Ice House – Castle Kernan – Marine Mansion – Vivekananda Illam

– A Historical Structure of Divine Exposition today!
This beautiful architectural building across the Marina Beach at Chennai mesmerises every passerby. The 3 storey pink coloured magnificent building with huge semi-circular bay windows is an architectural landmark! Today it’s simply known as ‘Vivekananda Iilam’ or ‘Vivekananda House’.
Vivekananda House is a  permanent exhibition housing the proud 4000 year Vedic Hindu Religion and the English speaking Hindu Monk of India, SwamiVivekananda!  His illustrious journey in life from Narendra to Swami Vivekananda! Documented pictorially either in form of paintings, photographs, statues, sculpture or Holography 3D films. One can see all this in a spectacular display wonderfully showcased abreast with technology by the Ramakrishna Mission of Chennai. In fact the Ramakrishna Mission was incepted here at this same building and after 10 years moved to its current permanent location at Mylapore, Madras or Chennai today.
This building built on the sand dunes of Marina beach in the year 1842 by a Boston Business man Fredric Tudor (1783-1864) was a store house for ice carted by him from the great fresh water lakes of North America. Yes! Ice blocks were cut into giant blocks wrapped in Felt and Fine Pine Saw Dust and shipped to this tropical country for the pleasure of the British East India Co. employees & their families. It was also used for medical purposes too! A pound of ice those days costed 4 annas or 25 paise! Fredric Tudor first set up his Ice House on an experimental basis in Calcutta (Hare Street), where he shipped 160 tonnes of ice  to India from North America and 100 tonnes survived the vovage. . .! Encouraged by this, he ventured and expanded his business in India to two other cities viz Bombay (Marine Street) and Madras (Chepauk Palace). He was shipping ice all over the world and had become a wealthy business man. Ironically only the Madras Ice House exists today. His Ice Business died with the invention of Steam Power where ice could be manufactured anywhere. Fredric Tudor died on 6th February 1864 and lies buried in the family tomb.
After the closure of the ‘Ice House’ at Madras. Sri Biligiri Iyengar of Mysore a successful practising lawyer from Madras bought this place for residential purposes in 1880. He named this residential bungalow – ‘Castle Kernan’ after his inspired contemporary British Judge Justice Kernan! Sri Biligiri Iyengar stayed at this place with his family of wife, son and three daughters. He also requested his brother Ramaswamy Iyengar to move with him from Mysore. They all stayed as one big joint family. Sri Biligiri Iyengar was a religious & philanthropic person, he ran a house for less fortunate people in the same premises. He set up a Religious Iyengar Trust Fund of one lakh rupees borrowing seven thousand rupees. Sri Biligiri Iyengar was enamoured by Sri Vivekananda and his fiery speeches & discussions. On his way back from the ‘Chicago Religious World Meet’ Swami Vivekananda was requested to stay at Castle Kernan and he did stay for 9 days from 6th to 14th of February 1897. During this stay on the request of Sri Biligiri Iyengar and others Sri Ramakrishna Math was established with Sri Ramakrishnananda, brother in law of Sri Vivekananda heading the South Indian chapter. Later the Math moved to it’s permanent quarters at Mylapore after 10 years.
Sri Biligiri Iyengar lost his son who was just 11 years old. His two daughters were early widowed,  this worried him a lot. Swami Vivekananda condoled him but he was depressed and, he succumbed to heart failure. Being a rich successful lawyer he had properties in Madras, Bangalore & Mysore. All these were cheated out. The Mysore Wodeyar King who once expressed his desire to stay at Castle Kernan and stayed there for 3days came to their rescue and asked the remaining Ramaswamy Iyengar family to shift to Mysore or Bangalore which they accepted. Castle Kernan was auctioned and nobody stayed there because of poor ventilation – it was designed and built as a Ice storage building! This beautiful historical structure was abandoned.
