It was in 1728 that Coja Petrus Uscan built the first bridge across the Adyar. It was named the Marmalong Bridge after the village of Mambalam that was the closest settlement. In 1783, William Hodges executed a painting of the bridge, which is our OLD.
OLD.
OLDThe bridge has not survived and in its place stands a wider and more modern Maraimalai Adigal Bridge, as befitting today’s traffic conditions. But standing by one side, and remarkably free of any posters, is Uscan’s plaque commemorating his construction, in three languages – Latin, Persian and Armenian. Our NEW is a picture of the plaque, taken by your Deputy Editor. It is a sobering thought that in three years this plaque will turn three hundred!