The history of Chennai can never be complete without a reference to the 163-year-old Madras High Court functioning from a 133-year-old heritage building. The history of the High Court as well as its building can never be concluded without recording admiration for the imposing white marble statue of Sir Justice Tiruvarur Muthuswami Iyer.
Born on January 28, 1832 at Uchuvadi in Thanjavur (then called Tanjore) district, his childhood was a grim struggle due to poverty. Yet, he rose to become the first Indian judge of the Madras High Court in 1878 and held the office till his death on January 25, 1895. In 1898, the then Chief Justice Sir Arthur John Hammond Collins installed his marble statue.
