Kalaignar Centenary Park is a green space with a difference Premium

Kalaignar Centenary Park on Cathedral Road offers a zipline, aviary, glass house, treehouses, and more for visitors at a cost.

A shriek rents the air on a hot, April evening at the Kalaignar Centenary Park on Cathedral Road. This is followed by squeals of pleasure as a young woman glides high up on a zipline around the premises. On the ground, other park visitors ooh and aah, excited children try and convince their parents to let them go for a ride, and the parents themselves are busy bracing for a short adventure, worried about leaving their children on the ground. A queue quickly forms — the 500-metre zipline, even at ₹250 per adult, is clearly one of the highlights of the park.

Until early 2023, the 6.09 acres of land on which the park sits, valued at approximately ₹1,000 crore, was in the possession of the Agri Horticultural Society, an organisation dating back to the 1800s. The society, which focused on plant studies, had in the late 1800s and early 1900s leased several properties, including the one on Cathedral Road. In 1989, the Tamil Nadu government began the legal process to reclaim its land, with the 33-year battle culminating with a Supreme Court order in favour of the government. On June 5, 2023, the Chennai Collectorate formally regained possession of the property. The land was subsequently transferred to the Department of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced that a park would be developed there, at a cost of ₹25 crore. In February 2024, he laid the foundation, and eight months later, he inaugurated it.

Six months on, the park has a steady stream of visitors. The merciless temperature outside is slightly mitigated inside: the trees and shrubbery offer shade, and a cool breeze provides relief. One thing that is quickly noticeable is that the park is designed for the social media generation — it is dotted with selfie spots, such as benches shaped like a butterfly and various fruits, has green nooks to pose under, artfully placed rocks to loll on and arbours that provide picturesque backdrops. Greenery and flowers are everywhere. Young couples and families chat, take photographs, and rest in between exploring.

“The experience has been delightful so far,” says A. Reshma, a resident of Vellore, who is holidaying in Chennai with her husband and three-year-old son. “We especially loved the aviary, and the zipline was good fun,” she adds. The aviary, a popular spot (separately ticketed), allows visitors to feed the birds. A walkway goes all around the park in a large semicircle of sorts, with little paths skittering away in other directions. A turn later, there is a ‘decorative arch’, a closed-in path, hemmed in by a heart-shaped arch filled in with money plants. Further on, there are arbours, shady little spots, and a courtyard with a fountain at its centre.

Priyanka S. and Karthikeyan R. from Medavakkam, who found out about the park on Instagram, say it offers something different. “Usually, you’d have to go to Munnar or a place like that to find something like this,” says Karthikeyan, referring to the zipline. “It also offers a respite from the heat,” adds Priyanka.

Next come two treehouses – a delight for children, many of whom were swarming up to take a peek. Underneath, a toy train runs for the little ones. Nearby is a cafe and a baby feeding room. For A. Yesu Raja, a resident of Bangalore, access was one of the key advantages. The 43-year-old normally uses crutches but says he was offered a wheelchair by the staff at the entrance and decided to take it. “The staff was very friendly, and the park is accessible. So it’s been a great experience,” he says.

Benches are interspersed among neatly-labelled trees and shrubs throughout, convenient for senior citizens like 79-year-old E. Subburam, from Salem, who had come with his granddaughter and her family to the park. “The arrangements here are good,” he says, sitting on a bench while his family explored. Water facilities too are available at various points. The artificial waterfall (cascade), however, was not functional, with no water in it.