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 Till recently, the Royapettah Hospital was synonymous with police cases. Anyone injured in an accident or wounded in a scuffle or any incident involving police intervention could be treated only in the Royapettah Hospital. Even post mortems were done only there. Things have changed now and all government hospitals handle these cases. Nevertheless, in the public mind, an accident or a suicide attempt continues to be associated with the Royapettah Hospital.
 The Royapettah Police Station nearby is another noted landmark of the area. The building occupies the crotch of the fork where Gaudia Mutt Road (formerly Mowbrays Road) takes off from Royapettah High Road. A huge tree by the police station is a striking presence in the crowded locality. Today, the Gaudia Mutt Road is a 'one way' stretch, reducing the traffic congestion to a certain extent.
The area is a bee hive of small shops, in the midst of which there is a market too. The narrow lanes make one wonder whether any business can be transacted there. Muslims throng the area, among them a number of girls wearing white purdahs. The girls seem very thin and you feel a twinge of concern whether their slight build in such a congested area made them more prone to tuberculosis. You even have a passing thought: is that why the Royapettah Hospital is so close by?
Yet another landmark of Royapettah is 'Amir Mahal', residence of the Nawab of Arcot. 'Amir', in general terms, means a rich person. The opposite is 'gareeb'. It is a vast property. The palace is located in one corner of it and is not easy to spot at first glance. The compound wall on the northern side abuts on Pycrofts Road and resembles the wall of a fort. A large tower on either side of the wide arched entrance adds to this impression. On top of these towers is the 'Nagarkhana', where drums are played. I have heard the sounds of Shehnaai from those towers, but not of drums. From one particular spot on the road, one can see the Amir Mahal Palace through the entrance located far away. There are towers on either side of the palace too. Mohammed Ali is the present Nawab of Arcot. The magnificence of the establishment makes one wonder how the Nawab is able to maintain it, for that would surely take a lot of time and money. The Nawab of Arcot is active in the city's life and plays a major role in the Communal Harmony Organisation.
Ashokamitran
(Translated by Sujatha Pradeep)
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The Shehnaai of Amir Mahal