Sister Subbalakshmi as she was known affectionately became a child-widow at the age of 10. She bravely fought the religious, social and society’s opposition and was the first South Indian Brahmin woman to do her B.A. degree in 1911. With her father’s help and ably guided and mentored by Miss Linch an inspectress of girl’s school started a Home called ‘Sarada Ashram’ at her residence with just five girls for young widows. With able guidance from Mrs. Drysdale, an English lady a ‘Brahmana Child Widows Hostel’ was formed in Triplicane, Madras in the year 1911. In January 1915 this hostel was abandoned for lack of space. The then Madras Government bought the abandoned ‘Ice House’ for Rs.79, 794/-  and named it ‘Marine Mansion’.
The widows hostel moved here. Apart from education games too became a part of the curriculum making these girls fit, strong and intelligent. The 1942 war saw a little turmoil. Some women joined the Sri Ramakrishna Ashram at Mylapore. Here they were treated as equals and with atmost respect. Marine Mansion evolved to a Teacher’s Training Institute.
1963, the Birth Centenary Celebration of Swami Vivekananda was a great day at Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai. A Postage stamp was released on Swami Vivekananda, his 10 feet statue was unveiled and call it Ice House, Castle Kernan or Marine Mansion . . . This bunglow was renamed as Vivekananda Illam or Vivekananda House. All these activities were involved and honoured by the the Chief Minister of the Madras State, K. Kamaraj and the second President of India Dr. S. Radhakrishnan. A lot of celebrity leaders took part in this movement. Today this historical building stands tall restored occupying a place of dignity and honour in all its glory!
Vivekananda Iilam today is a permanent exhibition of 4000 years of Vedic Hindu Religion along with the First English Speaking Hindu Monk who shook the religious tenents of the religious world – Swami Vivekananda! He just said that he’s taking the fine rich Vedic Knowledge to thepeople of the world for better understanding in making the world a better place to live in. Humanity at its best for peaceful living.
Vivekananda House being an extended arm of Sri Ramakrishna Math and indulges in a lot of philanthropic activities in areas of health, education and wellbeing. There’s Yoga, Meditation, Computer Training and Career Counseling in its day to day activities. This math lives on grants and donations of people.
The permanent exposition at Vivekananda House has lot of oil paintings depicting Vedic Life. Poets & Divine Souls are honoured. Meditation Room of Sri Vivekananda is a sanctum over here. His speeches are captured and exhibited in video and holographic form. Life size large Black & White larger than life photos of the life of Sri Vivekananda are displayed in the corridors of this INTACT building. Ample parking space,  a bookstore and activities building occupy a large premises of this delightful pleasing structure.
This place has a small entrance fee and is open to public from 10 am to 12:30 pm & again from 3 pm to 7:15 pm. Monday is their weekly holiday. It takes about an hour and a half to see this place including the 2D & 3D inspirational Video Shows! Sorry ‘No Photography’. Swami Paramasukhnanda who heads this place with Swami Sashishikhananda says, ” the selfie posing mobile photography culture is disturbing & disgusting to visitors”. He says ” this is a place where one imbibes & learns values, one needs to take something from here – not give”. I am grateful to Swami Paramasukhnanda to have allowed me to take as many photographs as I wanted. I couldn’t meet his counterpart Swami Sashishikhananda who was travelling and jointly heads Sri Vivekananda Iilam or House at Chennai. May be my next visit I shall have the privilege of meeting him… or meet both of them for a lively discussion on spirituality, life & it’s meaning.
He also says anyone can become a ‘Volunteer’ and aid them in their services,  be it to Humanity or Religious one! But, to become a Monk and belonging to the order is tough…!  One has to be un-married, a educated graduate and take a vow of bachelorhood for life and put in the rigorous training for atleast 10 – 11 years. Above 28 years you are not eligible, divorced, widowed, have/had kids not eligible. A confirmed educated bachelor with grit and discipline is what it takes to be a monk at Vivekananda Mission.
A nice divine place with positive energy is Vivekananda Iilam or Vivekananda House at the vast Kamaraj Salai of Marina Beach. Tsunami saw the sea water coming to the gates of this Illam, but it never entered. All here believe it’s the divine.power!
Worth a visit for a divine experience and enlightenment. The bookstore educates you with spiritual knowledge irrespective of your caste or religion. Books of all faith are available. Vedic books dominate the shelves. The prices of the books are affordable. Most books are printed & published by Sri Ramakrishna Mission. These books throw knowledge & wisdom to you in all aspects of living – especially your thinking & thoughts!