Connemara Library, Chennai - Disappointing

I've spent nearly 2/3rd of my life in Chennai - but I had never been to Connemara Public Library. Whenever I cross Pantheon road, I remind myself to visit Connemara library ... someday. Finally, the day came. I visited Connemara library two weeks ago. It is conveniently located in Pantheon Road, Egmore and very accessible to people from Nungambakkam, Chetput, and Mount Road. It is located in a huge campus which was mostly abandoned. (Also read: American Library in US Consulate - for history lovers)

There are a number of facilities inside the campus - most of them out of operation or closed. The campus also houses Chennai Government museum among other things. On the day that I visited (a Saturday), a Chennai corporation school had brought their students to the library. It was fun to watch the kids running all around with curiosity.  (Also read: Semmozhi Poonga - Greenway in the heart of Chennai City)

I've seen the interiors of the "old building" in several movies and I was longing to see that. To my surprise, the library has moved to a new building and the old/legacy Connemara library is under preservation. 

The new library is located in a multi-storeyed complex. The library had books covering almost all the subject - right from new age computer technology books to old age "Tholkappiams" & "Manimekalais". The folks who were there are mostly poor/middle class students, old/retired people, and the folks who are trying to kill time. I believe the library serves as a good resource for students who cannot afford costly books. I didn't see many "rich" or "middle aged" people there. (Also read: Visit to World Classical Tamil Meet - 2010)

Though the library has a good collection in terms of "quantity" I seriously doubt the "quality" of the books. Most of the books (except for engineering or management books) are at least 50+ years old and they're in a pathetic condition. The books looked like a person in hospital after a serious accident - stitched everywhere, or with patches/tapes all over. Some of the aisles were stinking because of the large volumes of old books. The library also has a computer room and digital collection (CDs, DVDs etc.,) - once again, targeted at students.

I saw administrative people only in the ground floor. There weren't people available to help/assist the visitors in 2nd or 3rd floors.

I saw a canteen in the Connemara Library campus - however it was empty. There was a petty shop selling Aavin drinks. There are playing structures for kids - most of them are broken/rusty. There is place for school students to sit and eat. There was a small store selling books - which had a good collection of books to buy.

I saw a few foreigners/tourists visiting the library and the Chennai Government museum.

There is no entry fee for visiting the library. You can be a member by paying an annual subscription of Rs.50. You need to pay Rs.300 to borrow up to 6 books. You've to get the signature of a Grade A or Grade B government officer to be a member (not sure about the purpose this serves).

I was quite disappointed with my visit and I decided not to become a member of Connemara Library. I'm eagerly looking forward to visiting Anna Centenary library. I heard good feedback about Anna Centenary library from my friends.

Also read:

American Library in US Consulate - for history lovers
Anna Tower Park - A Boon for Anna Nagar residents

A visit to Children's Park & Snake Park in Guindy, Chennai

If you have kids at home and want to keep them occupied for half a day, you should consider visiting Children's Park & Snake Park in Guindy, Chennai. We visited Guindy National Park last week and had a great time there.

(Also read: Mahabalipuram, Muttukadu, & Crocodile Park   A visit to Arignar Anna Zoological Park - Vandalur)

Guindy National Park consists of Children's Park and the Snake Park. There was a time when Children's park used to be filled with a variety of animals. However, today it looks almost deserted. There are only a few animals in the park, such as monkeys, turtles, crocodiles, peacock, and deers. Though the park was running short of faunas, it is rich with flora. The whole area looked like a dense forest. The trunk of the trees have grown large - indicating that they're there for several hundreds of years. There were a couple of banyan trees also in the park.

One thing worth mentioning is the play structures in the park. The park had a good collection of play structures for kids. The play area was filled with joy, vibrancy and noise. It was nice to watch the kids playing with full enthusiasm.

We then went to the Snake Park which was nearby. The Snake Park is maintained very well. It had a good collection of pythons, cobras, and a variety of other snakes. The park has a collection of snakes that live in land, and also the ones that live in water. In addition, the park had crocodiles and turtles. My daughter enjoyed watching them all. The locality was maintained very well - neat and clean. We were lucky enough to see the live show of snake (at around 3 pm).

The Guindy National Park is open between 9.00 am to 5.30 on all days (except Tuesdays). One of the things that has improved in public/recreational facilities in Chennai is the restroom and water facilities. Guindy National Park isn't an exception.

Guindy National Park has enough parking facility for cars, two-wheelers and even tourist buses. In fact, the touristers who come to Guindy to visit other nearby attractions such as Gandhi Mandapam, Kamaraj Mandapam, and Rajai Memorial also park their vehicles near Guindy National Park. These attractions are at a walkable distance from Guindy National Park. You can spot a few deers roaming near the parking lot and chasing people for food.

My daughter enjoyed the visit to Guindy National Park, more than us.

Also read:


Mahabalipuram, Muttukadu, & Crocodile Park
A visit to Arignar Anna Zoological Park - Vandalur