum in Triplicane, India

Vivekanandar Illam is a three-storey building in Triplicane, Chennai, facing the Bay of Bengal. It was built in 1842 as an ice warehouse and later remodelled as Castle Kernan. Today it houses an exhibition on Swami Vivekananda, with galleries on each floor, a meditation hall in his room, and a 3D gallery.

The building was constructed in 1842 by the Tudor Ice Company as an ice storage facility and later served different purposes. In 1897, Swami Vivekananda stayed here during a visit to Chennai and used it as his residence.

The building is still commonly called Ice House, from its 1842 use as a store for ice shipped from the Tudor Ice Company of Massachusetts. In 1897 Swami Vivekananda stayed here nine days and gave his famous lectures in Madras; the room he occupied is now a meditation hall. The first floor covers Indian culture, the second holds a photographic exhibition on his life.

The building stands in Triplicane facing the Bay of Bengal, with a ten-foot bronze statue of Vivekananda unveiled in front of it on 12 July 1964. Inside, the room where he stayed serves as a meditation hall, and a book stall sells publications. A 3D gallery and a 3D glasses hall are on site.

The building blends Indo-Saracenic architecture with colonial style, featuring arched windows and decorative pillars from the 1800s. This mix of two design traditions makes the structure architecturally interesting and sets it apart from other buildings in the area.