Mylapore police station turns 121

On November 13, this station on Kutchery Road in Mylapore turns 121. A stone inscription at the entrance of the station observes that Oswald Routh Jones, former Madras police Commissioner, laid the foundation stone for the station in 1902.

The siren

One of my cherished memories of the station is that of the siren that would blare every day exactly at noon. I was in my early 20s residing in Mylapore and the “alarm”, which would continue for at least a minute, would ring around the areas nearby. I assume the siren is an indication to the staff living around the station to report to work. As a boy, I used to salute the police personnel on the road.

Baskar Seshadri is a resident of Mandaveli

The arch

As a 10-year-old, I was fascinated by “the arch” at the entrance of the police station. Two Ashoka trees bent to form an arch. I would stare at it during my visit to the Dabba Chetty Shop on Kutchery Road. Our shop was located on Kutchery Road for more than a century. As a child, I would regularly hang out at the store.

K Badrinath, the fourth-generation running Dabba Chetty Shop

The crowd