The history of Chennai’s oldest sabha

The sabha was founded by Manni Thirumalachariar, a prominent and respected member of the prosperous Mandyam community, in 1900. He felt the need for an association to conduct bhajans and Harikatha regularly for the local community. The neighbours on the street supported him and the sabha, named after the presiding deity of the temple in their area began its activities with a membership of 50. The sabha had no permanent premises for a very long time and the open terrace of a house on TP Koil Street became the venue for some time. 

The sabha’s history can be divided into three different slots which is a reflection of the cultural trend in Madras at that time. The first two decades were devoted to Harikatha and bhajans, the 20s brought in classical singers and the 40s saw Tamil drama which had gained popularity. Many of the titans in the cultural field have had their maiden performances here. Many drama associations and dancers believe that it is auspicious to hold their first performance in this sabha. 

Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar and Vijayanthimala inaugurated their Tiruppavai music and dance recitals here. Also, Padmini and Ragini of the Travancore Sisters gave their first Chennai performances in Parthasarathy Swami Sabha.