Museum of memories
Its halls have hosted balls, banquets and the who’s who of colonial Madras until it was chosen to be the first museum in south India in the mid-1800s. The 240-year-old Pantheon building at Government Museum in Egmore, one of the oldest functional heritage structures in Chennai, is home to rare artefacts and will soon be renovated to ensure it stands strong as a reminder of the city’s history.
According to museum officials, the Pantheon building was purchased by the British from another person. The building was used for hosting banquets and plays since the last decade of the 18th century before it was turned into a museum in 1854. “The British took possession of the Pantheon Building in 1780. So, the structure is likely to have been built before that period,” said an official.