MGR Memorial

The memorial was built in 1988 and inaugurated by Janaki Ramachandran, wife of M. G. Ramachandran, in May 1990.[3] The memorial was remodelled and the complex was laid with marble and opened in 1992 by J. Jayalalithaa who had become the chief minister of the state of Tamil Nadu in the previous year. When J. Jayalalithaa died on 5 December 2016, she was buried next to MGR. This structure was designed by Architect Mr. K. Ramachandran, retired chief architect of PWD. Between 1996 and 1998, the mausoleum was again renovated at a cost of about ₹ 27.5 million. When the Indian Ocean tsunami struck the seafront in December 2004, the memorial was damaged. Repair works cost approximately ₹ 13.3 million.[4]

MGR's tomb and memorial at Marina beach before renovation

Statue of M. G. Ramachandran

In 2012, the memorial was again renovated at a cost of ₹ 43 million, including ₹ 34 million for remodelling the facade and the surrounding walll.[5] This renovation included a new entrance with the AIADMK party's two-leaves symbol and Pegasus, the horse from Greek mythology, landscaping of the open area around the memorial using Korean grass, and the planting of exotic, decorative plants such as palmyra alpha, date palm, spider lily and adenium. Also included were a granite pathway shaped like a guitar, stainless steel handles around the memorial, a fountain in the middle, waterfall at the rear, decorative lamps, and an overhead tower with lights both at the entrance and on the arch.[1][6] Two pergolas 18 metres wide were also constructed, in addition to ramps for the physically challenged.[5]

The erection of the two-leaves insignia was opposed by the opposition DMK party.[7] A public interest petition was filed in the Madras High Court in October 2012 against the erection of the two-leaves insignia,[8] but was dismissed by the court.[9][10]

Bronze Pegasus at the entrance

Full view of the entrance

Until 2012, the facade of the memorial was a tall entry arch with folded hands which was replaced with a concrete replica of two-leaves emblem, the symbol of the AIADMK party founded by M. G. Ramachandran. The facade was also given a Grecian touch with the erection of a 12-foot-high bronze sculpture of Pegasus, the winged horse of Greek mythology.[11] The 3.75-tonne sculpture, by architect R. Ravindran, a sthapathi from Mamallapuram, is set on a 4.5-metre-high pedestal.[12]

Two 15.9-metre-high columns serving as the entrance were built with reinforced concrete. The elevated "two-leaves" structure is supported by a 6-metre-high beam serving as the stem. The leaf structure, with a span of 10.2 metres for each leaf, is a metre higher than the towering columns. The leaves have a slight resemblance to a honey comb and are visible from both the front and the rear.[11]

A museum on M. G. R. is located within the memorial at the northern side of the campus.

A panoramic view of the MGR cemetery

• 
  A general view
• 
  Statue of MGR
• 
  The beam
• 
  The bronze Pegasus at night
• 
  The ever-burning lamp

• Anna Memorial
• Marina Beach