The majestic LIC building of Madras

When I was a boy of seven, my father took me to Mount Road to show me the exclusive and majestic LIC building. It stood like a soldier tall, chest forward, its light green glass panes glittering in the afternoon sun, stirring my heart.

It looks young and strong even now after sixty long years. The other day I had a chance to look at this solid solemn building from a window seat of a MTC bus while passing through Mount Road. It looked as surefooted as it was when I first looked at it open-mouthed standing beside my father. My mind slid back to that special day when I visited the LIC building for the first time.

A friend of my uncle who worked in the LIC office took me to the terrace of the building to have a bird's eye view of Madras City. The ride in the lift itself was thrilling as I never before stepped into a lift.

When I emerged onto the terrace there lay, under my widened eyes, the city of Madras. The first thing that took my breath away was the sea which kept sending wave after wave one behind the other towards the shore to lick Marina's sugar-sands.

My uncle's friend started pointing out to me the tower of Parthasarathy Temple, the Steeple of Santhome Church, hills of Pallavaram and St. Thomas Mount. At that time there was hardly a multi storied building on Mount Road to obstruct one's view from a top LIC building. Coovam was a serpent slithering its way to the Bay of Bengal for a drink of its blue water. I could see the magnificent statue of mounted eighteenth century English Governor Monroe, Madras Central Station's Big Ben and Nehru Stadium's gallery.

LIC building appeared in many old Tamil movies. The LIC building was the logo and pride of Madras. When a fire broke out in the LIC building in mid-seventies people of Madras were shocked and grief stricken. Thousands of people converged in front of the LIC building as it stood engulfed in thick columns of smoke. I was one of them. I stood there helplessly praying. Normally when a building catches fire we think of and pray only for the safety of people who are caught inside. In the LIC building case, me and many others prayed for the building also. We could not think of a Madras City without the LIC building. Police came and drove us, onlookers, all away wielding their canes. I too received a lathi-hit on my calf which kept throbbing with pain for a long time.

LIC building of Madras had and still has fans not only in Madras City but also all over Tamilnadu. Those days many of those visiting the city from other parts of the state won't leave without greeting the LIC building . One information which many of us in Chennai do not know is the fact that this building was the tallest building in Madras when its construction was completed in the year 1956.

Many buildings taller than LIC have sprung up in Chennai during the last two decades. But when it comes to grace and beauty they have to bow down before the LIC building. LIC building of Chennai is one building which no other taller building of the city can dwarf.